More than 500 top-level business executives were studied to ascertain the validity of common stereotypes of who takes risks and who avoids risks. We began with 13 risk measures based on theoretical grounds, naturally occurring situations, and attitudes. These measures were formed into seven consolidated measures using factor analysis. Data were gathered on numerous socio-economic variables including ones relating to personal, financial, and professional characteristics. When these characteristics were subjected to factor analysis, four main factors emerged. Linear discriminant analysis was used to address the question of whether risk takers can be differentiated from risk averters. The results were surprisingly clearcut. The most successful executives were the biggest risk takers; the most mature executives were the most risk averse.risky decisions, risk characteristics, stereotypes, executives, success, discriminant analysis

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A central task of management is decision making and a crucial aspect of decision making is having good alternatives from which to choose. This paper investigates whether computer-based procedures for idea generation can help individuals to develop solution alternatives more creatively. Our conceptual framework considers creative processes, environments, outputs, and individuals. In particular, generating alternatives is viewed as a process of "making connections" ---internal connections among problem elements and external connections between a problem and its environment. We have developed a computer program (GENI) which incorporates a variety of techniques to assist in making these different types of connections. The program is described and an experimental test with several managerial problems is presented. The results show that use of the program leads to the development of significantly more creative alternatives than does a control treatment. There is an amplification effect in that the performance of the more creative individuals is improved the most. Thus the findings suggest that computerized idea generation leads to more creative alternatives resulting in potentially better managerial decisions.idea generation, creative problem solving, creativity, decision making, computer software

In any complex social system, the choices of a single person often affect the outcomes of others. When one takes the others' outcomes into account in making choices, we say one is manifesting a social motive. We assume that an individual's social motives are manifested in his social preferences. Any theory of decision or choice requires information about preferences, and so in addition to attempting to clarify definitions of social motives, this study provides a framework for theories of social decision.To begin, we establish operational definitions for the motives of self-interest, self-sacrifice, altruism, aggression, cooperation, and competition. These definitions are based on the simple operators of summations and differences. Then we examine some supplementary motives involving proportionality operators. Next we eliminate the assumption that an individual has a fixed preference structure which is applied to all social choices. This leads to a focus on the specific distribution of consequences resulting in conditional motives; conditional motives reflect varying basic motives depending on whether the individual is ahead or behind. All these motives are represented graphically, and a correspondence matrix is given to illustrate the interrelationships among the motives.Finally, we investigate combinations of the motives since such composites are less restrictive and can better account for observed behavior. Linear combinations are interesting but still too restrictive. Conjunctive, disjunctive and lexicographic combinations offer useful possibilities for characterizing particular social motives. Complex combinations involving general nonlinear forms arise and some representative forms are explored. c+4 INTRODUCTIONIN ANY COMPLEX social system charac-I terized by a high degree of social interdependence, one's acts often have direct consequences for the outcomes of other members of the system. When an individual takes the outcomes of others into account in making a choice, we say that one is manifesting a social motive. There are, of course, many subtle and complicated ways in which others' outcomes may be taken into account and, while we will illustrate some of these, our primary goal in this paper will be to develop and explore a framework for social motives which can aid our understanding of social behavior as well as the social system in which we live. More than a decade ago, an important text on motivation stated that "one task for a psychology of motivation might be to provide a useful scheme for classification of KEY WORDS: social motives, cooperation and competition, interdependent preferences, social choice, indifference curves.' The basis for this paper was developed a t the specific wants that have much in common" (Atkinson, 1964, p. 6). In this paper, building on the work of McClintock (1972) and Griesinger and Livingston (19731, we shall attempt to specify precise meanings for some important social motives. Then we shall identify some of the interrelationships among, and implications of, these defini...

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