An attempt is made to provide a theoretical framework by which one can understand variations in the procedures used in organizational decision-making. Two types are presented; a procedure of confrontation, where the use of voting is emphasized and preliminary discussions are missing, and a sounding out procedure, where voting is avoided and values and beliefs are synthesized indirectly or implicitly through social interaction. The analytical framework is a model of rational choice taking into consideration costs and benefits related to (a) the substantive goods at stake, (b) the effects upon the organization and the wider social system of which it is a part, and (c) the participants' use of time and energy (treating time as a scarce resource). Some specific hypotheses are offered concerning the conditions under which each choice-procedures will be used.
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