CHOICE OF TACTICS IN A COMPLEX DECISION SITUATION.

H. A. Simon's original three-phase description of the decision process - intelligence, design, and choice - has recently been modified to take account of the process of negotiation between participants by which many complex decision situations are resolved. The three phases in the modified description are known as information gathering, analysis, and interaction. The authors examine two aspects of the analysis phase which are described as strategic and tactical. Strategic analysis is concerned with final outcomes of the decision situation and the preferences of the participants between them. Tactical analysis provides the basis of choice between alternative courses of action in the interactions between participants that are an integral part of the resolution process. A model for tactical analysis is presented and applied to a practical situation involving a bid for acquisition of a valuable parcel of real estate.