Suchergebnisse

This article extends Landau's work on redundancy in organizations. Three basic and two hybrid approaches to redundancy are described and compared. The types are explored in the context of redundancy as duplication, and also in the context of redundancy as overlap, with modifications as appropriate. The dynamics of duplication versus overlap are also explored. Issues regarding the "triggering" of redundancy, the difference between redundancy and the `fail-safe" mentality, and redundancy in the special case of secrecy concerns are also discussed.

This article marks out the contrasting assumptions and implications of two prevalent yet implicit approaches to organizational analysis: the micro and macro perspectives. It traces ambiguities in the concepts of organizational power, politics, change, and policymaking to the dual meanings possible for such terms given alternate micro and macro perspectives. Practitioner styles, mirroring micro and macro scholarly orientations are also described.

Ambiguity in the structure of decision-maker relationships is considered for the stra tegic opportunities it offers calculating actors. Ambiguity is discussed in the context of reciprocity, authority, and jurisdictional facets of relationships. The value of ambiguity as a common theme linking rational actor and system level concepts is also considered.

Some conditions under which simple social-psychological processes may affect collective (committee) decisions in legislative settings are investigated. While rational choice theory predicts that social-psychological effects will be canceled, randomized, or corrected by communication, recurring conditions under which such factors influence individual decisions are posited. A general approach for identifying strategic misperception is then presented & discussed in terms of its ability to predict: (1) the intensity with which committee members pursue alternatives, & (2) the effects of abstention, bandwagon voting, persuasion, & log-rolling. Further research into the comparing models based on fixed preferences (rational choice) & strategic misperception, however, is needed to determine which approach provides the most accurate explanation of the collective decision-making process. 6 Tables, 16 References. Modified HA