A Decision Support System Based on Mental Representations

Barbarie, A.J. (1981). A Decision Support System Based on Mental Representations. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-81-025

Preview

Text WP-81-025.pdf Download (612kB) | Preview

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to further explore some of the questions raised at a Task Force Meeting held at IIASA in June 1980 and entitled: Decision Support Systems: Issues and Challenges. The discussion attempts to focus attention on the need for a better understanding of management behavior in the context of decision support systems (DSS). The paper introduces the concept of mental representations, that is, subjective representations managers have of their management activity and environmect. It deplores the little attention devoted so far by DSS research to the importance of these representations in the decisionmaking process. A proposal is put forth that would enable managers to formalize their mental representations in order to use them in the course of their management activity. The paper concludes that unless managers can (and thnk that they can with a reasonable amount of effort) imprint onto their DSS the complexity and subjectivity of their own thinking, there is a serious doubt as to whether DSS will ever have wide application in management.

Actions (login required)

View Item