In a short essay, list and discuss at least five important issues that are discussed with decision makers when a problem audit is conducted

What will be an ideal response?

a. The history of the problem - this is a discussion of the events that led to the decision to act.
b. The alternate courses of action available to the decision maker - the set of alternatives may be incomplete at this stage, and qualitative research may be needed to identify the more innovative courses of action.
c. The criteria that will be used to evaluate the alternative courses of action - for example, new product offerings might be evaluated on the basis of sales, market share, profitability, and return on investment.
d. The nature of potential actions that are likely to be suggested based on research findings - this research finding will likely call for a strategic marketing response to the competition.
e. The information that is needed to answer the decision maker's questions - the information needed includes a comparison of all elements of the marketing mix in order to determine relative strengths and weaknesses.
f. The manner in which the decision maker will use each item of information in making the decision - the key decision makers will devise a strategy based on the research findings and their intuition and judgment.
g. The corporate culture as it relates to decision making - in some firms, the decision-making process is dominant; in others, the personality of the decision maker is more important.