International Online Training Program On Intractable Conflict
	Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado, USA

Administrative Decision-Making Processes

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Organizations are often structured in ways which empower a single individual or small group to make key decisions. In democratic systems, these decision makers are usually expected to obtain advice from affected parties and then make a decision which advances the interests of the whole organization while fairly resolving competing interests. Such administrative decision makers may be business owners, department heads, government officials, judges, mayors, governors, and so forth. In some cases these people derive their power from legal, political, or economic processes which are widely regarded as legitimate. In other cases the decision makers may derive their power from illegitimate processes which depend upon physical force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control. While administrative decision making processes are widely used and and can be highly efficient, they depend upon the wisdom and altruism of the decision maker. This in turn requires some effective mechanism for replacing decision makers who act in ways which violate accepted standards of fairness. In cases where these mechanisms do not exist, administrative decision makers can become tyrants.

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