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Preferred term

garbage can theory  

Definition

  • Michael Cohen, James March, and Johan Olsen originally proposed the garbage can theory of organizational choice to extend Herbert Simon's discussion of factors comprising the rational model of organizational decision making. The rational model suggests that decisionmakers define a problem, come up with a variety of alternative solutions, then identify and choose the best alternative. [Source: Encyclopedia of Governance; Garbage can Theory]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/garbage_can_theory

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