Garbage can model

Definition

The garbage can model is a theory of organizational decision-making that suggests decisions are the result of a chaotic process where problems, solutions, participants, and choice opportunities are mixed together. This model highlights how decisions can be made randomly and without a clear structure, often reflecting the unpredictability and complexity of real-world decision-making environments.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The garbage can model was developed by Cohen, March, and Olsen in 1972 and is particularly relevant in understanding organizations where problems and solutions are not always clearly defined.
2. In this model, decision-making is seen as a nonlinear process, where various elements like solutions and problems are tossed together in a 'garbage can', leading to decisions that may seem arbitrary.
3. This model is particularly applicable in organizations with unclear goals or fluid participation, highlighting how decisions may be influenced by chance rather than rationality.
4. The garbage can model challenges traditional rational models of decision-making, emphasizing the role of timing and opportunity in the choice process.
5. It illustrates that decisions can result from the confluence of random events and interactions among participants rather than a straightforward analysis of options.

Review Questions

• How does the garbage can model differ from traditional models of organizational decision-making?
  • The garbage can model differs from traditional models by emphasizing that decision-making is often chaotic and lacks a clear structure. While traditional models typically advocate for rational analysis and logical steps in decision-making, the garbage can model illustrates that decisions may arise from the random interaction of problems, solutions, and participants. This approach recognizes that outcomes can be influenced more by timing and circumstances than by a systematic evaluation of options.
• What role do ambiguity and coalition building play in the garbage can model?
  • Ambiguity plays a crucial role in the garbage can model as it creates uncertainty within organizations about goals and problems. This uncertainty allows for various interpretations and influences how decisions are made. Coalition building is also significant since different groups may come together based on shared interests during chaotic decision-making processes. These coalitions can help push certain solutions to the forefront amid the disorder.
• Critique the effectiveness of the garbage can model in explaining decision-making in contemporary organizations.
  • Critiquing the effectiveness of the garbage can model involves recognizing its strengths in capturing the complexity and unpredictability of real-world decision-making while also acknowledging its limitations. On one hand, it effectively highlights how randomness and informal processes shape decisions in contemporary organizations; however, it may oversimplify situations where more structured approaches could lead to better outcomes. By analyzing how modern organizations balance chaotic elements with strategic planning, we gain a nuanced understanding of decision-making dynamics.

Related terms

Organizational Decision-Making: The process through which groups or individuals make choices about policies or actions within an organization.

Coalition Building: The act of forming alliances among different groups within an organization to achieve a common goal or make a decision.

Ambiguity: A situation in which information is unclear or open to multiple interpretations, often complicating decision-making processes.