"It is characteristic of executive roles that they are specialized for the handling of situations which call for something more than routine action. When business executives are asked what is the essential content of their roles, they characteristically say, 'We make decisions.' This emphasis on decision-making is symptomatic of a specialized concern of executives with situations in which there is significant uncertainty as to the results of proper courses of action. (One does not make a 'decision' when there is a predictable, correct outcome, as in getting the sum of a column of figures.)"
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Businesspeople from the United StatesBusiness theorists from the United StatesSocial scientists from the United States
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
p. 19-20; As cited in: David C. McClelland (1961), The Archiving Society, p. 231
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Francis_X._Sutton
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Francis X. Sutton
Francis Xavier Sutton (July 7, 1917 - Dec. 18, 2012) was an American social scientist, official of the , and business theorist. Sutton received his BA at Temple in 1938, his MA at Princeton in 1940, and his PhD in sociology at Harvard in 1950.
12 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Francis X. Sutton →
Related Quotes
"A World to Make treats a subject that is both complex and controversial. Since the end of the Second World War, and w…"
"A comparative social science requires a generalized system of concepts which will enable the scientific observer to c…"
"Characteristically, the factors determining, the outcome of business efforts are numerous, and difficult both to asse…"
"Businessmen have not shied away from the responsibility implied in Emerson's famous definition of a business as the l…"
"The logical reader can only conclude that had Mr. Du Pont been as devoted to the facts as Mr. Sloan alleges, he would…"
"There is a strong tendency among businessmen to emphasize that their decisions are based on 'facts' and thus to make …"
"The key definitions for the entrepreneur seem to centre around the concept of responsibility. Responsibility implies …"
"Viewed schematically, the activities of governments involve first the politician, who buys votes for the party in pow…"
"Extravagance, inefficiency, and waste are inherent in government, because nothing which government does is forced to …"
"In contrast to such organizations as governments and universities, the prime criteria of business achievement are rel…"