Why Decisions Fail [Paperback]

Paul C Nutt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2002

Why Decisions Fail critiques 15 infamously bad decisions that became public debacles. The author examines how these mistakes could have been avoided and explains how any organization's decision-making process can be improved to prevent such failures.

Author Paul Nutt began by looking at 400 decisions made by top managers involving such topics as products and services, pricing and markets, personnel policy, technology acquisition, and strategic reorganization. Analyzing how each decision was made, he determined that two out of three decisions were based on failureprone or questionable tactics. He identifies these key errors and suggests alternatives that have proven successful.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Nutt (management, Ohio State Univ.) has spent 20 years collecting and studying more than 400 decisions made by upper-level management in corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations. Here, he selects 15 decisions that led to debacles and gives the background for each decision, what went wrong, and how the problem could have been approached differently. Through these case studies and other examples, he reveals a number of traps he has discerned in the decision-making process, including limiting the search for alternatives to a manager's preconceived ideas, failing to learn from mistakes by not accepting their existence, and misreading potential opposition. The debacles cited by Nutt, all well known, include locating EuroDisney outside Paris, mislabeling BeechNut apple juice, and Ford's showing an unwillingness to fix faulty Pinto gas tanks. Nutt's thorough dissection of the debacles and explanation of the decision-making process makes this book essential for libraries supporting management programs, while his clear writing style makes it accessible to patrons at larger public libraries. Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Paul C. Nutt is a professor of Management Sciences and Public Policy and Management in the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University. He is the author of six previous books on transformation, leadership, strategic management, planning, decision-making, evaluation, reengineering, and related topics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1 edition (July 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576751503
• ISBN-13: 978-1576751503
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #645,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Avoid Debacles, October 23, 2002

By 

Craig L. Howe "The Pointed Pundit" (Darien, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Decisions Fail (Paperback)

If we can accept Microsoft's statistic that more than 74 percent of the projects undertaken by business are behind schedule or result in failure, costing more than $74 billion a year, then this book is a bargain.

Ohio State University Professor Paul C. Nutt, who has spent more than 20 years studying how decision are made, says failures can be traced to three blunders and seven traps. Avoiding the blunders and the traps they set will cut one's failure rate significantly.

The blunders to avoid:
* Failure-Prone Practices
* Premature Commitments
* Wrong-Headed Investments.

These blunders lead unsuspecting managers into seven ensnaring traps:
* Failure to Reconcile Claims
* Failure to Manage the Forces Created by a Decision
* Ambiguous Directions
* Limited Search with No Innovation
* Misuse of Evaluation
* Avoidance of Ethic Questions
* Failure to Learn.

Sounds simple; yet anyone who has participated in a project recognizes these blunders and traps. In fact, most of us could supply the author with reams of case studies to add to the ones he uses to illustrate his points.

This is a great book and should be read by project managers and corporate managers alike. Microsoft's number may seem high, but there is no doubt we participate in too many projects that spiral behind schedule and over-budget. Good decision making techniques can only help improve our results.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but has some isues, September 21, 2010

By 

Amy Russell (Southern DE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Decisions Fail (Paperback)

This book has some good examples and insights, but it could be better organized. I like the focus on step-by-step decision making processes, as well as the summary of key points at the end of each chapter. Many of the points are common sense, but seeing the way things play out in practice is helpful.

There are some punctuation issues and tense shifts, which are distracting, but the most glaring issue is the author's habit of mentioning an example briefly and then dropping it, only to return a few pages or chapters later, and then switching among several examples before returning to discuss the decision theory. The narrative thread can get pretty muddled at times. I wish he had chosen a structure and stuck to it (give example then use it to illustrate the theory; give theory then explain using an example; explain theory and example together; etc.) as he progressed through each section. Also, the author will drop casual references to things like product recalls and business conditions from the seventies and eighties, as though any reader would remember them. The book reads like it was written (probably over years) and then completely reorganized without being rewritten. It would really benefit from a thorough revision and restructuring.

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading for Executives, May 29, 2008

By 

M. Rigg (Greer, SC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Decisions Fail (Paperback)

We often learn more from those who fail than those who succeed. The value in this book is in learning how to avoid using poor decision making techniques. As the founder of an Inc. 500 consulting company, I've seen executives and managers across many companies fall into these decision pitfalls described by the author. This is a great, if somewhat laborious, read on how to make better decisions. If you're continually amazed at how poorly people make decisions, I think you'll enjoy the book.