The work of Snyder and his colleagues contributed a focus on the decision-making (FPDM) itself as a part of the explanation, rather than just foreign policy outcomes.According to them, "if one wishes to probe the 'why' questions underlying the events, conditions, and interaction patterns which rest upon state action, then decision-making analysis is certainly necessary.We would go so far as to say that the 'why' questions cannot be answered without analysis of decision-making".
In taking this approach, Snyder and his colleagues focused on the decision process itself by merging aspects of organizational behavior,communication, and motivation.In their view, decision making was best viewed as "organizational behavior" in which variables such as spheres of competence of the actors involved, communication and information flow,and motivations of the various players would figure prominently.Thus,the explanations of foreign policy behavior were of both multi-causal and interdisciplinary necessity.