Chapter Five: Decision Making in Administration

The Nature of Decisions Decision making: product of complex social process generally extending over a long period of time Increasing potential gains Monitoring ongoing decisional process Reducing resource expenditure, uncertainty or risk

Approaches to Decision Making: Concepts and Controversies Rational approach Works to achieve conscious goals Efficiency Cost-benefit analysis/cost-benefit ratios Value-neutral Procedural criteria

Approaches to Decision Making: Concepts and Controversies Critiques of rational model Only applicable to low-level decisions Many impediments to rationality Competition for resources Must deal with different aspects of same problem Not usually applicable to government decision-making processes

Incrementalism and Mixed Scanning: Response and Counterresponse Incrementalism Uses limited successive comparisons Simplified choices Status quo as reference for decisions Short-term effects & crucial consequences Less formalized cost/benefit measurements Satisfice

Incrementalism and Mixed Scanning: Response and Counterresponse Advantages of incrementalism Can satisfy ambiguous orders and legislative requirements while buying time Sometimes economic models inappropriate Can use nonquantitative measures

Incrementalism and Mixed Scanning: Response and Counterresponse Critiques of incrementalism Marginal changes may not meet policy demands, may overlook larger needs Makes inertia and status quo acceptable

Incrementalism and Mixed Scanning: Response and Counterresponse Mixed scanning Incorporates elements of rational and incremental approaches Decisions made by exploring main alternatives, but details omitted to permit overview

Decisions in the Balance: The Environment of Choice Decision-maker considerations Kinds/quantity of resources to be used Benefits vs. probable costs How are benefits and costs measured? Substantive grounds Political grounds Organizational grounds Which factor predominates?

Decisions in the Balance: The Environment of Choice Different grounds predominate for different decision makers Specialists (area of expertise) Generalists (political factors) Time factors

Information Quality and Decision Analysis Quantity and quality of information Decision analysis techniques Experimental method Technology Human judgment and experience Limitations Imperfect information Costs of obtaining Biases Deliberately distorted information

Information Quality and Decision Analysis Other issues facing decision makers Influence by previous decisions, current policy Unanticipated consequences Groupthink Sunk costs Bounded rationality framework

The Problem of Goals Organizational goals: survival, maintenance, substantive, symbolic Symbolic goals attract political support Public policy goals may be aims (not attainable) Criticism can lead to “lowering the bar”

The Problem of Goals Personal goals: livelihood, advancement or self improvement, strong policy attachment Some focus on personal goals only Personal goals can lead to conflicts

The Problem of Goals Downs’ bureaucratic mind-sets: Climbers Conservers Zealots Advocates Statesmen Ideal to have goal congruence

Ethical Dimensions of Decision Making What is ethical behavior? ASPA’s Code of Ethics Public and ethical obligations Bailey’s moral attitudes and qualities Internal vs. external checks Rely on bureaucrat’s character/inclinations Public morality and public trust

The Ethical Setting: New Emphasis on an Old Challenge Challenge in defining, establishing and maintaining high level of ethical behavior in government officials Ethical behaviors Professional conduct Personal honesty Concern for serving public Respecting law and democratic beliefs

The Ethical Setting: New Emphasis on an Old Challenge Implementation: Formal adoption of ethics code Professional association codes Financial disclosure requirements Honoraria restrictions Professional activity restrictions In-house ethics training Moral leadership

Political Rationality: A Contradiction in Terms? Can politics and rationality coexist? Political rationality Political costs, benefits, consequences Choice of criteria significant

Organized Anarchies and Uncertainty Organized anarchies Garbage can theory Decision making characterized by pervasive ambiguity and unpredictable behavior Choices often product of chance (not rationality)