BA5517 DECISION ANALYSIS: TOOLS AND METHODS

Course Code:3125517
METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week):3 (0.00 - 0.00)
ECTS Credit:8.0
Department:Business Administration
Language of Instruction:English
Level of Study:Graduate
Course Coordinator:Assoc.Prof.Dr. ÇAĞRI TOPAL, Assoc.Prof.Dr. GÜLŞAH KARAKAYA
Offered Semester:Fall and Spring Semesters.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course the students will be able to

  • attain an understanding on the basic philosophy, tools and techniques related with Decision Analysis  
  • develop the analytical and critical thinking skills to model a decision problem by selecting an appropriate tool/technique
  • follow the steps/procedure of the selected technique by using a spreadsheet program and develop a solution
  • interpret the solution and make a meaningful recommendation to the decision maker
  • prepare a group term-project that involves the application of the techniques learnt in the course to a particular decision problem consisting of real data and real decision makers

Course Content

Decision analysis aims to provide a structured and systematic approach to guide the decision making activities in complex problems. This course attempts to convey the basic concepts and principles on the analytical methods, tools, and techniques of decision analysis. Topics to be covered include Multi-Objective Decision Making (MODM), SMART, AHP, Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), influence diagrams, decision trees and scenario planning.


Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course the students will be able to

  • make sense of the approach and the philosophy behind Decision Analysis
  • make sense of the properties and components of a decision problem
  • make sense of the intuitive ways of making decisions
  • make sense of various deterministic Decision Analysis techniques such as SMART, SMARTER, Even Swaps and AHP
  • make sense of utility theory and multi-attribute utility theory
  • make sense of influence diagrams and decision trees
  • make sense of the value of information and the Bayesian decision making
  • learn to apply the various techniques by spreadsheet programs (especially MS Excel)
  • evaluate and interpret the solutions obtained by the application of the various techniques
  • participate in team-work to prepare a term-project that involves the application of the techniques learnt in the course to a particular decision problem consisting of real data and real decision makers

Program Outcomes Matrix

Level of Contribution
#Program Outcomes0123
1They attain advanced level of knowledge in the functional areas of business administration such as strategic management, marketing, accounting, finance, organization management, human resources, and operations management.
2They are capable of synthesizing the knowledge that they attained in the area of business administration with the knowledge base that they developed in their undergraduate specialisms.
3They are capable of identifying and analyzing legal, environmental and social factors, which influence the basic functional areas of the business administration.
4They understand and implement rational, systematic and scientific approaches effectively in problem solving and decision-making processes.
5They are capable of applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating the knowledge they developed in diverse fields efficiently.
6They are capable of transferring information by using efficient verbal and written communication techniques.
7They are capable of performing professional communication effectively also in English.
8They know methods of performing efficient teamwork.
9They are capable of understanding and synthesizing academic and scientific research in their areas and able to transform such research into useful knowledge.
10They have competence in all of the stages of scientific research and processes.
11They are knowledgeable in the areas of professional ethics and responsibility.
12They are capable of utilizing their knowledge and skills efficiently in global and multicultural contexts.
13They are knowledgeable in the issues of environment, social responsibility, social justice, quality and cultural values.
14They have a creative, innovative and critical perspective.

0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution