ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the socialisation process that took place 'on the road' in committee work. It emphasises the reflexive nature of role commitments and value commitments and the norms expected of technical options committee members. Commitments come in two broad categories: value commitments and role commitments. Value commitments are affective and moral, based on an actor's sense of loyalty, devotion, and affection or arise because he or she thinks the ideas embodied in a certain course of action are true or just. Role commitment divided into two decision periods, one regarding the initial involvement and later the decision to continue with that involvement. Sociologists know that social action comes from effective communication based in shared meanings. For a job such as producing highly technical assessment reports under extraordinary time pressure, among strangers, technical options committee had to quickly develop the norms that would guide their collaboration.
