Strategic decision characteristics: Which item below is NOT usually characteristic of upper (top) management decisions?

Introduction / Context:
Management decisions vary from highly structured (routine, rule-based) at operational levels to unstructured (novel, ambiguous) at strategic levels. Recognizing this gradient helps in aligning information systems support: TPS for operations, MIS/DSS for management, and EIS/analytics for executives.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Upper management focuses on long-range, organization-wide issues.
• Problems are often novel and uncertain, requiring judgment and experience.
• We are to select the attribute that does not fit these strategic decisions.

Concept / Approach:
Structured decisions have clear procedures and well-defined inputs/outputs—typical of operational tasks (e.g., reordering inventory). Top management decisions are generally unstructured or semi-structured, deal with the future, and rely heavily on managerial insight and external information.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Management science literature classifies decisions by structure; strategic choices are the least structured, confirming the selection.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Require judgment/experience: core to executive choices.
• Long range: strategic by nature.
• Unpredictable: external environment and competitive dynamics add uncertainty.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing data-rich dashboards with structured decisions; abundant data does not make a strategic decision “structured.”

Final Answer:
Decisions are structured