Four portfolio managers who handle common stocks were observed in a study that examined the preference of an alternative decision making process in an information overload situation. The week of observation was arranged so that the portfolio manager focused primarily on the decision making portion of the work rather than on the presentation and defense of decisions within the organization. During the observation, everything the portfolio managers did, every type of person with whom they interacted, the topics of every conversation, and the subject of every item read were recorded as well as when it occurred and the time spent in each activity. The data were then categorized and analyzed in three major ways: in terms of the portfolio managers' managerial functions, in terms of the information they acquired, and in terms of the decisions they made. Results showed relatively short amounts of time being spent in decision making, particularly considering the importance of their decisions. Furthermore, there was no sign of any use of a consciously logical sequence of steps in decision making. The amount of information available to the portfolio managers was massive, and the information flow was fast paced and highly fragmented. Yet, the portfolio managers showed no signs of information overload and only minimal attempts at overt filtering. These results suggest the possibility that an alternative mode of decision making does exist and may be preferable where there are massive amounts of information readily available. (HOD)