The Technology of Foolishness (March and Olsen) Flashcards
According to March and Olsen, what are the three interrelated ideas of the theories of choice?
Pre-existence of purpose, necessity of consistency, and primacy of rationality.
Besides rationality, what can the process of making choice base on?
Intuition, tradition, and faith.
What is the difference between the models of choice for adults and the models of choice for children?
In the theory of childhood, choices are emphasized as leading to experiences that develop the child’s scope, complexity, and his awareness of the world. Parents try to lead children to do things that are inconsistent with his present goals. However, in the theory of adulthood, choices are emphasized as consequences of people’s intentions.
What does the author suggest about how we ought to behave when our value premises are not yet fully determined?
Suppose we treat action as a way of creating interesting goals at the same time as we treat goals as a way of justifying action. We need to supplement the technology of reason with a technology of foolishness. Sometimes, we need to act before we think. Also, we will need to re-examine some of our most precious prejudices: the structures against imitation, coercion, and rationalization.
How do we escape the logic of our reason?
We need playfulness: the deliberate, temporary relaxation of rules in order to explore the possibilities of alternative rules.
What is the relationship between play and reason?
They are alternative styles and alternative orientations to the same situations. We should either specify the best mix of styles or at least assure that most people and most organizations do not persevere in just one.
How can organizations become playful?
They can treat goals as hypothesis, intuition as real, hypocrisy as a transition, memory as an enemy, and experience as a theory.
What can organizations learn from these views?
They should re-examine the functions of management decision and have a modified view of planning. They should permit some temporary relief from control, coordination, and communication.
How should we reconsider evaluation?
The criterion function for evaluation need not be specified in advance. The evaluation of social experiments need not be in terms of the degree to which they have fulfilled our prior expectations.
Why do we need a technology of foolishness?
To produce miracles. To help develop the unusual combinations of attitudes and behaviours of interesting people, interesting organizations, and interesting societies of the world.
What is wrong with the traditional models of choice?
They do not consider the origin of goals and accept a static interpretation of human goals without criticism.
