Decision Making in Three Modes

This paper presents an integrative framework for analyzing decisions. Three generic modes of decision making are identified: consequential choice (comparing alternatives in terms of expected consequences), matching (evaluating single options in terms of a certain criterion) and reassessment (re‐evaluating an action to which one is already committed). The three generic modes are compared on a common set of attributes, and the conditions for their proper use are outlined. Two case analyses illustrate how the framework can be used to analyze specific decisions from multiple perspectives.