Between a rock and a hard place of geopolitically sensitive threats - critical incidents and decision inertia

Alison, Laurence ORCID: 0000-0003-2459-0976, Palasinski, Marek, Waring, Sara ORCID: 0000-0003-1625-5705, Humphrey, Anne, Humann, Michael ORCID: 0000-0003-3788-6653, Shortland, Neil and Grieve, Lorraine Bowman (2018) Between a rock and a hard place of geopolitically sensitive threats - critical incidents and decision inertia. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES OF TERRORISM AND POLITICAL AGGRESSION, 10 (3). pp. 207-224.

Text Between a rock and a hard place of geopolitically sensitive threats.doc - Author Accepted Manuscript Download (227kB)

Abstract

While the SAFE-T model of decision making emphasizes naturalistic decision making, its potential for cross-comparative analysis of incidents with global implications remains underutilized, which the current paper aims to address. To this end, it draws upon open-source reports from unclassified American, British and Russian intelligence reports to explore the management of three types of 10 high-profile geopolitically sensitive threats from across the globe (verifying potential terrorist identity, hostage rescue and national/international security). Defining features of such incidents include decision makers’ ability to prospectively model competing scenarios in which they must select between options and where every outcome looks aversive and high risk (‘damned if you do or damned if you don’t decisions’). A frequent consequence of such calculations is ‘decision inertia’ (a failure to execute an important, irrevocable decision resulting in non-optimal consequences), or ‘implementation failure’ (a failure to make a choice). Combining the benefit of the theoretical framework and hindsight knowledge of the analyzed incidents, the paper facilitates theoretical understanding of decision inertia and failures to act. Encouraging the consideration of multiple scenario endings contingent on a wide spectrum of factors and unique cultural-historical context, it also helps identify past decision errors in order to inform assessment and management of similar geopolitical threats in the future.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=rirt20
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Accountability, accuracy-effort trade-off, decision making, decision inertia, uncertainty
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	17 Apr 2024 08:02
Last Modified:	17 Apr 2024 08:02
DOI:	10.1080/19434472.2017.1373690
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3020125