Final Answer:
A) It helps an organization to select goals and strategies because planning in decision making is fundamentally about setting objectives and determining the strategies or methods to achieve those objectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Planning in decision making primarily facilitates an organization's selection of goals and strategies (Option A). It sets a roadmap by outlining objectives and the means to achieve them.
This process doesn't directly improve product quality (Option B), which involves different stages like design, production, and quality control. However, planning indirectly impacts quality by ensuring that resources, processes, and timelines align with quality objectives.
While planning sets the stage for performance evaluation (Option C) by establishing benchmarks and goals, it's not the direct evaluator itself. Actual performance analysis (Option D) occurs post-implementation, where planning serves as a reference for assessing deviations and identifying corrective measures.
Therefore, the essence of planning lies in its role of goal setting and strategizing, acting as a blueprint for subsequent actions rather than directly influencing product quality or evaluating performance. Hence, therefore option A) is correct.