What is Bounded Rationality?

By Ananth Seshadri3 min read · Posted Oct 7, 2023

324
Views

According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Bounded Rationality refers to “a wide range of descriptive, normative, and prescriptive accounts of effective behavior which depart from the assumptions of perfect rationality.” Many investors with bounded rationality tendencies often attempt to satisfy themselves rather than optimize their choices from a more significant and long-term perspective. Simply put, they choose a decision considered decent enough rather than the best possible one.

Bounded Rationality Examples

According to Profit.Co, a general example of bounded rationality is “when emotions and other prejudices influence people.” For example, one can get influenced by economic biases rather than natural logic when making decisions. This will cause happy people to make risky decisions rather than somewhat agitated people. Consequently, people will make substandard decisions, which can impact their investment or organization in the short and long term.

Another instance in which bounded rationality occurs is when people encounter complex problems, such as choosing the most suitable investment strategy. Since there is a plethora of information needed to judge, it becomes significantly more challenging for people to make the right choices.

Effects of Bounded Rationality

According to The Decision Lab, bounded rationality can “cause us to make decisions that satisfy us in the short-term, either because we are biased by immediate gratification, or because we do not have the capacity or time to calculate the long-term costs of our decisions."

However, due to individual cognitive constraints, it is hard to assess numerous information varieties to make a rational decision properly. This, in turn, makes one choose insufficient decisions. Although these decisions may be rational regarding the limited information one realistically looks at, they may not be sensible about the broad and diverse range of accessible information in the world.

Although it is hard to adhere to perfect sound economic and behavioral tendencies, bounded rationality causes individuals to make decisions inconsistent with their ideal goals. This is also prominent in organizations that emphasize proper financial decision-making principles. Still, they often overlook that the individuals that make these decisions have irrational economic tendencies since they are influenced by factors other than pure logic. This can lead companies to make satisfactory decisions rather than the ones best for their short- and long-term futures. Therefore, the rationality of decision-makers in companies is constrained by the expectation to prioritize the company's interests over their own.

Bounded Rationality Importance

Bounded rationality is significant because it helps individuals understand the limitations of rational decision-making. It highlights how individuals often face certain constraints, including limited information, time, and cognitive abilities, when making choices. By understanding bounded rationality, we can further comprehend why people may not always make perfectly rational decisions. Bounded rationality can be used to underline the limitations of individuals and organizations when analyzing numerous variables of information during a decision-making process. Bounded rationality prompts one to make good enough decisions rather than impeccable ones. While one can relatively control bounded rationality, it can consequently prompt them to analyze decisions logically, which can further benefit themselves or their organizations in the short and long term.

Conclusion

Overall, bounded rationality emphasizes the importance of considering cognitive restrictions and the realities of decision-making in numerous situations and contexts. We can strive for more realistic and practical decision-making approaches by acknowledging and understanding these limitations.

References

About The Author

Ananth Seshadri

11
Articles
5977
Total Views
12
Total Likes
1
Total Shares

Hello, I am Ananth Seshadri, an Article Writer at Pitch Labs! I am interested in law and love to write articles about impactful topics. With my passion and dedication, I hope to captivate and inspire people in the present and future with my writing.

See more posts by Ananth Seshadri

Comments

Your generosity fuels innovation and drives success!

Our resources are assembled by a team of entrepreneurs who donate their time and energy to Pitch Labs to ensure that entrepreneurial resources are available to everyone. Unfortunately, we can't avoid major expenses such as website hosting fees. To ensure our resources remain free to access and use, we rely on donors who are able and willing to give back. Consider donating to be a part of the Pitch Labs mission today!

More in Operations


Operations » Entrepreneurship

What is the Small Business Administration and how does it benefit your business?

by Ana Bacioiu ·Aug 30, 2024

84
Views

Founded in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a wealth of resources to entrepreneurs. This article provides context and guidance on how to leverage SBA. Read more

Operations » Human Resources

Cause, Impact and Management of Affective Conflict

by Favour Ndime ·Aug 5, 2024

104
Views

This article builds on a previous topic published in the Pitch Labs library on Affective Conflict, a common type of disagreement fueled by emotions. The article analyzes its causes and impacts, and presents measures to navigate and avoid these conflicts. Read more

Operations » Human Resources

What is theory x y and z?

by multiple authors ·Jul 31, 2024

121
Views

A summary of Theories X, Y, and Z, and how the assumptions of each can help leaders overcome assumptions to effectively motivate their employees. Read more

Operations » Project Management Tools

What are inbound and outbound logistics?

by Fredrick Ngugi ·Jul 29, 2024

57
Views

Inbound and outbound logistics are key processes that describe how goods move throughout the supply chain. Read more

Recent articles


Financial » Income

What is a financial statement?

by Aashna. Haryani ·Sep 11, 2024

7
Views

What is a financial statement, why is it essential, what are various financial statements, and how do you read them? Read more

Basics » Getting Started

Low-cost strategies to market your business

by Degreat Michael ·Aug 28, 2024

33
Views

Discover a list of low-cost marketing ideas for your business. Learn the effective low-budget strategies to promote your products with ease – for FREE Read more

Financial » Accounting

How to balance accounts

by Warren Patterson ·Aug 28, 2024

40
Views

This article holds all the information you need to balance your accounts correctly. It includes using the right software, tracking your cash flow, and using detailed charts. Want to know more? Read and find out. Read more

Legal » Structures

What is a small business? What defines a small business and what are the general features of a small business?

by Warren Patterson ·Aug 2, 2024

222
Views

Find out what the definition of a small business is, including some examples, and about the general features of this type of business. Read more

Join Our Community


Looking for something else? Get your questions answered in our free online learning community!

Entrepreneurial Resources


Jumpstart your next business with our free resource library.

Disclaimer


Our organization cannot give out official legal/fiscal guidance. All articles are written by volunteers and it may be beneficial to contact professionals to assist your understanding of the information and to guide your action. Pitch Labs bears no responsibility for the results of actions taken based off of article content or any other form of assistance given.