摘要：领导的过程就是制定决策并实施决策的过程。决策正确与否，关系到事业的成败，经济的兴衰。因此，在经济管理中按照科学的秩序和方法，制定和实施决策，实现决策科学化，这是市场经济的需要，是事业发展的需要，也是检验现代领导者经济管理水平的重要标志。
Abstract: The process of exercising leadership is also a process of making and carrying out decisions. The decision made is essential to the quality of business and development of economy. Therefore, during the economic management process, it is the need of the market economy and enterprise development to make and carry out decisions by adopting scientific procedure and methods, and also an important yardstick to measure the economic and management level of leaders in modern times.
关键词：经济管理 决策 制定
Key words: Economic Management, Decision, Making
1. The principle of scientific decision making
Leaders should adopt the principle of scientific decision making in economic management activities, and follow scientific procedure and approaches.
(1) Principles of decision making
The principle of information accuracy and completeness. Information constitutes the basis of decision making in economic activities. A collection of rich and accurate information, and also summarizing, processing, comparing and selecting of such information could make scientific decision making possible. The scientific value of economic decision making is proportion to the degree of accuracy and completeness of information available. The better the quality of information and materials is, with regard to the reliability and completeness, the more solid and scientific foundation on which decisions will be made.
The principle of feasibility. Any decision made is for the purpose of real implementation, therefore it should be feasible. We should take account of real conditions; make serious discussions and assessments of the feasibility of decisions, to ensure the scientific value of decision-making process.
The principle of selecting the best through comparison. The making of scientific decision is actually a process of selecting the best from a number of solutions. If there is only one available solution, then it is not significant to make comparison and selections. Therefore, for any economic decision that involves key projects or huge capital investments, we should provide at least several solutions and choose one of the best.
The principle of group decision. Group decision is defined as: first, it is the application of democratic centralism and collective leadership into the economic decision making; second, it implies the role played by consulting agencies. In big economic decisions, the science of decision making should be supported by the democratic mechanism.
(2) Approaches of scientific decision making
Experience judgment. The approach of experience judgment includes the methods of elimination, waitingline and induction. The method of elimination means narrowing the range of selection by selecting all the available solutions under certain conditions and yardstick and eliminating those below the standards. The waiting-line method is to prioritize all the available solutions, make cross comparisons and select the best one. The induction method is the classifying all the solutions into several groups, select from each group the best one and then make comparisons.
Quantitative analysis method. Normally under multi-purpose, multifactor and multi-variable conditions, we could make qualitative analysis. But sometimes it is hard to find the best or satisfying solution merely by experience judgment, so we should use the mathematical method with the help of computers to make decisions more accurate.
2. Experiment method
When new conditions or questions arise, especially with the invisible factor producing major effects, it is not convenient to use mathematical methods to solve questions. We could do experimentations on some typical cases, and summarize experiences for final decisions.
Make decisions in a scientific way. Making decisions in a scientific way should follow certain procedures and adopt the right methods. It is a rolling process including investigation and research, accurate calculation, systematic analysis and discussion, serious selection and final implementation. It mainly covers several following steps:
(1) Find out questions through investigation and research.
Raising questions and making further arguments related to economic investments serve as the starting point of decision making. It is not easy to find out questions and defining questions is a very serious matter. It needs to follow the direction of Marxist theories and methodologies, adopt modern tools such as computers for assistance, start from real conditions and make detailed analysis based on pure facts. A thorough investigation and research shall be made on internal conditions and outer environment of economic activities.
(2) Make systematic analysis and define goals
After finding questions through
investigation and research, and in order to define the goals of economic decision, leaders should exercise analysis in a systematic way. Establishing the wrong goal always leads to wrong decisions.
(3) Collect materials and make predictions in a scientific way.
