Hypotheses for an Interpretative Model of Organizational Decision‐making at Strategic Level

Abstract

Many problems that decision makers have to solve concern strategic environments. In such situations, the structural uncertainty they must face is overcome by using their representations of reality: people take decisions on the basis of their cognitive maps. In collective high level decision-making, conflicts can rise among different frames and definitions of the problem. The process through which the actors can reach a joint solution has a bargaining nature. The decision-makers' cognitive maps contain, besides the personal view of the prcblem to be solved, the perception of the position and bargaining power of the other actors. Strategic moves (commitments, threats ...) can modify the partners' perceptions of the possibilities of success of their policy. As such, the decision-makers' cognitive maps finally become "complementary", permitting an agreement.