Garbage_Can_Model ver 4.0

This is the recreation of the Cohen, March and Olsen (1972) Garbage Can Model of organizational decision making using Python 2.7.6 and numpy

I wanted to recreate the model and rewrite it in Python to better understand how it works. I don't know Fortran but I managed to use the original code from the Appendix as a guide in building the model.

For those interested in how the model works I would point you to the original article first. You can then use the Python model I created to recreate the original results and play with the assumptions. Wherever possible I tried to preserve the original names of variables, vectors and matrices.

You will need numpy, random and xlwt to run the model. At the end you will receive a summary Excel file (remember to edit the destination for the file). The file contains the results of the simulation for each of the combination of parameters (net energy load, energy distribution, problems-to-choices access matrix, choices-to-decision makers access matrix).

The output has 81 rows, one for each combination of parameters and 18 columns for results, which are (per number of column)

1. net energy load option

2. energy distribution option

3. problems-to-choices access matrix

4. choices-to-decision makers access matrix

5. mean # of resolutions

6. mean # of oversights

7. mean # of flights

8. mean # of quickies (my addition)

9. mean # of unresolved

10. mean # of problems shifting

11. mean # of active problems

12. mean of problem latency

13. mean # of active decision makers

14. mean # of shifts for decision makers

15. mean energy spent

16. mean excess energy

17. mean # of unresolved choices

18. mean # of active choices

Installation

This code has been tested using Python 2.7 through the Anaconda Python distribution

Required modules:

• random
• numpy
• xlwt

Reference

Cohen, Michael D., James G. March, and Johan P. Olsen. 1972. "A garbage can model of organizational choice." Administrative Science Quarterly: (17)1: 1-25.