Project One: Bias in Decision Making
Worth 20 points – Due Week 3
Purpose:
The
purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate an understanding
of how bias affects the way people make decisions. The project is
specific to business and illuminates the seriousness of the effect that
bias can have on a business decision.
In
this project, you will demonstrate research and writing skills, the
ability to identify and use primary and secondary source material, use
critical thinking skills in the application of bias to the decision and
use APA to support ideas, reasoning, and conclusions presented in the
project.
Outcomes:
- Identify various bias types
- Explain how bias effects decision making
- Develop research skills in the identification and retrieval of relevant information in the completion of the assignment
- Develop critical thinking and communication skills
Instructions:
Read the following articles that depict some of the worst business decisions in the last century.
.businessinsurance.org/10-worst-business-decisions-in-history/”>http://www.businessinsurance.org/10-worst-business-decisions-in-history/
.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2013/10/04/it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time-7-of-the-worst-business-decisions-ever-made/#8c9d5cb3e803″>https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2013/10/04/it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time-7-of-the-worst-business-decisions-ever-made/#66c8c4e63e80
Write an Introduction
Create
the introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph is the first
paragraph of the paper and tells a reader the main points covered in the
paper. To help you know how to write an introduction, view this
website to learn how to write an introductory paragraph: .writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html”>http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html
Answer the Following
- Select three bad decisions and explain how each significantly impacted the person or business negatively.
- Identify
and define the bias(es) that encouraged the bad decision and explain
how and why the bias(es) impacted the decision. Note: In some
instances there may be more than one bias so be sure to identify each
and every bias associated with the decision. Be sure to explain your
reasoning for the selection and explain what led to the conclusion that
this particular bias was at play? - In addition to the secondary sources that your research revealed, you must use at least one primary sourceregarding
the decision. Primary sources could include an interview with the
decision maker, historical or legal documents, eyewitness accounts,
statistical data, audio or video recordings, or speeches. For instance,
if you choose Ross Perot’s pass on Microsoft be sure to use a quote
from Perot himself about the choice that supports the identification of
the bias. To learn about primary sources versus secondary sources, read .ithaca.edu/sp/subjects/primary”>https://library.ithaca.edu/sp/subjects/primary.
Write a summary paragraph
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Preparation for Writing the Assignment
Before
you begin writing the paper, you will read the following requirements
that will help you meet the writing and APA requirements.
- Read
the grading rubric for the assignment. Use the grading rubric while
writing the paper to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to
the highest possible grade. - Third
person writing is required. Third person means that there are no words
such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use
of “you or your” (second person writing). If uncertain how to write in
the third person, view this link: .quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person”>http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person. - Contractions are not used in business writing, so you are expected NOT to use contractions in writing this assignment.
- You
are expected to paraphrase and NOT use direct quotes. You are expected
to paraphrase, which can be learned by reviewing this link: .wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html”>https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html. - You are responsible for APA only for in-text citations and a reference list.
- The expectation is that you provide a robust use of the course readings to support ideas, reasoning and conclusions.
- You may not use books as source material.
- When using a source document, the expectation is that the information is cited and referenced with a page or paragraph number. Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa.
How to Set Up the Paper
Create
a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced,
12-point font. The final product will be between 3-4 pages in length
excluding the title page and reference page. Write clearly and
concisely.
The body of the paper should consist of a heading for each of the decisions chosen.
APA
and writing is a main focus of this paper and should be executed with
the utmost attention to detail. In this regard, note that the project
calls for at least one primary source. Be sure to include this as part
of your supporting material choices. Should you need help in any these
areas of APA or writing, please ask the professor for guidance.
Use
the grading rubric and instructions as guides. Be sure to cover all
that is asked of you in the assignment and do so in a way that will
guide the professor into giving a high grade. Finally, all work that
you submit for this project should be your own. Remember your pledge to
uphold academic integrity in all work that you prepare and submit.





