IMPLEMENTATION OF TRAINING «MAKING DECISIONS UNDER UNCERTAINTY» FOR BUSINESS MANAGERS AND ENTREPRENEURS

Abstract

This article provides a theoretical, methodological, and empirical foundation for a training program designed for small and medium-sized business managers. The program aims to acquaint participants with effective decision-making strategies in stressful situations and equip them with the skills to apply these strategies. The training consists of 8 two-hour sessions, each focusing on the following topics: «Decision-Making in Business Leadership: Individual Factors and External Influences», «Weighted Decision-Making: Rational Methods», «Informal Heuristic Decision-Making Methods», «Creativity and Spontaneity», «Collective Decision-Making», «Decision-Making in Stressful Conditions: Tolerance for Uncertainty», «Entrepreneurial Orientation and Risky Decisions», and «Formation of Resourcefulness and Optimistic Life Perspectives». A feature of the training program is its online format, which imposes certain limitations on participant interaction. A formative experiment was conducted following a classic plan, involving both experimental and control groups (25 individuals in each). To assess decision-making before and after the training, the Melbourne Decision-Making Questionnaire (MDMQ), General Decision-Making Style questionnaire (GDMS), Cognitive Styles Indicator (CoSI), Entrepreneurial Orientation Scale (EO), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), and Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) were employed. A comparative analysis of the obtained results convincingly demonstrates that the training effectively accomplishes its objectives, including: preventing the use of dysfunctional decision-making strategies in stressful and uncertain conditions, fostering personal traits conducive to effective decision-making in crisis situations (optimism, resilience, tolerance for uncertainty), and enhancing managers' competence in employing constructive decision-making strategies: rational, intuitive, spontaneous, and creative. Conclusions are drawn regarding the appropriateness of implementing the training program in times of conflict and the potential for expanding the target audience to include non-profit organization leaders and a broader range of decision-making professionals.