Showing papers by "Thomas L. Saaty published in 1976"

Higher Education in the United States (1985-2000).

Abstract: The object of this paper is to illustrate an application of hierarchies and eigenvalues developed by the first author to the area of planning in higher education. We start with a brief discussion of the role of scenario construction in planning and follow it with a discussion of the role of hierarchies in system planning. We then summarize the eigenvalue procedure in measurement and use it to study impacts in a hierarchy. We illustrate its use in elementary examples by way of validation. Finally, we use all the fore-going ideas to construct a composite and likely future for higher education in the United States around 1985.

A Measure of World Influence

Abstract: It is not unusual to think and write about power without adequate definition. Power is such a rich concept that even for special use it would carry more meaning than may be ihtended. Power is closely identified with the ability to do something (Bell et al. 1969). Influence is the capacity to sway others to obtain favorable results in the pursuit of objectives. Influence greatly benefits from the potential use of certain forms of power to achieve ends. Wagner (in Bell et al. 1969) indicates that the difficulty in defining power is related to a lack of agreement in politics as to who has power and how much. Knorr (1973) makes a strong distinction between putative power (the capability to make effective threats) and actualized power (actually achieved influence). Both concepts capture an aspect of reality. Examples of both are easily perceived in military power, economic power, racial power, political power, healing power, purchasing power, etc. Simon (in Bell et al. 1969) sees in his definition of power an asymmetrical relation between influencer and influencee and concludes that, regarding the measurement of power, one should admit many other measures besides cardinal numbers. Dahl (in Bell et al. 1969) observes that “the main problem is not to determine the existence of power but to make comparisons.” This is precisely what we do here. Of some relevance to our presentation are the following observations: It seems clear that these techniques (of psychophysics) will find a place in social-science research . . . . The most important of these limits is that we must be willing to deal with perceptions . . . the researcher who deals with aggregate data will find no hope here . . . if one is willing to assume that a