Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Abstract
The present research seeks to put to the fore Habermas's Communicative Action Theory as a decision framework supplanting existing decision - making models in managerial, economic, and consumer behavior disciplines. According to Habermas, rationality is not uni-dimensional and cannot be confined to its instrumental and strategic usages.
The Communicative Action Theory contends that results are not important per se but it is the process that assumes centrality. Therefore, and open view must be adopted towards the process and the results must be continuously viewed from a critical perspective. The Theory maintains that linguistic communication constitutes the essence of "communicative action." Habermas argues that we are constantly adopting a stance towards validity claims" inherent in communication. In this context, Habermas holds that human communication and especially dialogue are "rational" in essence. It is in this context that the present research seeks to reconstruct consumer decision-making model on the Web and to this end adopts the angulation approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods.
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