Final answer:
The true statement about planning in decision-making is that it helps an organization select goals and strategies. Planning involves marginal analysis and is critical for businesses to make informed decisions that maximize benefits while minimizing costs. It also leads to structured decision processes for choosing product designs and strategies, and can indirectly improve productivity and the quality of decisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the true statement about planning in decision-making, option C is correct: It helps an organization select goals and strategies. Planning is essential in decision-making because it involves setting objectives and determining the course of action to achieve those goals. By performing marginal analysis, where managers weigh the marginal costs against the marginal benefits, a more informed decision can be made. This process is crucial for businesses to ensure that each choice maximizes benefits while minimizing costs. Structured decision processes also compare different options using set criteria, which can guide organizations in selecting the most advantageous product designs or strategies.
Bureaucracies aim for increased productivity and efficiency (a), which highlights the positive impact of effective organizational structures and planning on decision-making. Moreover, planning assists in evaluating performance by providing a framework against which actual results can be measured, aiding in the analysis of actual performance (d), and can contribute indirectly to the evaluation process. While it can indirectly affect product quality (b) and actual performance (a) through better decision-making, these are not the primary functions of planning.