| Abstract: | This paper refreshes an empirical examination ofthe garbage can model, particularly in a sample drawnfrom Japanese firms. The garbage can model oforganizational decision making was originally developed by Cohen, March, and Olsen (1972) to describeorganized anarchy. This paper incorporates twomethodologies in an attempt to both validate and extendthe garbage can model: Simulation is first used togenerate a research hypothesis, then several surveys areconducted to test that hypothesis and to empiricallydevelop an ex-post model of decision ambiguity, flight,and anarchy. The data support our hypothesis and we find out new conditions of ambiguity:(i) fluid participation, (ii) divorce of solution fromdiscussion, and (iii) job performance rather thansubjective assessments, which are clearly related to the simulation assumption of our single garbagecan model. By using our new conditions of ambiguity, wedevelop a measure of degree of anarchy, and theregression analysis indicates a linear relationship between the flight ratio and the degree ofanarchy. |
