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Evolving digital technologies continue to enable new ways to collect and analyze data and this has led some researchers to claim that skillful use of data analytics and big data can radically improve a company’s performance, but that in order to achieve such improvements managers need to change their decision-making culture and to increase the degree of collaboration in the decision-making process. The purpose of this paper is to create an increased understanding of how a decision-making culture can be changed by using a design approach.

The paper presents an action research project in which the authors use a design approach.

By adopting a design approach organizations can change their decision-making culture, increase the degree of collaboration and also reduce the influence of power and politics on their decision-making.

This paper proposes a new approach to changing a decision-making culture.

Using data analytics and big data, a design approach can support organizations change their decision-making culture resulting in better and more effective decisions.

This paper bridges design and decision-making theory in a novel approach to an old problem.

This study aims to examine the application of design thinking to complex decision-making processes in local government and to link the design thinking to the theoretical work of leading thinkers in decision-making.

This study uses multiple case studies, including non-participant observation, group discussions, semi-structured interviews, presentations and questionnaires.

For complex decisions, design thinking can contribute to more effective decision-making by expanding the range of solutions considered, people consulted and involved, sources of data/information and decision tools as well as in achieving buy-in to the eventual decision.

The principal limitations include that this is one study in one country and in the public sector. There were some practical problems with external factors disrupting two of the cases, but these do not affect the findings. The principal implication is that by adopting a design thinking approach to complex decision-making, the quality of decision-making and decisions can be significantly improved.

When it comes to complex decisions, organisations can improve the quality of both their decision-making processes and their decisions by adopting and implementing ideas and insights from design thinking.

For local authorities, a design approach can enhance the quality of the services provided by local authorities to citizens in particular in better meeting the needs of users and other stakeholders and in opening up better lines of communications between officials and citizens.

This research was based on an initiative in Swedish local government and its first implementation in practice. The authors are not aware of any similar study done elsewhere.

Design-Build (DB) is known as the alternative for Design-Bid-Build in the Malaysian construction industry. For DB projects, it is critical to adopt effective decision support tool to ensure the execution of a systematic decision-making technique. This study aimed to examine the impact of a decision support tool for novice decision makers to reject or adopt DB for their construction projects.

Literature review and qualitative input from experts identified several key-selection factors pertaining to critical success factors and design-build drivers. This resulted in the development of Decision Support Tool for Design-Build (DST-DB). A quasi-experiment, which involved 382 novice decision makers in the construction industry, was conducted to test the DST-DB quantitatively. The participants were required to compare two construction projects using DST-DB and traditional decision-making methods. Multivariate analysis was performed to analyse all collected data.

The quasi-experiment data suggests that DST-DB enables significantly higher usability, likelihood, precision, confidence and satisfaction rate when compared to the traditional decision-making process. The pre- and post-surveys indicated that the DST-DB is effective in improving decision-making performance through selection factors of client-briefing, maximised resources and sharing expertise. The participants also agreed that DST-DB is easy to use and helps them to gain better understanding of the decision-making process for construction projects.

This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge through the impact of DST on the decisions of novices. The novice decision makers found that DST-DB is practically adaptable and comparatively effective for decision-making process than traditional decision-making methods. This contributes to the practical application of construction companies to provide DST-DB training to the fresh graduate employees to enhance their competencies in the decision-making process.

In every manufacturing company, irrespective of size, product and other variables, management are constantly involved in quality‐related decisions which have a direct effect on product quality. An analytical method is described for assessing an organisation's approach to quality management. On application, managers are provided with information on the reality of their quality assurance activities. An overview of some of the issues involved in decision making is provided, followed by an outline of the research methodology, and, finally, the “method” is presented with some results arising from its application.

The decision-making for additive manufacturing (AM) process selection is typically applied in the end of the product design stages based upon an already finished design. However, due to unique characteristics of AM processes, the part needs to be designed for the specific AM process. This requires potentially feasible AM techniques to be identified in early design stages. This paper aims to develop such a decision-making methodology that can seamlessly be integrated in the product design stages to facilitate AM process selection and assist product/part design.

The decision-making methodology consists of four elements, namely, initial screening, technical evaluation and selection of feasible AM processes, re-evaluation of the feasible process and production machine selection. Prior to the design phase, the methodology determines whether AM production is suitable based on the given design requirements. As the design progresses, a more accurate process selection in terms of technical and economic viability is performed using the analytic hierarchy process technique. Features that would cause potential manufacturability issues and increased production costs will be identified and modified. Finally, a production machine that is best suited for the finished product design is identified.

The methodology was found to be able to facilitate the design process by enabling designers to identify appropriate AM technique and production machine, which was demonstrated in the case study.

This study addresses the gap between the isolated product design and process selection stages by developing the decision-making methodology that can be integrated in product design stages.

This paper is concerned with what should happen after design-led events have been held to promote co-decision-making, between professionals and local stakeholders, in collaborative planning of the built environment. Rather than being standalone, such events form one single step in a multi-stage collaborative planning process. What comes before and after them has to be acknowledged as important to their effective contribution to collaborative planning. This paper aims to make a case for giving more attention to the post-event stages of collaborative planning, to ensure that the involvement of the public produces real and tangible benefits.

