Non-Programmed Decision-Making In The Office

In The Office season 5, episode 10, a seemingly simple decision is turned into a complicated one because decision-making is not Michael Scott’s best skill. In this episode, Oscar discovers a surplus that must be spent so that it does not affect the budget for the next year. Oscar feels that this should be spent on a new copier, while Pam thinks that the money would be better spent on new chairs. At any other company this would be a programmed decision but at Dunder Mifflin it is a non-programmed decision. It is non-structured because it is not a decision that Michael has had to make before. This is a decision that is being made under risk because Michael is not completely aware of all of the alternatives and how they will affect the company. Originally he thinks his decision is just between chairs and a copier, but soon he realizes that there is potential for

Pam, Jim, and Oscar form an interacting team of sorts as they argue and compete to persuade Michael of the importance of what they want. Jim and Oscar from a team and take Michael to lunch in an attempt to convince him that a copier is necessary, while Pam relies on a bubbly personality to flatter Michael into siding with her. Delphi group decision making is used when Michael brings in the security guy Hank. Hank is not necessarily and expert, but Michael uses him as if Hank’s experiences make him able to come to a rational decision for the office. In this episode it was clear that Michael could not be trusted to make a decision on his own, but neither could anyone else really. Group decision making seemed to make more rational decisions because in the end Oscar sided with Pam for the benefit of the group. If Michael had made the decision by himself, his decision would have only benefitted him. This episode really showed how hard it is for people to make rational, unbiased decisions on their