Posted April 28, 2006 to Career News | Section Home | Print

Book Takes a Novel Approach to Making Decisions

When economics professor Hari Singh set out to write a book about making decisions, he decided to wrap the lessons in a murder mystery to make them easier to understand.

The resulting book -- "Framed!" -- teaches critical decision-making guided by recent breakthroughs in psychology, economics and management disciplines. Those concepts are explained through a fictitious murder mystery. As the story unfolds, the reader applies those decision-making tools to solve the mystery. The intrigue of the story compels the reader to pay close attention to many subtle nuances that are relevant for making smart choices. It has been consistently praised by senior executives and professors for its innovative content, writing style and broad appeal.

A business case study is woven into the plot of the mystery to challenge executives to discover a successful strategy for a major pharmaceutical company. Many critical aspects of business decision-making are analyzed as corporate intrigue and the ongoing murder investigation propel the story to an unexpected climax.

Professors are increasingly using the fiction format as a vehicle to explain complex subjects. Singh said there are distinct advantages in presenting educational concepts within a story.

"This approach makes a complicated topic more accessible to a broader audience," Singh said. "Readers will enjoy reading an intriguing mystery that enables them to absorb complex ideas. They can readily apply these ideas to their decision-making every day."

The book consists of 20 short chapters that tell the story. Each chapter presents key concepts like thinking outside a conventional frame, proactively seeking feedback about decisions, avoiding post-decision regret and facing up to your mistakes and biases. The book includes resources like a glossary of terms, a conceptual overview, a checklist for common pitfalls, and references. Questions at the end of the book challenge readers to reflect on their own decision-making process.

Singh is a professor of economics in Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business. He has been a cosultant for the World Bank, National Science Foundation, U.S. Information Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and American Express. He has published 25 professional articles, many on decision-making issues.