Fritz W. Scharpf, “The Joint-Decision Trap: Lessons from German Federalism and European Integration”

This chapter examines the joint decision trap (JDT), a decision-making mechanism developed in 1988 by Fritz Scharpf to show the link between higher level government’s decisions and the unanimous or consensus agreement of lower level governments. JDT explains how the interlinking of decision-making processes translates to suboptimal policy outcomes because higher level decisions can be blocked by each lower level actor. The chapter discusses how the concept and theory of JDT offer important insights into the dynamic of European decision-making, but by no means all of its aspects. It considers the definition of JDT and its important contribution to theoretical and empirical and research on European decision-making. It then evaluates some of the arguments against JDT and the limits of its explanatory power, as well as Scharpf’s alternative to the theoretical debate between (liberal) intergovernmentalism and neofunctionalism. The chapter concludes by assessing the continuing heuristic value of JDT.

An Integrated Model of Pop Culture Fans’ Travel Decision-Making Processes

Journal of Travel Research ◽

10.1177/0047287517708619 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 57 (5) ◽

pp. 687-701 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

SoJung Lee ◽

HakJun Song ◽

Choong-Ki Lee ◽

James F. Petrick

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Conceptual Framework ◽

Explanatory Power ◽

Pop Culture ◽

Integrated Model ◽

Decision Making Process ◽

Aida Model ◽

Travel Decision ◽

Goal Directed Behavior

This study integrated the Model of Goal-directed Behavior (MGB) and the Attention, Interest, Desire, and Actions (AIDA) model into a conceptual framework to examine how pop culture influences decisions to visit a pop culture–featured destination. Findings revealed that visit intentions were significantly influenced by variables in the two models (MGB and AIDA), highlighting that attention to pop culture and positive anticipated emotions played important roles in unifying them. Results suggest that the integrated framework offers a comprehensive and coherent perspective on the complicated decision-making process of pop culture fans, which enhances the explanatory power for predicting future intentions. Thus, this paper offers an innovative approach to integrating models from the disciplines of psychology and advertising.

Advances in Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage - Digital Marketing Strategies and Models for Competitive Business ◽

Geographic Marketing in Support of Decision-Making Processes

10.4018/978-1-7998-2963-8.ch005 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 103-115

Author(s):

Maria Fernanda Augusto

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Geographic Information ◽

Essential Elements ◽

Added Value ◽

Key Factors ◽

Digital Maps ◽

Growth Prospects ◽

Definition Of ◽

Different Sources

Nowadays, geographic information and spatial aspects are essential elements for the definition of companies' strategies. With the use of different sources data, companies were able to obtain insights that they could not obtain without the spatial component and were able to use them to optimize their business. Then, geographic marketing presents itself as an added value for companies, one of the key factors being its role in supporting decision making. The main attributes of geographic marketing or GeoMarketing allow us to identify and present through digital maps the behavior and trends of certain variables based on characteristics of a market. The meticulous study of spatial and demographic information generated by GeoMarketing are crucial for important strategic adjustments in the business plan, such as definitions related to the location considered ideal for the business, target audience, price and growth prospects, among other factors. In this context, GeoMarketing will be introduced, exploring its scope, applicability, and relevance of its use in support of the decision-making process.

Defining the Phenomenon of Mental Models for Critical Events

Volume 2A: 33rd Computers and Information in Engineering Conference ◽

10.1115/detc2013-13077 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kanter van Deurzen ◽

