VO 5

Entrapment = a form of escalation whereby parties involved in an interactive, non-violent decision-making process with others - with whom they have both common and conflicting interests find themselves unable to escape from the costs and investments they have already made

Characteristics

• The bigger the investment, more severe the possible loss, more prone to try to ‘turn it around’

• Emotional commitment to an objective or possible solution

• Wishful thinking (confirmation trap)

• Overconfidence (issues, relationship)

• Face saving

• Diffused responsibility

• Reluctance to admit wrong decisions

Steps that lead to entrapment:

• Sunk costs

• Commitment of resources to a course of action

• Action does not produce return, may produce loss

• Decision is made to commit further resources in order to ‘turn the situation around’

• Process may repeat and escalate several times as additional resources are invested

1. Have (or get) a clear mandate

2. Get power within the organization

3. Preparation

4. Get several perspectives

5. Avoid inaction - get active

   • Don’t wish or hope

   • Don’t let time work

   • Set limits for commitment

6. Redefine the situation

   • Face new situations

   • Change of decision criteria

7. Be aware of (or lessen the) organizational pressure

1. Culture represents all attributes of population groups regarding values and way of thinking, that have evolved historically into complex forms

2. Culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another