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Towards a new way to measure power: Applying conjoint analysis to group decisions

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Abstract

This paper presents some preliminary development towards a methodology for measuring power in a group purchase decision. We define power as the capacity of an individual to change the probability of an alternative being chosen by expressing an opinion about that alternative. We present a linear model that relates the group members' preferences to the probability that a given alternative will be chosen. The model parameters reflect specific measures of power and can be estimated by conjoint analysis. We present the results of a pilot field study, conducted on a sample of purchasing managers, which favorably assesses certain psychometric properties of the resulting measures for dyads.

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Steckel, J.H., O'Shaughnessy, J. Towards a new way to measure power: Applying conjoint analysis to group decisions. Market Lett 1, 37–46 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436147

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436147

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