Going beyond democratic theory, March and Olsen draw on social science to examine how political institutions create and sustain democratic solidarity, identities, capabilities, accounts, and adaptiveness; how they can maintain and elaborate democratic values and beliefs - and how governance might be made honorable, just, and effective. They show how democratic governance is both preactive and reactive - creating interests and power as well as responding to them - and how it shapes not only an understanding of the past and an ability to learn from it, but even history itself. By exploring how governance transcends the creation of coalitions that reflect existing preferences, resources, rights, and rules, the authors reveal how it includes the actual formation of these defining principles of social and political life.

Democratic Governance

Business & Money

March, James G.

Management & Leadership

Free Press

Building on lecture notes from his acclaimed course at Stanford University, James March provides a brilliant introduction to decision making, a central human activity fundamental to individual, group, organizational, and societal life. March draws on research from all the disciplines of social and behavioral science to show decision making in its broadest context. By emphasizing how decisions are actually made -- as opposed to how they should be made -- he enables those involved in the process to understand it both as observers and as participants.
March sheds new light on the decision-making process by delineating four deep issues that persistently divide students of decision making: Are decisions based on rational choices involving preferences and expected consequences, or on rules that are appropriate to the identity of the decision maker and the situation? Is decision making a consistent, clear process or one characterized by ambiguity and inconsistency? Is decision making significant primarily for its outcomes, or for the individual and social meanings it creates and sustains? And finally, are the outcomes of decision processes attributable solely to the actions of individuals, or to the combined influence of interacting individuals, organizations, and societies? March's observations on how intelligence is -- or is not -- achieved through decision making, and possibilities for enhancing decision intelligence, are also provided.
March explains key concepts of vital importance to students of decision making and decision makers, such as limited rationality, history-dependent rules, and ambiguity, and weaves these ideas into a full depiction of decision making.
He includes a discussion of the modern aspects of several classic issues underlying these concepts, such as the relation between reason and ignorance, intentionality and fate, and meaning and interpretation.
This valuable textbook by one of the seminal figures in the history of organizational decision making will be required reading for a new generation of scholars, managers, and other decision makers.

Primer on Decision Making: How Decisions Happen

What is a model? How do you construct one? What are some common models in the social sciences? How can models be applied in new situations? What makes a model good? Focusing on answers to these and related questions, this multidisciplinary introduction to model building in the social sciences formulates interesting problems that involve students in creative model building and the process of invention. The book describes models of individual choice, exchange, adaptation, and diffusion. Throughout, student participation in analytical thinking is encouraged. Originally published in 1975 by HarperCollins Publishers.

An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences

Politics & Social Sciences

Lave, Charles A.

Social Sciences

Harper&Row

Book by March, James G., Weissinger-Baylon, Roger

Ambiguity and Command: Organizational Perspectives on Military Decision Making

Weissinger-Baylon, Roger

Harpercollins College Div

This study on the nature and process of decision-making in organizations has come to dominate contemporary understanding of not only this issue, but the workings of organizations generally. This book collects together for the first time over 20 of James March's key essays, including those co-authored with R M Cyert, H A Simon and others. The coverage ranges from his early work on the behavioural theory of the firm, through conflict and adaptive rules in organizations, to decision-making under ambiguity (including the famed "garbage can" model). The book includes a new introduction, summarising the development of the author's work and ideas up to the present day. "Decisions and Organizations" provides a unique record of the work of this seminal figure, and a fresh perspective on many of the key issues in the theory of organizations. Academics and students of organisation and management theory, economics, and the sociology of organisations.

Decisions and Organizations

Blackwell*publishers

This book collects together for the first time over 20 of James March's key essays, including those co-authorised with R.M. Cyert and J.P. Olsen and others. The coverage ranges from his early work on the behavioural theory of the firm, through conflict and adaptive rules in organizations, to decision-making under ambiguity (including the famed 'garbage can' model).

Wiley/Blackwell

Behavioural Theory of the Firm has become a classic work in organizational theory, and is one of the most significant contributions to improving the theory of the firm. This second edition includes new material which puts the original text in a contemporary context.

Behavioral Theory of the Firm

Cyert, Richard M.

Everything you ever wanted to know about growing grapes March and Simon's Organizations has become a classic in the field of organizational management for its broad scope and depth of information. Written by two of the most prominent experts in the field, this book offers invaluable insight on all aspects of organizational culture through deep discussion of organization theory. The definitive reference for topics including bounded rationality, satisficing, inducement/contribution balances, attention focus, uncertainty absorption and more, this seminal text offers authoritative insight with a practical grounding in the field.

Organizations

Simon, Herbert A.

Biography & History

The Pursuit of Organizational Intelligence brings together the writing of one of the best-known academics in the field of decision making and organizational theory.

The Pursuit of Organizational Intelligence

The Pursuit of Organizational Intelligence: Decisions and Learning in Organizations

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by March, James G.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by March, James G.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by March, James G.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Democratic Governance

Primer on Decision Making: How Decisions Happen

An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences

Ambiguity and Command: Organizational Perspectives on Military Decision Making

Decisions and Organizations

Decisions and Organizations

Behavioral Theory of the Firm

Organizations

The Pursuit of Organizational Intelligence

The Pursuit of Organizational Intelligence: Decisions and Learning in Organizations