Levels of decision making in management: complete the triad—decisions can be classified as strategic, _____, and operational.

Introduction / Context:
Management decisions are commonly grouped by scope and time horizon. Recognizing these levels helps align information needs, reporting frequency, and analytical depth. The standard triad distinguishes long-term direction, mid-range coordination, and day-to-day execution.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Strategic decisions set objectives and policies over years.
• Operational decisions manage daily activities and transactions.
• The middle layer coordinates resources and monitors performance.

Concept / Approach:
The missing term is tactical. Tactical decisions translate strategy into actionable plans, budgets, and resource allocations across functions and quarters. They balance detail and aggregation, focusing on how to meet strategic goals efficiently while guiding operational execution.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Frameworks such as Anthony’s hierarchy and the PDCA cycle place management control and planning tasks largely at the tactical level, confirming the term.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Prompt,” “passwords,” and “MIS” are unrelated to decision levels; “None” is incorrect because “tactical” is the accepted term.

Common Pitfalls:
Conflating tactical with operational; tactical sets the plan that daily operations execute.

Final Answer:
tactical