Administrative Behavior

book by Simon

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July 23, 2026

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Herbert A. Simon's influential book, Administrative Behavior (1947), challenges traditional economic models by introducing the concept of "satisficing". This theory posits that decision-makers aim for acceptable outcomes rather than solely maximizing profits, acknowledging the multiple factors influencing choices. Simon argued that human decision-making exhibits "bounded rationality," meaning individuals operate with imperfect information and do not evaluate all possible alternatives. Instead, they choose the first satisfactory option they encounter, influenced by psychological aspects and contextual limitations. This contrasts with purely rational decision-making, which assumes perfect information and optimization.123

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bureaucracy
Trends in bureaucratic organization
The classic work Administrative Behavior, originally published in 1947 from the doctoral dissertation of the American social scientist Herbert Simon, dissected the vintage bureaucratic paradigm and concluded that it was frequently inconsistent with psychological and social realities. Workers on production lines, for example, often generated their own norms…
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The classic work Administrative Behavior, originally published in 1947 from the doctoral dissertation of the American social scientist Herbert Simon, dissected the vintage bureaucratic paradigm and concluded that it was frequently inconsistent with psychological and social realities. Workers on production lines, for example, often generated their own norms…
Read More

Herbert A. Simon
” In his influential book Administrative Behavior (1947), Simon sought to replace the highly simplified classical approach to economic modeling—based on a concept of the single decision-making, profit-maximizing entrepreneur—with an approach that recognized multiple factors that contribute to decision making. According to Simon, this theoretical framework provides a more realistic…
Read More
” In his influential book Administrative Behavior (1947), Simon sought to replace the highly simplified classical approach to economic modeling—based on a concept of the single decision-making, profit-maximizing entrepreneur—with an approach that recognized multiple factors that contribute to decision making. According to Simon, this theoretical framework provides a more realistic…
Read More