Reflecting on how decisions are actually made, how decisions actually happen, provides a understanding of the extreme difficulty in making intelligent choices. ""The idea of decision making give meaning to purpose, to self, to the complexities of social life. It ennobles as it frustrates."" (March, 1994, 271-212).

March's aspects of decision making March, 1994) --

March identifies the following aspects of decision making with these aspects collectively forming a complete multi-faceted picture of decision making.

• Limited rationality -- the idea of rational choice. See rationality and bounded rationality.
• Rule following -- decision making as rule following.
• Multiple actors - teams and partners -- the implications of interpersonal consistencies and inconsistencies.
• Multiple actors - conflict and politics -- the implications of power, coalitions, participation, decision, and instabilities with one or more actors.
• Ambiguity and interpretation -- order, ambiguity, loose coupling, garbage can decision process, construction of meaning, and understanding.
• Decision engineering -- defining decision intelligence, improving adaptiveness, using knowledge, and creating meaning.