Information system to the decision making process is what nervous system to the human body. Lack of the information system might lead to wrong economic decisions and economic management in disorder. Therefore, to make scientific decisions for big economic activities of a country, region or unit, one should understand the natural and economic conditions of the country, the domestic and international market trend and also level of science and technology. When making big economic decisions for a company, one should acquire the information about the company’s production capacity, technology, structures of equipment and the labor force. The decision-maker should master high skills in production technology and economic management, and also understand the national guidelines and policies, the intention of ruling departments, product of the same type, technology level of the industry, conditions of the industry and other related industries, and also requirements from customers about number, quality, variety, standard, and packaging of company products.
(4) Work out solutions and make overall assessment. There are many ways and approaches to solve of any of the questions, and it is better to raise several solutions for comparisons and selections. We should adopt the principles of saving, creativity, delicate design and seeking the truth, to make every available solution practical and feasible. We should also provide accurate date to reveal the advantages and disadvantages of the solution and its conditions in real practice. We should make the presentation straightforward and in neat order, for the convenience of making decisions by the leader. Assessing solutions means analyzing, selecting and discussing all the available solutions: first is feasibility study, to see whether the assessed solution could provide technology and economic conditions under limits of labor force, material and capital; the second is coordinative analysis. The making of economic decisions depends on the trio relationship among economic system, space and time structures, to promote coordinative operation of economic activities; the third is the overall assessment of results. We should study the impacts of alternative solutions on the function of economic objects, and also assess the economic and social benefits of the alternative solution; the fourth is the analysis of potential problems. The assessment should cover all factors that might lead to problems and study the prevention methods and also the way to make remedies if problems happen; the fifth is to assess the human impacts in the process of decision implementation.
(5) Overall assessment and choose the best solution
Decision making is actually a process of selection. There is no decision made without selections. After an overall assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of all solutions, we should prioritize the solutions, provide suggestions for selections and let the leader decide. Therefore, leaders should be completely focused and able to select the best solutions among many available choices. To make the most satisfying decision, we should also introduce a unitary standard for selection: 1. Have a big picture in mind; 2. Apply reasonable technology; 3. Meet Economic standards; 4. Quick effects. For risk-intensive economic decisions, decision-makers should define chosen standards based on the economic features, the major of which is uncertainty. Such economic decision is determined by controllable variables and also the objective environment; which the mainly the natural status. For such economic decisions, we should provide solutions with different variables, list all objective statuses that may impact the consequences, predict the probability of existence of all objective statuses, and define the expected standards.
3. Implementation of scientific decisions
After selecting the solution, decision-makers should have the courage to implement the decisions.
(1) Work out implementation plan.
Decision-makers should work out detailed implementation plan based on the best solution they choose. They should clarify responsibilities and tasks of various departments, establish strict system of responsibility, and put in place regulations on tasks, labor force, quality and time. To make a good arrangement of time and advancement, there should be very specific and step-by-step policies and measures, to ensure the realization of goals. Decision-makers should also attach great importance to the startingpoint plan, because it not only plays a guiding role, and also imposes impacts on people’s psychology and other aspects.
(2) Establish organization and implement responsibility. To establish organizations accordingly, and based on requirements by the solution, we should pick out the right talents, put them to the important strategy positions, and devise the responsibility system for all degree of departments and staff.
(3) Publicity work to reach a common understanding
We should carry out the publicity work deep and wide, to unify people’s understanding and efforts to reach the final goal.
(4) Information feedback and implementation tracking
During the implementation process, deviations from the goal might happen due to various reasons. Therefore, we should introduce a series of mechanism to track, investigate and correct the working process, to ensure the consistency between decision and the result.
Factors of the modern economy are intermingled and affect each other, and a slight move in one part might change the whole situation. Similarly, under the fierce competition of the market economy, a tiny mistake in economic decisions might trigger ripple effects. Therefore, every economic management leader should adopt the right principle, procedure and approach to make economic decisions in a scientific way. Doing this will reduce or prevent mistakes and reap the best economic and social benefits, to make contributions to the sustained and fast development of the regional economy, and also the cause of the people and the country.
(Author: from Urban Facility Management Bureau of Shuangyashan City)