What are predetermined decisions that limit managerial discretion called?

Policies are predetermined decisions that serve as guiding principles for decision-making within an organization. They help establish a framework within which managers operate, ensuring consistency and alignment with the organization’s goals and values. By providing clear guidelines, policies effectively limit managerial discretion, which helps prevent arbitrary or conflicting decisions that could arise from individual interpretations of a situation.

For instance, a company might have a policy regarding employee conduct, which outlines specific behaviors that are acceptable and those that are not. This policy restricts managers in how they handle disciplinary issues, as they must adhere to the established guidelines, thereby promoting fairness and uniformity across the organization.

Other concepts, while related to strategic management, do not fit the definition of predetermined decisions that limit discretion. Grand strategies outline broad directions for achieving a company's goals but do not specifically restrict managerial choices on day-to-day operations. Functional tactics pertain to the specific actions taken to implement strategies but are not necessarily predetermined in limiting discretion. Long-term objectives define the desired outcomes the organization aims to achieve over time, but they are not mechanisms that constrain managerial decision-making in the immediate context.