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The Relationship between Procedural Rationality and Political Behavior in Strategic Decision Making
Author(s) -
Dean James W.,
Sharfman Mark P.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
decision sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.238
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1540-5915
pISSN - 0011-7315
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-5915.1993.tb00504.x
Subject(s) - rationality , politics , strategic thinking , process (computing) , management science , psychology , strategic planning , social psychology , sociology , positive economics , business , economics , political science , marketing , computer science , law , operating system
Despite the central place of rationality and political behavior in the decision‐making literature, we know little about the relationship between these two dimensions. Can decisions be made using both rational and political methods, or must managers use one approach or the other? These questions were addressed in a study of 61 strategic decisions in 24 companies using a multiple‐informant, structured interview protocol. Results indicate that procedural rationality and political behavior are independent dimensions of the strategic decision‐making process. The implications of our findings for future strategic decision‐making research are discussed.