Strategic decision making : the influence of multiple criteria on the success of the decision.

This study examines the strategic decision making processes of thirty-five international Canadian companies. It explores in detail the influence of multiple criteria on decision outcomes. The results of this study demonstrate that, although other factors may influence the decision process and in turn its outcomes, it is the clarity of objectives that shape the decision outcomes. By using criteria as a measurement of achieving a decision's objectives, decision makers can evaluate the success or failure of the decision process. These criteria appear to have a major influence on decision outcomes. Based on the interview results, the study provides a framework which explains the decision making process. It is, in fact, the importance of this framework that reflects the significance of this study. The study also examines other factors, such as complexity arising from multiple criteria in the decision process and information as a requirement for dealing with criteria, both of which may have some influence on the decision outcome. Generally, the findings of this study support the hypotheses concerning the influence of multiple criteria on decision making outcomes. In this way, the study indicates a new direction for further studies, especially for those companies doing business across cultures and in varying circumstances.