Study on Elucidation of Dynamic Decision-making Structure of Local Government Organization

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03262
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Politics
• Research Institution: Saitama University
• Principal Investigator: SAITO Tomoyuki 埼玉大学, 人文社会科学研究科, 教授 (90340281)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松本 正生 埼玉大学, 教育機構, 教授 (00240698)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 意思決定 / 決定要因 / 価値前提 / 事実前提 / 静的意思決定構造 / 動的意思決定構造 / 限定された合理性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The decisions made by municipal officials affect the content of administrative activities and actions. This study seeks to clarify the premises for these decisions based on Simon's decision-making theory. The study presents the following three findings. Firstly, in their normal operations, municipal officials determine project plans with particular emphasis on the impact or damage potentially arising from the problem addressed by the project, the degree of urgency in addressing it, and the expected outcomes of the project. Secondly, there are three to five factors that inform decision-making, with more senior officials tending to take into account a greater number of factors. In the case general staff members, the number of factors tends to decrease in line with length of service. Thirdly, more senior officials tend to place greater emphasis on alignment with the political will of leaders. But then, those with less seniority place more emphasis on securing budgetary resources.

Free Research Field

行政学、地方自治

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的な意義としては、サイモンの意思決定論のうち、限定された合理性から派生する決定要因の少なさ、職位による意思決定前提である価値前提と事実前提の違いを、自治体職員に対するアンケート調査で裏付けられたことである。また、社会的意義としては、自治体職員が職位ごとに何を根拠に意思決定しているかをあらかじめ知ることで、適切な行政統制の確保や質の高い政策形成に繋がることである。