Dustbin model

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With trash model (Engl. Garbage Can Model, Garbage Can Theory ) call Michael Cohen , James G. March and Johan P. Olsen a model description of the decision behavior of organizations . The model was a response to rational and political (value-rational) decision-making models for strategic management that Cohen et al. Insufficiently documented decision-making behavior in a complex, ambivalent and constantly changing world by relying too much on rational decision-makers and clear structures.

Main representative

Michael Cohen, James March and Johan Olsen described the trash can model for the first time in 1972. In 1984 it was adapted by John W. Kingdon .

The model

Cohen, March and Olsen cite the university as organized anarchy, which is characterized by three points, as the first example of the model description of decision-making behavior.

  1. Problematic preferences: The definition of the problem and the goals are unclear. The actors only recognize their preferences late in the process and / or change their preferences several times.
  2. Unclear technology: The actors don't know enough about the organizational rules and structures of the decision-making processes. They only have a rudimentary understanding of which means serve which ends. It is likely that actors learn through trial and error, but fail to understand the underlying causes for the functioning of resources.
  3. Fluid participation: The members of decision-making bodies change, and the involvement of those involved depends on their energy, their interest and the limitations of their time options. In addition, certain topics are discussed repeatedly.

The interaction of these three factors results in situations that favor certain decisions. According to Cohen, four independent, dynamic flows are characteristic of these organizational decisions:

  • Problems
  • solutions
  • Attendees
  • Decision-making opportunities

According to the garbage can model, these four streams meet each other in a decision-making process in a stochastic meeting, so that decisions are not the result of rational analysis, but represent the coincidental confluence of the four streams. The term electricity is intended to make it clear that these processes are constantly in motion. For example, there may already be solutions to problems that have not yet arisen.

Consequences of the model for companies

  1. Agenda setting is a prerequisite for achieving corporate goals
  2. Companies need (management) elites who have clear ideas at the right time
  3. But companies also need bureaucrats to put these ideas into practice

Adaptation of the model by Kingdon

In the adaptation of John Kingdon, the multiple streams approach , the model only has three streams:

  • Problems (~ problems)
  • Policies (~ guidelines and rules)
  • Politics (~ company and business policy)

Under Policies strategies are meant to connect the problems and solutions. The politics define the combination of participants and decision-making opportunities. This can lead to problems from a psychological perspective. On the one hand, decisions are made collectively, but the members of the committees change constantly. Furthermore, the members of the committees often only have their own functional area in view and know very little about the overall organization, since many functional areas hardly communicate with one another. Many decision-makers do not have complete decision-making information. A decision is only made if the currents are compatible with one another for a short time. However, if this compatibility does not work, the content remains in the garbage can.

literature

  • Michael D. Cohen, James G. March & Johan P. Olsen: A Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice. In: Administrative Science Quarterly. Volume 17, 1972, pp. 1–25 ( PDF; 733 kB )
  • Michael D. Cohen, James G. March & Johan P. Olsen: People, Problems, Solutions and the Ambiguity of Relevance. In: James G. March, Johan P. Olsen (Eds.): Ambiguity and Choice in Organizations. Scandinavian University Press, Oslo [et al.] 1994, pp. 24-37.
  • John P. Crecine: Defense Resource Allocation: Garbage Can Analysis of C3 Procurement. In: James G. March & Roger Weissinger-Baylon (Eds.): Ambiguity and Command. Pitman Publishing, Marshfield 1986
  • Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Mark J. Zbaracki: Strategic Decision Making. In: Strategic Management Journal. Volume 13, 1992, pp. 17-32 ( PDF; 2.912 MB )
  • John W. Kingdon : Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies. 2nd edition, Harper / Collins, New York 1995, ISBN 0-32-112185-6
  • Michael Lipson: A Garbage Can Model of UN Peacekeeping. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jan. 3-5 June 2004 ( PDF; 154 kB )
  • Klaus Macharzina : corporate management. The international management knowledge. Concepts - Methods - Practice. Gabler, Wiesbaden 1993, ISBN 3-409-13150-7
  • James G. March & Johan P. Olsen: Garbage Can Models of Decision Making in Organizations. In: James G. March & Roger Weissinger-Baylon (Eds.): Ambiguity and Command. Organizational Perspectives on Military Decision Making. Pitman Publishing, Marshfield 1986
  • James G. March & Roger Weissinger-Baylon: Ambiguity and Command. Organizational Perspectives on Military Decision Making. Pitman Publishing, Marshfield 1986
  • James G. March: A Chronicle of Considerations for Decision Making in Organizations. In: James G. March (Ed.): Decision and Organization. Critical and constructive contributions, developments and perspectives. Gabler, Wiesbaden 1990, pp. 1-23.
  • James G. March: Decision and Organization. Christian and constructive contributions, developments and perspectives. Gabler, Wiesbaden 1990.
  • James G. March: A primer on decision making. How decisions happen. New York 1994
  • Johan P. Olsen: Choice in an Organized Anarchy. In: James G. March & Johan P. Olsen (Eds.): Ambiguity and Choice in Organizations. Universitetsforlaget, Bergen [et al.] 1994, pp. 82-139.
  • Herbert A. Simon : Rational decision-making in business organizations. Nobel Memorial Lecture, 1978 ( PDF; 672 kB )
  • Anne Tiernan & Terry Burke: A Load of Old Garbage: Applying Garbage Can Theory to Contemporary Housing Policy. In: Australian Journal of Public Administration. Volume 61, No. 3, 2002, pp. 86-97.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Michael D. Cohen, James G. March & Johan P. Olsen: A Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice. In: Administrative Science Quarterly. Volume 17, 1972, pp. 1–25 ( PDF; 733 kB )
  2. ↑ Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Mark J. Zbaracki: Strategic Decision Making. In: Strategic Management Journal. Volume 13, 1992, pp. 17-32 ( PDF; 2.912 MB )