The Relationship Between Critical Thinking and Decision Making

Today's global marketplace requires leaders that can successfully transform their organizations. In the corporate world, innovative problem solving, critical analytical thought and sound decision-making key the success and dominance of leaders and organizations. This paper examines the relationship between critical thinking and the decision-making process, explains the course textbook position, and relates how both processes apply to the author's workplace.
Critical thinking involves the ability to analyze and assess information gathered through observations, reasoning, discussions with others, reflection or experience. This disciplined analysis guides critical thinkers to construct rational beliefs or substantiated opinions or to take actions. McCall and Kaplan (2001) define critical thinking in terms of three key points: the "awareness of a set of interrelated critical questions, [the] ability to ask and answer critical questions at appropriate times, and [a] desire to actively use the critical questions." This definition, though, is not a consensus definition, nor is it widely accepted.
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