Cyert and March were two American economists who made significant contributions to the field of organizational behavior and management. They are best known for their work on bounded rationality, which is the idea that individuals and organizations make decisions based on limited information and resources.
Richard Cyert was born in Philadelphia in 1923 and received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to earn a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1952. Cyert spent much of his career at Carnegie Mellon University, where he served as Dean of the Graduate School of Industrial Administration and later as President of the university.
James March was born in New York in 1928 and received his undergraduate degree in economics from Columbia University. He also earned a PhD in economics from MIT in 1952, where he met Cyert. March spent much of his career at Stanford University, where he served as Dean of the Graduate School of Business and later as Provost of the university.
Cyert and March are best known for their work on organizational decision-making, which was published in their book "A Behavioral Theory of the Firm" in 1963. In this book, they argued that organizations are not perfectly rational actors, but rather they make decisions based on incomplete information and bounded rationality. They also introduced the concept of "satisficing," which refers to the idea that organizations aim to find satisfactory rather than optimal solutions to problems.
Cyert and March's work on bounded rationality and satisficing has had a lasting impact on the field of organizational behavior and management. It has influenced research on topics such as decision-making, leadership, and strategic management. Their work has also been applied in various industries and organizations, helping to improve decision-making processes and organizational performance.
In addition to their contributions to the field of economics and organizational behavior, Cyert and March also made significant contributions to the field of political science. They wrote extensively about the role of institutions in shaping political behavior and the ways in which political institutions influence the functioning of markets.
Overall, Cyert and March's work has had a significant impact on the fields of economics, organizational behavior, and political science. Their contributions to the study of bounded rationality and decision-making continue to be widely cited and influential in contemporary research.