This course presents the concept of decision making within the framework of a contextualized (organizational or corporate) management information system that utilizes databases and/or spreadsheets as tools in the decision-making process. The course distinguishes between two logical components of a management information system: the structured decision system which lends itself to providing actual computer-generated decisions, and decision support systems, in which computer-based systems aid decision makers in confronting problems through direct interaction with data and analytic models. Some of the topics covered include the definition and components of decision support systems, decision-making and problem-solving situations, decision and problem types, the relationship of managing and decision making, problem-solving models and decision-making procedures, information requirements analysis and modeling, group decision-making processes and models, organizational issues of decision making, political and ethical issues of decision making, information modeling, information design issues, cultural dimensions of decision making, decision-making styles, cognitive and emotional styles influencing decision making, and decision-making techniques and model construction such as goal seeking, "What If" scenarios, sensitivity analysis, time series models, and graphic displays.