Search results for " choice theory."
showing 10 items of 15 documents
A Pedagogical Proof of Arrow's Impossibility Theorem
1999
In this note I consider a simple proof of Arrow's Impossibility Theorem (Arrow 1963). I start with the case of three individuals who have preferences on three alternatives. In this special case there are 133=2197 possible combinations of the three individuals' rational preferences. However, by considering the subset of linear preferences, and employing the full strength of the IIA axiom, I reduce the number of cases necessary to completely describe the SWF to a small number, allowing an elementary proof suitable for most undergraduate students. This special case conveys the nature of Arrow's result. It is well known that the restriction to three options is not really limiting (any larger se…
Measuring freedom of choice: An alternative view of a recent literature
2004
A recent literature has emerged in social choice theory which attributes intrinsic importance to freedom in the evaluation of states of affairs. The literature’s philosophical basis lies in Berlin’s notion of positive liberty. Accordingly, axiomatic measures of availability of choices are developed and the information they convey used for ranking states on the basis of the extent of liberty they offer to individuals. This paper argues that the literature’s contributions have taken Berlin’s analytical framework for granted exceedingly narrowing the philosophical terms of the debate. It is shown that, once freedom is analyzed from the perspective of an alternative structure, the triadic synta…
IS Security Policy Violations
2012
Employee violations of IS security policies are reported as a key concern for organizations. Although behavioral research on IS security has received increasing attention from IS scholars, little empirical research has examined this problem. To address this research gap, the authors test a model based on Rational Choice Theory RCT-a prominent criminological theory not yet applied in IS-which explains, in terms of a utilitarian calculation, an individual's decision to commit a violation. Empirical results show that the effects of informal sanctions, moral beliefs, and perceived benefits convincingly explain employee IS security policy violations, while the effect of formal sanctions is insig…
Autonomy Freedom and Preferences for Redistribution
2007
In this paper we study the determinants of people's attitudes toward income inequality and their consequences for redistributive policies. In the light of a recent literature in social choice theory, we argue that an individual's attitudes toward inequality depend upon the extent of autonomy freedom he/she enjoys. We use individual level data to validate our theory and show that the higher the extent of an individual's autonomy freedom, the greater the probability that he/she supports larger income differences as incentives for individual effort. Conversely, the lower the extent of autonomy freedom, the more likely he/she supports the view that incomes should be made more equal. These findi…
Toward a Unified Model of Information Security Policy Compliance
2018
Information systems security (ISS) behavioral research has produced different models to explain security policy compliance. This paper (1) reviews 11 theories that have served the majority of previous information security behavior models, (2) empirically compares these theories (Study 1), (3) proposes a unified model, called the unified model of information security policy compliance (UMISPC), which integrates elements across these extant theories, and (4) empirically tests the UMISPC in a new study (Study 2), which provided preliminary empirical support for the model. The 11 theories reviewed are (1) the theory of reasoned action, (2) neutralization techniques, (3) the health belief model,…
Rational Choice Theory and the Environment: Variants, Applications, and New Trends
2010
Rational choice theory (RCT) is a research paradigm based on methodological individualism. Collective phenomena are explained by assumptions about the behavior of (subjectively) rational individual or corporate actors. In environmental research, RCT is used to predict ecological perceptions, attitudes and behavior on the micro level, and to shed light on environmental outcomes on the macro level. The most fundamental insight from RCT is that environmental problems are often the result of a social dilemma, that is, individuals’ purposive action leads to unintended negative collective consequences. This chapter addresses variants of RCT including game theory, shows applications in the field o…
Training strategic thinking: Experimental evidence
2014
Abstract Strategic behavior is crucial for strong firm performance, especially in competitive environments. Thus, designing a good strategy is a key issue for firms. Designing a strategy requires a combination of strategic thinking—which involves analyzing a firm's strategic environment, defining a vision of its future, and devising new ideas to out-think competitors – and strategic planning – which implies using these ideas to formulate a business plan. Although many firms excel at strategic planning, few devote enough resources to strategic thinking, which results in strategic insanity (i.e., firms repeatedly applying the same strategies with the expectation of different outcomes). To fos…
Handling Uncertainty of Strategic Ambitions—The Use of Organizational Identity as a Risk-Reducing Device
2015
Organizational identity can be designed to reduce the risks of uncertainty about future states of public organizations and the inherent potential issues related to evaluation and assessment. As such, organizational identity may shape a congruent and credible self-representation of the university, where a consistent narrative articulates compliance to diverse institutional frameworks, commitment to organizational distinctiveness, and a sensible rationale for strategic change. By examining the strategic plans of four European universities over a 10-year period of major organizational change, the paper discusses the subtleties of the specific combinations of the three different functions and t…
Poverty as failed exercise of rights? Some theoretical problems
2007
A state of deprivation can be epitomised as a situation that implies not only a lack of resources but even a failed exercise of individual rights. Sometimes, if we consider poor exclusively those who have not enough money we may miss part of the picture or we may pursue inefficient and/or unjust policies. Let us think of handicapped persons that have a certain income; this sum may be enough for healthy people, but it is not the case for those who are not self-sufficient. Thus, we may have people poor and people not poor with the same amount of resources. Poverty, then, must be considered not as a lack of resources but as the difficulty of enjoying relevant opportunities (e.g. reading, writi…
Influence of Organizational Culture on Employees Information Security Policy Compliance in Ethiopian Companies
2021
Information security is one of the organizations' top agendas worldwide. Similarly, there is a growing trend in the kinds and rate of security breaches. Information security experts and scholars concentrate on outsiders' threats; conversely, insiders are responsible for most security breaches in organizations. Further, the majority of information security research findings are limited to solutions that are technically focused. However, it is now recognized that the technological approach alone does not carry the security level needed. So this led researchers to embark on socio-technical approaches. Thus, this study explores organizational culture's effect on employees' intention to comply w…