Imre Horváth ◽

Regine Vroom

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Mental Models ◽

Mental Model ◽

Real Life ◽

Critical Events ◽

Cognitive Representations ◽

Related Information ◽

Strong Relation ◽

People use cognitive representations in order to characterize, understand, reason and predict the surrounding world. A class of these representations are called mental models. Designers of informing systems are interested in how mental models influence decision making, especially during critical events. With this knowledge they could optimize the content and amount of information that is needed for a dependable decision making process. New insights are needed about the operation of mental models in the course of critical events, as well as on how informing influences the real life operationalization of mental models. Most of the definitions available in the literature are overly general, and no definition was found that would support the design of informing systems for critical events. Therefore, the objective of our research was to derive a definition of mental models that play a role in critical events. Actually, we systematically constructed a definition from those attributes of mental model descriptions that were found to be relevant to critical events. First we decomposed 125 published descriptions to a set of attributes, and then assessed each attribute to see if they were associated with critical events, or not. In fact, this analysis involved not only the relevance of the attributes to critical events, but also the frequency of occurrence in the surveyed papers. This exploration provided a large number of attributes for a new mental model definition. Based on the top rated attributes, a definition was synthesized which, theoretically, has a strong relation to critical events. Though further validation will be needed, we argue that the derived mental model definition is strong because it establishes relationships with all generic features of critical events and makes the related information contents explicit. Hence the proposed definition can be considered a starting platform for investigations of the influence of informing on decision making processes in critical events.

How to Trust

International Journal of Adaptive Resilient and Autonomic Systems ◽

10.4018/jaras.2012070102 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 20-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Massimo Felici

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Decision Model ◽

General Definition ◽

This paper concerns decision-making processes that rely on trust. In particular, it analyzes how different aspects of trust (e.g., trust, trustworthiness, trustworthy evidence) influence trust decisions, and acting on them eventually. It proposes a trust decision model that structures the analysis of contextualized trust problems. Rather than seeking a general definition of trust, this paper advocates the necessity to have a structured way to analyze and characterize situational trust problems systematically.

Ethical E-Participation

Business Law and Ethics ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8195-8.ch023 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 433-455

Author(s):

Marco Picone ◽

Francesco Lo Piccolo

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Social Justice ◽

Public Participation ◽

Theoretical Framework ◽

Digital Mapping ◽

Public Participation Gis ◽

The most recent forms of e-participation seem to provide new issues that need to be discussed. One such discussion involves the role of GIS. Can an ethically aware GIS be conceived? What does it mean for a GIS to be ethical at all? Throughout this paper, first the authors create a theoretical framework to encompass four key elements that lead us to the definition of ethical digital mapping: GIS ethics, social justice, power, and participation. Then they introduce the concept of PPGIS (Public Participation GIS), and argue that only a ‘qualitative turn' can enhance their importance in decision-making processes. Finally, the authors discuss an experiment that is currently taking place in Palermo, Italy, to debate the opportunities qualitative PPGIS may grant.

A Tool for Improving Decision Quality on Upstream Consortia

10.2118/207849-ms ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

J. C. Cunha ◽

J. Eric Bickel ◽

Luis Mendoza ◽

Jeremy Walker ◽

Ellen Coopersmith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Decision Quality ◽

Project Delivery ◽

Decision Framing ◽

Practical Guidelines ◽

Decision Management ◽

Definition Of ◽

Good Set ◽

High Level

Abstract This article aims to provide a guideline to better decision quality on multi-company upstream projects. The scope is to provide a high-level overview of what should be included in a decision quality process, when companies with different levels of ownership and influence on the decision-making process naturally tend to have different approaches towards risks and decision management. It is well known in our industry that there is a predominance of multicompany participation in these projects and the paper will provide guidelines that will ultimately provide better decision quality and participant's alignment. Normally high-risk upstream projects have multi-company ownership. However, it has been noticed that companies tend to face decision management differently, which causes unnecessary delays on budget approvals and even operational timeline. Procedures to normalize the definition of an initial decision frame and creation of solutions based on a good set of alternatives are paramount to facilitate discussions and drive final recommendations. In summary, companies’ alignment on decision-making processes is key to quality, speed, and effectiveness of those decisions and critical to project success. Alignment between partners on pivotal decisions can significantly improve project delivery. The main results are practical guidelines for generating (a) decision framing, (b) strategies, (c) alternatives and potential consequences, and (d) logical analysis, partners’ alignment and commitment to action.

(Re)-Defining ‘Teacher’: Preservice Teachers with Disabilities in Canadian Teacher Education Programs

Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education ◽

10.1017/jsi.2018.2 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (01) ◽

pp. 17-29 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alina Wilson ◽

Laura Sokal ◽

Deb Woloshyn

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Teacher Education ◽

Preservice Teachers ◽

Student Teaching ◽

Teacher Education Programs ◽

Education Programs ◽

Canadian Provinces ◽

Definition Of ◽

Current Standards

Directors of Student Teaching from the Western Canadian provinces participated in focus groups about the realities and decision-making processes around practicum for preservice teachers with disabilities. Results showed current standards, when applied rigidly, served to reify a static, homogenous, and unrealistic definition of ‘teacher’ that marginalises preservice teachers with disabilities. However, the effort of directors to challenge this notion of ‘teacher’, framed within the constructionist model of disability, gives hope for a more inclusive future teaching force.

