The Consequences of Improving Dissemination in Garbage-Can Decision Processes

Abstract

Although overlooked to date, computer simulation represents a potentially fruitful research approach for contributing to our understanding of the effectiveness of strategies for increasing the use of policy analysis. In this article an initial step is taken toward tapping this potential. Specifically, the "garbage-can" model of decision making developed by Cohen, March, and Olsen (1972) is modified so that it reflects a possible contribution of policy analysis to decision making. This model is then used to obtain insights concerning the impacts of one category of strategies for increasing the use of policy analysis, namely, those concerned with dissemination, on organizational decision making. While insights concerning the impacts of dissemination strategies on organizational decision making are certainly important in their own right, a more general purpose of this article is to demonstrate the role that simulation models can play in developing knowledge concerning the effectiveness of strategies for increasing the use of policy analysis .