Decision-making

Abstract

Making decisions involves many risks such as ignoring relevant points of view; angering those who are frustrated, inducing them, once the decision has been made, to hinder its implementation. One way to limit these risks is to frame decisions with rituals. However, for a ritual to work, it must appear respectable; and this relies on an eminently cultural interpretation. To understand what is at stake, two aspects of the decision-making process are explored successively. First, a Franco-Dutch case demonstrates how social interactions intervene in the idea selection. Second, examples from Cameroon and Jordan show the suspicions and resentment that any decision is likely to generate among those who suffer from it. However, appropriate procedures are likely to overcome suspicions and to give a sense of fairness.