Is homo oeconomicus an extinct species, and does it matter for EUropean integration? Attitudes towards free trade and populism

Global Discourse ◽

10.1332/204378919x15470487645466 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 249-264

Author(s):

Bogna Gawroska-Nowak

Keyword(s):

European Integration ◽

Free Trade ◽

Political Institutions ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Explanatory Power ◽

Nobel Prize Winner ◽

Main Role ◽

Homo Oeconomicus ◽

The Eu

The latest Nobel Prize winner in economics, Richard Thaler, was rewarded 'for his contributions to behavioural economics'. Thaler and Sustain claim that there are 'nudges', not pure rationality, that drive people decision-making processes. A 2017 CEPR report reveals that economic factors do matter with regards to trust in the political institutions of the EU but they do not play the main role. Therefore, it seems quite natural to ask: what is an explanatory power of economics in grasping the recent social behaviour dynamics, including the European integration processes and actual rise of radicalism and populism? Can economics contribute to a better understanding of those issues and can it come up with some practical solutions? To answer these questions I explore both theoretical backgrounds in economics and some empirical studies. I also refer to the results of my recent research on the Polish social perception of free trade agreements. I investigate how much the limits of EUrope are related to the limits of economics.

À propos du contrôle social de la politique énergétique

Les Cahiers de droit ◽

10.7202/042567ar ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 713-736

Author(s):

Louis Constans

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Energy Policy ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Freedom Of Choice ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Parliamentary Debates ◽

Definition Of ◽

Time Frames ◽

Made In

This paper attempts to clarify the basic issues underlying the discussion of citizens' participation in public decision-making on energy policy and projects. It questions the assumption that such participation is possible, and recalls that energy policy is at present, at least in the French context, an area of conflict between government and various interest groups. It warns of possible misunderstandings due to the lack of an agreed definition of participation. Three major points are made in this connection. The first is that the usual instruments of citizens' participation in decision-making (public inquiries, parliamentary debates, etc.) have, for a number of technical and institutional reasons, become largely irrelevant as regards energy matters — as indeed in several other areas of policy. The second is that decision-making on energy policy and projects really allows for very little freedom of choice on the part of decision-makers : such freedom rarely goes beyond the setting of time-frames for the achievement of goals imposed by circumstances. Finally, it is suggested that invocation of the ideals of democracy is unhelpful : what is realistically possible amounts only to a greater openness and objectivity in decision-making processes aimed at giving citizens, not an illusory power to decide themselves or to block decisions by policy-makers, but the capacity to forewarn the latter about public feelings on energy issues.

Technocrats’ Compromises: Defining Race and the Struggle for Equality in Brazil, 1970–2010

Journal of Latin American Studies ◽

10.1017/s0022216x17000797 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 87-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

BRENNA MAREA POWELL ◽

GRAZIELLA MORAES SILVA

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Census Data ◽

Policy Outcomes ◽

White Population ◽

Early Application ◽

Racial Categories ◽

Key Informant ◽

Apparent Stability

AbstractThis article focuses on census policy-making by analysing the decision-making processes behind the apparent stability of Brazilian racial categories within a context of multiple changes in racial politics and policies over the last four decades (1970–2010). Empirically, we rely on archival material, survey and census data, as well as key informant interviews with senior technocrats from the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics, IBGE). Our findings show the central role of technocratic actors in shaping and giving meaning to these categories in a context of uncertainty about the most valid approach to measurement. Their role is particularly evident in IBGE's early application of thenegrocategory to the non-white population and repeated rejection of themorenocategory. Beyond technical expertise, these census officials navigated various professional, political and ideological motivations. We develop the concept of technocratic compromise to capture census officials’ decision-making process and underscore its importance to explaining census policy outcomes.