Informatics Perspectives on Decision Taking, a Case Study on Resolving Process Product Ambiguity

Abstract: A decision is an act or event of decision taking. Decision making always includes decision taking, the latter not involving significant exchanges with non-deciding agents. A decision outcome is a piece of storable information constituting the result of a decision. Decision outcomes are typed, for instance: plan, command, assertion, or boolean reply to a question. Decision outcomes are seen by an audience and autonomous actions from the audience is supposed to realize the putting into effect of a decision outcome, thus leading to so-called decision effects. Decision outcomes are supposedly expected by the decider. Using a model or a theory concerning the causal chain leading from a decision outcome to one or more decision effects may support a decision taker decision taker in predicting plausible decision effects for candidate decision outcomes. Decision taking is positioned amidst many related notions including: decision making, decision process, decision making process, decision process making, decision engineering, decision progression, and decision progression production.