Rational Models and Self Evaluation

My supervisor requested a self-evaluation in connection with an upcoming annual performance review, the self evaluation was meant to answer questions regarding

A certain customer service decision and accommodations made by me that went beyond company standard operating procedure and protocols.

Conio-caca Graphics Imaging Corporation ordered my team to perform a systems installation for a small publishing company in North Miami. The installation was to be performed according to company standards; first the hardware which included an image setter and then a "Mac Server" running OS 10 (Operating system version 10) followed by installing specialized software to interface with a desktop publishing application.

Upon completing the installation of the software and hardware, the team and the customer found the software was not functioning which effectively meant the customer at that point was, "Out of Business".

PROBLEM DEFINITION

The on-site Team defined the problem (Bazerman, Max H. Judgment in Managerial Decision Making, 5th edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 2002), resolving; Apple Computer Corp. had shipped a machine to the customer with the very latest operating system on it which did not work with a standard desktop publishing application; it required a missing upgrade patch having a zipped (compressed) volume of about 80MB's.

Alternative1: After careful communication with my supervisor, I was ordered to tell the customer to order the upgrade patch on a CD direct from Apple Computer, they could have it shipped overnight and install it themselves the next day. The customer called Apple Computer and was told the Patch was not available on CD but could be downloaded from a web site. Alternative2: I concluded the customer was losing

money by not getting his work out, he was angry having just purchased a brand new ($80,000.00) system that did not work, and the patch was available via download with a broadband connection. I could get the patch using my own broadband connection at home, return the same day and install it for the customer. After doing this, the customer was happy, my supervisor was angry citing issues of company protocol (I did inform him I was doing this), unsecured web sites, large files are easily corrupted, ect.. An instance of bounded rationality prevailed resulting in the optimal decision; "that we can better understand decision making by explaining the actual, rather than the normative",

Simon (1957; March and Simon, 1958); I opted to download and install the patch making the system fully operational despite my supervisors admonition, " The customer should do this himself from an OEM CD-ROM issued by Apple Computer". Later, the customer was able to order a CD-ROM from Apple, which arrived in several weeks but had no problem getting his work out during this period.

CRITERIA

The rational model assumes the solution with the highest sum should be selected as the optimal decision. The identified criteria (7); customer satisfaction, operability, reliability, minimal interruption of his business cycle, quality service, the application of Hi-tech solutions to Hi-tech problems, compliance with company protocols. Seven criteria have been identified, each given an equal weight of 1 point for succeeding and, - (minus) 1 point for failing. Alternative 1 (leaving the client high and dry waiting for a CD-ROM) presented as 6x -1= -6 +1 (+1 for compliance with my supervisors decision) produced a net result of -5. Computing the optimal decision (Bazerman, Max H. Judgment in Managerial Decision Making, 5th edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 2002), meant using the same criteria applied to Alternative 2; assisting the client toward getting the system operational and still comply with company