𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 “𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫”   A new look at Simon’s classic book.  

In theory, rational decision-making involves three steps:

1.   𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴.

2.   𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺.

3.   𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.

In reality, we operate with 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 and 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴. Decisions are influenced by emotions, habits, and group dynamics. Administrators 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘺 problems, focus on good enough solutions (𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨), and rely on 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 to conserve cognitive resources.  

In this process, 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 are not the enemy of rationality. On the contrary! They focus our attention on urgent priorities, motivate action, and help weigh options more effectively. But unchecked emotions can narrow perspective and cloud judgment.  

Often, decisions are not made in isolation. 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯—through clear communication, defined roles, and shared goals—aligns individual efforts with organizational objectives.

Whether in public or private organizations, a recurring challenge in decision-making is balancing 𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘤𝘺—achieving organizational goals to a desired level—against 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺—achieving goals using the fewest resources. Public agencies often face this tension as they weigh 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 alongside operational results. Increasingly, private firms encounter similar challenges as environmental, social, and governance concerns influence priorities beyond profits.  

To deal with this challenge, Simon suggests to:

1.   𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴 (𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴).

2.   𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

3.   𝘜𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴.

4.   𝘌𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴.

5.   𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴.  

Organizations 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 by d𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, by cr𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴, by en𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 by t𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.  

Source:

Simon, H.A. (1997), Administrative Behavior - A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organizations, Fourth Edition, New York: The Free Press.