Decision science as a by-product of decision-aiding: A practitioner's perspective

Decision aiding practice has stimulated much research on neglected scientific issues. The author spent 40 years alternating between consulting and diverse faculty appointments in management, statistics, economics, psychology, information technology and public policy. His decision science research, with applied decision theory at its conceptual core, is published, often with academic co-authors, in the literatures on decision theory, cognitive psychology, philosophy, and organization design. A number of the author's ideas and insights, grounded in “anecdotal evidence” stemming from over 100 cases, are discussed here. These ideas cover, for example, hybrid judgment, decomposing estimation error ideal judgment, organization fit and evaluating decision aids. Avenues for future research are outlined. Settled science will require more definitive research.