A conceptual framework is proposed which will advance instructional development (ID) theory, especially at the macro level which encompasses planning, development, and implementation. The influence of critical and situational factors and the interaction between the practitioner and the surrounding context is explored and illuminated. Situational factors are defined as "a variety of environmental forces which influence the practitioner's decision making in a specific situation." These are: individual characteristics, resource availability, client needs, organizational influences, and market competition. Three additional factors emerged during the course of inquiry: cultural context, nature of the task, and stakeholders. Data collection involved four expert ID practitioners from the China Productivity Center (CPC) (Taiwan), and used: (1) spontaneous conversation; (2) interview and discussion; (3) participant observation; (4) field notes and a reflexive journal; and (5) document and record reviews. A summary is presented of the five cases of four ID practitioners. The client's needs were found to be the most critical of the situational factors in the practitioners' decision making. The factors of cultural context, organizational influences, individual characteristics, and resource availability were critical in all five cases. The nature of the project and stakeholders were less critical, but still significant. Findings are discussed under four themes: (1) situational factors; (2) interlacing network; (3) decision making process; and (4) corporate ID practices. Three figures illustrate concepts, and two tables summarize data. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/MAS)