A decision-making guide within an organization is known as?

A policy serves as a foundational framework that helps guide decision-making within an organization. It establishes broad principles and directives that align with the organization's goals and objectives, providing a basis for consistent action and behavior among its members. Policies are generally developed to address key issues that affect the organization, ensuring that decisions made by individuals or teams are in line with strategic goals.

In contrast, procedures are specific steps to achieve a task or implement a policy, outlining how to carry out actions in a prescribed manner. Protocols often refer to a set of predefined rules governing interactions in specific situations, especially in emergency services or healthcare contexts. Guidelines are recommendations that offer advice for decisions or actions but do not carry the same enforceability as a policy. Therefore, the reason a policy is the correct answer is that it represents the broad organizational framework that directs decision-making, whereas the others serve more specific roles within that framework.