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3. Weigh the Standards |
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| If there are multiple standards or criteria to be satisfied, one issue to be considered is "how does each person weigh each criteria?" |
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| Let us return to the example of the husband and wife who are considering buying deck furniture. When negotiating over which type of furniture to buy, they must consider how much weight each person gives to each of the different criteria. This does not have to be a complex mathematical process: a simple rank ordering will often do. |
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| Ranking | Wife’s Ranking of Criteria: | Husband’s Ranking of Criteria: |
|---|---|---|
| 1. (most important) | Durability | Price |
| 2. | Size | Size |
| 3. | No. of Chairs | Durability |
| 4. | Comfort | Ease of lifting, moving |
| 5. | Ease of lifting, moving | Comfort |
| 6. (least important) | Price | No. of Chairs |
Perhaps the wife contemplates spending a lot of time on the deck and thinks that "durability" is the most important criterion. Perhaps the husband is a penny-pincher and feels that "price" is the most important criterion. In that case, the "best" brand and model of deck furniture to buy is that which is both "durable" and "inexpensive." Oh yes, it should also fit on the deck (size).
Notice that if the wife was buying the furniture alone, she might not give much thought to price – she is interested in the most durable, long-lasting furniture she can find. But also notice that what the wife wants is not necessarily incompatible with what the husband wants. It is possible to find furniture that is both durable and inexpensive.
By identifying the criteria they want to satisfy first, the happy couple can shop together and consider the merits of each option (that is, each make and model of deck furniture). It becomes a problem-solving exercise rather than a "my model vs. your model" argument.
Suppose they found these makes and models:
| Type of Furniture: | PredominantCharacteristics: | Price: |
|---|---|---|
| Rickety Wicker | Rots when it rains | $12 per chair |
| Heavenly Metal | Sturdy, long lasting | $60 per chair |
| Concrete Solutions | Sturdy; hard to move; uncomfortable | $50 per chair |
| Divine-L Vinyl | Long lasting; lightweight | $15 per chair |
| Knobby Plywood | Uncomfortable; Tends to break | $14 per chair |
| Review Question: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Which of these options best satisfies both people’s criteria for being both durable and inexpensive? | ||
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Rickety Wicker | |
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Heavenly Metal | |
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Concrete Solutions | |
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Divine-L Vinyl | |
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Knobby Plywood | |
Isn’t this "joint problem-solving" approach better than the wife only considering durability (which might lead her to the Heavenly Metal option) and the husband only considering price (which might lead him to the Rickety Wicker option)?
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