Decision Making Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decision Making Case Study Analysis - Essay ExampleMary, as a relatively new and inexperienced probation officer has a fresh outlook and different expectations from the system. Her approach to the case places more importance on positivism and a watchman style as she has not withal become part of the system the cultural ethos of the organization on the other hand in entrenched in classicalism and has a rigid legalistic approach (Stojkovic, Kalinich, & Klofas, 2003, p. 295). If unless rational guidelines were to be considered, then, based on the crime score and offender score parameters (Stojkovic, et al., 2003, p 312), the offender qualifies for probation. Moreover, the offence is one of statutory rape and charges turn over been filed by the p bents of the girl, over the objections of the victim. Hence more discretion, within the boundaries of bounded rationality is warranted and needs to be the primary factor in this case. Political considerations, however legalize should not fly in the face of natural justice.Most decisions are arrived at keeping an organizations long-term goals in mind and solutions f all in to head established and acceptable solutions for identified problems - the garbage bay window concept. To that extent, organizational culture is a definitive influencing factor. In fact it is this deeply ingrained ethos which influences the advice given to Mary by her supervisor. This figure of standard operating procedure leads to the formation of legitimizing rituals that further perpetuate the laid down decision making process. In effect, equilibrium is set and protected (Stojkovic, et al., 2003, p 301). This is what Mary learns from the case. symbolically the case is a sex offence and because of the pressure of organizational culture it has to be treated as one of many such cases rather than treating it on its own merits. The pre-set solution for such cases is the decision already arrived at. This results in a compromise solution that though not exactly the best satisfies everyone in the system. This is because all decisions are made with incomplete information and although rationality requires the ability to choose between all possible courses of action, in practice all of them are not capable of being implemented due to various constraints. Hence the adoption of the concept of satisfycing i.e., the attainment of acceptable rather than optimal results (Stojkovic, et al., 2003, p 298), which is a effectual concept in criminal justice to satisfy diverse and contradictory interests.Cultural and Political Concerns in Decision MakingCultural and political concerns can never be left out of any decision making process as decisions are not made in a vacuum. Hence, perceptiveness of thee limitations and learning how to work through them is a better option in the long run. This is what Mary realizes when it dawns on her that a compromise solution would have a better chance of success, since, recommendations of probation officersg enerally correlate with sentencing decisions (Stojkovic, et al., 2003, p. 302). The inputs given by Mary as a result of the PSI would provide crucial inputs that would influence the final outcome. Recommendations that are grounded in rationality and backed by the results of prediction models would certainly enhance the acceptability of the recommendations.