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ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES in rocky mountain coniferous ...

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characterized the deci sionmak<strong>in</strong>g process fac<strong>in</strong>g executives <strong>in</strong> market<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a way<br />

which is particularly appropos to the forest manager. We quote and paraphrase from<br />

their book, Mu1 tiattribute Decisions <strong>in</strong> Market<strong>in</strong>g (Green and W<strong>in</strong>d 1973) :<br />

The traditional view of model<strong>in</strong>g executive decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g behavior <strong>in</strong><br />

terms of the objectives and actions of economic man is also be<strong>in</strong>g challenged<br />

as too narrow a conceptualization. . . . (The) more recent models<br />

recognize that organizational decision mak<strong>in</strong>g, . . . , is a complex, mu1 tivariable<br />

process that cannot be captured by any s<strong>in</strong>gle function such as<br />

corporate profit maximization, enhancement of social responsi bi 1 i ty, or<br />

the 1 ike. Rather, executive-choice behavior <strong>in</strong>volves mu1 tiple <strong>in</strong>fluences<br />

and goals and potentially conflict<strong>in</strong>g objectives. Not surpris<strong>in</strong>gly, mre<br />

recent (decisionmak<strong>in</strong>g) models high1 ight the mu1 tiattri bute nature of<br />

a1 ternatives <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> managerial decisions.<br />

The framework <strong>in</strong> which a forest manager's decisions are viewed seems to parallel<br />

closely that described by Green and W<strong>in</strong>d. Similarly, we will exam<strong>in</strong>e the decision-<br />

mak<strong>in</strong>g of forest managers as a "descriptive approach to <strong>in</strong>dividual riskless choice<br />

<strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g multiattribute alternatives <strong>in</strong> a more or less static .,.choice situation."<br />

(Green and W<strong>in</strong>d 1973). A number of a1 ternative characterizations of the decision-<br />

mak<strong>in</strong>g process are illustrated <strong>in</strong> figure 1.<br />

DECISION MAKING<br />

A<br />

Descriptive Prescriptive<br />

A<br />

l ndividual Group<br />

Riskless Uncerta<strong>in</strong><br />

Multi- attribute ~<strong>in</strong>yle ~ttribute<br />

Figure 1. --Characterization of the decisionmak<strong>in</strong>g process.<br />

Decisionmak<strong>in</strong>g may be studied us<strong>in</strong>g either a prescriptive or a descriptive<br />

approach, The fields of operations research and economics are prescriptive <strong>in</strong> that<br />

they are concerned with mak<strong>in</strong>g decisions consistent with some set of criteria-frequently<br />

uti 1 i ty maximization, Whatever the criteria, a specific reconrnendati on<br />

is made on the course of action which should be taken. This course of action is<br />

consistent with some explicitly def<strong>in</strong>ed set of assumptions thought to be rational.

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