# Garbage Can Model of Organisational Decision-Making ## The Idea in Brief The Garbage Can Model, proposed by Cohen, March, and Olsen in 1972, challenges the traditional rational model of decision-making. It argues that in certain organisations—termed "organised anarchies"—decisions are not made through orderly problem-solving. Instead, problems, solutions, participants, and opportunities float around in a kind of "garbage can," where outcomes depend on which elements happen to collide at a given moment. The model emphasises ambiguity, chance, and the role of timing. --- ## Key Concepts ### 1. Organised Anarchies - **Definition:** Organisations characterised by unclear goals, fluid participation, and poorly understood processes. - **Examples:** Universities, research institutions, public agencies. - **Relevance:** In such settings, rational planning breaks down, making the Garbage Can Model more applicable. ### 2. Four Key Streams The model describes four streams that interact: - **Problems:** Issues or concerns seeking attention. - **Solutions:** Answers or ideas that may exist before a problem is identified. - **Participants:** Decision-makers with shifting levels of involvement. - **Choice Opportunities:** Moments when organisations are expected to produce decisions (e.g., meetings, deadlines). ### 3. Decision Outcomes - **Coincidence of Streams:** A decision occurs when these streams intersect, not because of a rational sequence. - **Timing Matters:** Whether a problem gets solved depends less on its urgency and more on whether it collides with a solution and available participants at the right time. - **Types of Decisions:** Some problems get solved, some are ignored, and some solutions are applied to problems that only loosely fit. ### 4. Implications for Organisations - **Unpredictability:** Outcomes often depend on chance alignments rather than strategy. - **Symbolism of Decision-Making:** Many decisions serve more as rituals or signals than as problem-solving exercises. - **Policy and Governance:** Explains why policies often seem irrational or symbolic rather than effective. --- ## Implications The Garbage Can Model is important because it reveals the gap between _idealised rational decision-making_ and the _messy realities_ of organisational life. It provides a framework for understanding why decision processes can appear irrational, symbolic, or driven by timing rather than logic.