Quantitative and Qualitative Factors in Decision Making, 13 March 2007

Quantitative Factors

• Provide a numerical basis for decision making – reduces decisions to looking at a monetary value placed on different choices, e.g.
  –Forecasted sales figures for the next 3 years
  –The cost of a series of redundancies against the longer term financial benefits to the firm of this process
• But: such data provides only part of the story
• Other factors need to be taken into account, particularly the effects of decisions on stakeholder groups and their response to such decisions, e.g.
  –The takeover of Manchester United by Malcolm Glazer might make financial sense but the reaction of the supporters might make the move unworkable

Decision Trees: The Process

Decision Trees: The Process

Qualitative Factors

• Qualitative factors look to take account of these other issues that may influence the outcome of a decision
• Can be wide ranging and especially need to consider the impact on human resources and their response to decisions

SWOT

• A decisions (for example, investment in a new production plant) could be considered not only in financial terms but also to apply other techniques of decision making to look at wider issues:
• A SWOT analysis might be part of this:
  –Strengths
  –Weaknesses
  –Opportunities
  –Threats

PEST

• Might also need to factor in other external issues that might influence the decision making process which can be summarised as:
  –Political
  –Economic
  –Social
  –Technological
• Political could be in its widest sense, e.g. the internal politics of a firm as well as the national and international political effect
• The decision to site a series of wind turbines in a coastal area might be justified on financial grounds but:
• –Does government policy support such planning developments?
• –What is the reaction of the local community?
• –Are there social impacts – e.g. noise pollution, damage to eco-systems, etc?
• Such factors may make the difference between success and failure

Human Resources Management

• Impact on a firm’s human resources is essential to consider, in particular the effects on:
  –Motivation
  –Morale
  –Recruitment and Retention
  –May be difficulty to assess and measure
  –May need to distinguish between short term effects and long term

Decision Making

• Eventual decision may rest on the balance between the perceived effects of quantitative and qualitative.
• If the long term effect on the workforce for example was to reduce productivity or increase absence because of the impact on motivation and morale, the fact that a decision makes financial sense may be shelved!
• Qualitative by its nature, therefore, is very subjective.