In the domain of multilevel analysis, the idea of decentralization has a clearly different meaning from that of reducing the size of an optimization problem by decomposition techniques. It is well known that prices only cannot usually be utilized to coordinate a linear economic system. This paper is an attempt to conceptualize the justifications of decomposition techniques against the powerful linear programming tools available on the market. Starting from the classical Dantzig-Wolfe's algorithm, the drawbacks of the “bang-bang” behaviour of linear models are analyzed and quantified, relatively to the desired autonomy of the subsystems and to the information volume treated at each cycle. The problem of justifying expensive and sophisticated algorithms yielding a coherent decentralization is then posed in consideration to their integration in a human decision-making environment.