Perhaps the key intrinsic power that may be ascribed to human decision-makers is their
capacity for reflexive monitoring, that is the inherent capacity to adjust individual behavior in accordance with both previous experience and the experiences of others (Giddens 1984).This is necessarily related to the adoption of different competitive strategies by rural enterprises as without it decisions could not occur(Dunham 1997). It is, therefore, importantnot to ignore or underplay individual human intentionality in explanations of competitive behaviour. However, it is impossible to determine
the precise nature of the powers and liabilities associated with decision-makers in
anticipation of concrete empirical research.This is because, within the structure of a
company, it is contingent which individual,or network of individuals, will take decisions regarding the development of the business. The unique properties of company decision-makers should, therefore, be conceptualised as an important (necessary) contingency in specific cases.