Content analysis of both academic and grey literatures was undertaken to examine emerging advice on how to conduct decision-making, the implementation of outputs and the delivery of desired outcomes, after design-led events. A critical review of the post-event decision-making and delivery activities is offered, which aims to add to the current academic literature on the deployment of design-led events. An attempt is made to sketch out the characteristics of post-event stages, drawn from the literature and collated specific examples of collaborative planning investigated in Scotland.

Three key factors are identified as affecting the successful implementation of decisions reached at design-led events: (1) a shared follow-on plan, (2) an agreed action programme for delivering this and (3) a properly constituted and resourced delivery vehicle that can monitor and evaluate progress. A research agenda to address questions raised but left unanswered is suggested dealing with how the decision-making and delivery activities following design-led events in collaborative planning might be improved.

A research agenda to address questions raised but left unanswered is suggested dealing with how the decision-making and delivery activities following design-led events in collaborative planning might be improved.

It is crucial to consider the multitude of possible building adaptation design strategies for improving the existing conditions of building stock as an alternative to demolition.

Integration of physics-based simulation tools and decision-making tools such as Multi-Attribute Utility (MAU) and Interactive Multi-objective Optimization (IMO) in the design process enable optimized design decision-making for high-performing buildings. A methodology is presented for improving building adaptation design decision making, specifically in the early-stage design feasibility analysis. Ten residential building adaptation strategies are selected and applied to one primary building system for eight performance metrics using physics-based simulation tools. These measures include energy use, thermal comfort, daylighting, natural ventilation, systems performance, life cycle, cost-benefit and constructability. The results are processed using MAU and IMO analysis and are validated through sensitivity analysis by testing one design strategy on three building systems.

Quantifiable comparison of building adaptation strategies based on multiple metrics derived from physics-based simulations can assist in the evaluation of overall environmental performance and economic feasibility for building adaptation projects.

The current methodology presented is limited to the analysis of one decision-maker at a time. It can be improved to include multiple decision-makers and capture varying perspectives to reflect common practices in the industry.

The methodology presented supports affordable generation and analysis of a large number of design options for early-stage design optimization.

Given the practical implications, more space and time is created for exploration and innovation, resulting in potential for improved benefits.

The paper seeks to improve the understanding of knowledge identification and management in product design by studying designers' cognition and behavior.

Knowledge management becomes an essential process in product design. However, most organizations and designers do not understand what knowledge should and can be managed. Little research is focused on studying the cognitive and social psychological factors within knowledge activities. This paper is mainly focused on knowledge issues in product design. This study focuses on the internal human activities and explores knowledge management research utilizing a human factors perspective.

In this paper knowledge in product design is defined; knowledge in product design is identified and classified based on design decision‐making processes. Furthermore, how to improve the knowledge management process in collaborative decision making is presented.

This study uses an experimental approach and hopefully the research can therefore be generalized to other situations.

This study provides guidelines for information technology support for knowledge management in product design.

Knowledge used in product design is identified and classified. The paper explores knowledge management research by analyzing human activity, in combination with the study of management and engineering technologies.

The purpose of this paper is to describe and evidence a means of improving decision making within a sustainable resource management context.

A set of competencies required by effective decision makers is developed. Methods of improving decision making are reviewed and used to develop a continuing education programme that addressed each competency. Following piloting, 1,300 lay and professional decision makers are trained and assessed.

It is possible to capture the skills required of decision makers and to develop decision‐making performance within relatively short courses.

To be of any real value education for sustainability must not only increase awareness and knowledge but must also impact on decision making. The paper argues for an explicit consideration of decision making in learning design and describes the use of techniques that can be readily appropriated by others.

The paper demonstrates the effectiveness of training in decision making delivered to a wide range of practitioners. The paper also illustrates the contribution universities can make in working to improve sustainability outcomes through continuing education at a national level.

The ability to make good decisions is the defining attribute of a high performance organization. The challenge is to ensure that good decision‐making practices permeate the entire organization. As organizations grow, employees make decisions in an increasingly complex, ambiguous, and uncertain environment. Formal practices enable employees to make decisions that are meaningful to the firm's stakeholders and guide their behaviours to align with the strategic intent of the firm as well as its values and norms.

Through case studies and consultancy work the author has developed an approach to focus on management decision making and improved effectiveness.

This paper describes a diagnostic tool which helps companies understand how well their management systems support decision making and where CEOs should invest to focus leadership time and attention. The decision‐making scorecard and tools help CEOs design effectiveness management systems and focus its use to drive their specific business agenda.

With formal decision‐making practice in place, CEOs rely on delegation and control practices to ensure that employees make decisions in line with the organization's vision and values. Using the described approach, CEOs and employees focus their attention on the relevant control levers and use their time for interaction and learning rather than control. Furthermore they successfully apply more relevant decision‐making practices than before, and have abandoned extensive and expensive performance management projects in favour of more differentiated and focused initiatives that support their immediate goals with a direct impact. The tools have been used to ensure that the next strategic move delivers the expected value. In summary, good decision‐making practices translate the CEOs' power and responsibility into higher performance, growth and lower risk.