Rationality and use of information in policy decisions - A search for alternatives

In the field of knowledge acquisition, dissemination and utilization/impact , few studies have examined the appropriateness of rational actor theories as a theoretical framework. Rather the rational actor perspective has been simply taken for granted as a relevant analytical tool for explaining the u se of information in policymaking. This article singles out one major set o f assumptions imbedded in rational actor theories, those dealing with infor mation acquisition and processing in individual decisionmaking, and empiric ally examines to what extent the assumptions are realistic. It then puts fo rward an organizational interest and a communications perspective as altern ative explanations for information processing in individual and organizatio nal decisionmaking. The findings of this article show that decisionmakers' behavior does not conform to the assumptions put forward by the rational ac tor theorists. Instead, the organizational interest perspective is far more promising in accounting for the actual behavior of individuals in processi ng information in making policy decisions.