Electricity and Resistance: A Case Study of Innovation and Politics

This article presents a case study of decision making in a British chemical organization. The initial problem is one of whether the generation of electricity is a feasible prop osition in addition to the production of chemicals. This issue acts as a platform for protracted political debate as soon as questions of career succession and career interests are aroused. The focus shifts from economic criteria to those of career aspirations. The decision spans four years, from 1964 to 1968, and data for the case study were collected over a three-year period, from 1976 to 1979. Existing notions of decision making are examined for their adequacy in explaining the events that took place and modifications to these concepts are explored in the analysis of the case study. It is found that hoth the effects of the organization and the specific individuals within it, combine simultaneously to produce the events of this decision. The article begins with a short introduction of existing decision making theories, follows with an account of the case study, and concludes with an analysis of its decisional characteristics.

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