DE‐ESCALATION IN DECISION MAKING: A CASE OF A DISASTROUS PARTNERSHIP*

Abstract

ABSTRACT Decisions to persist with losing courses of action known as escalation have been widely studied, albeit mainly in an experimental context. Comparatively little is known about the conditions under which de‐escalation occurs. Utilizing a model of de‐escalation derived from the literature the present study examines, by means of a case study, a decision to withdraw from a losing predicament. It is concluded that while de‐escalation is likely to occur where the opposite conditions thought to be conducive to persistence apply, existing models under‐emphasize the importance of power. Accordingly a modified version of Bowen's two‐factor model is proposed.