The hidden dimension of strategic planning: explorations in the formation of perspectives

• Main Author: Whitfield, Paul Michael
• Other Authors: Teti, Frank M.
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2013
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/27079

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. === Perspectives are an extremely important factor in political decisions. The study of decision-making is often approached in a segmented manner with social scientists each believing their discipline is the correct approach. This thesis asserts that the study of decision-making must focus on how perspectives are formed and be interdisciplinary. Each discipline should be incorporated to discover how various factors influence the decision-making process. Perspectives are often confused with beliefs or ideas. This thesis defines perspectives as a subjective approach to an objective reality. A large portion of various sections in the thesis is devoted to examining concepts of subjective reality. It explores some of the possible interrelationships of perceptual influences with the intent of better understanding the decision-making process. The thesis presents several models which help explain the processes involved in forming perspectives and making decisions.