ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the information-processing system was influenced by interorganizational, intragroup, and interpersonal relationship patterns. It analyzes the complex net of interpersonal, interorganizational, and intraorganizational relationships and discussed the evolving patterns and their significance for the biased processing of information and cognitive conservativeness. The Cabinet and its committees comprised an organization that should have tried and tested Jawaharlal Nehru’s hypotheses on the China issue. On the administrative-organizational level, despite the fact that formally the system of government was based on Cabinet decisions, Nehru tended to make his decisions after consulting with his close associates, depending on the subject in question, and then to bring it for formal ratification to the Cabinet. One of the underlying facts that emerges is the mutual distrust and even contempt between top civilians: between politicians and bureaucrats on the one hand and the military on the other, where Nehru personally is concerned, it is difficult to speak of contempt because of his special status.
