The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups, Second printing with new preface and appendix (Harvard Economic Studies)

Book Description

This book develops an original theory of group and organizational behavior that cuts across disciplinary lines and illustrates the theory with empirical and historical studies of particular organizations. Applying economic analysis to the subjects of the political scientist, sociologist, and economist, Mr. Olson examines the extent to which the individuals that share a common interest find it in their individual interest to bear the costs of the organizational effort.

The theory shows that most organizations produce what the economist calls "public goods"--goods or services that are available to every member, whether or not he has borne any of the costs of providing them. Economists have long understood that defense, law and order were public goods that could not be marketed to individuals, and that taxation was necessary. They have not, however, taken account of the fact that private as well as governmental organizations produce public goods.

The services the labor union provides for the worker it represents, or the benefits a lobby obtains for the group it represents, are public goods: they automatically go to every individual in the group, whether or not he helped bear the costs. It follows that, just as governments require compulsory taxation, many large private organizations require special (and sometimes coercive) devices to obtain the resources they need.

This is not true of smaller organizations for, as this book shows, small and large organizations support themselves in entirely different ways. The theory indicates that, though small groups can act to further their interest much more easily than large ones, they will tend to devote too few resources to the satisfaction of their common interests, and that there is a surprising tendency for the "lesser" members of the small group to exploit the "greater" members by making them bear a disproportionate share of the burden of any group action.

All of the theory in the book is in Chapter 1; the remaining chapters contain empirical and historical evidence of the theory's relevance to labor unions, pressure groups, corporations, and Marxian class action.

Customer Reviews:

A Genuine Classic that Urgently Demands New Attention.......2007-08-07

I initially read Mancur Olson's The Logic of Collective Action over 30 years ago, and have found it to be a seminal work of economic scholarship that resonates over the decades. This masterpiece is in urgent need of new attention, especially as America confronts its role in a post September 11 society.

Olson's theory is deceptively simple: goods that are primarily public (everything from a town park to a cruise missile) suffer from a "free rider" problem, in that most of those who would benefit from their provision are not personally motivated to pay for them. Thus, collective action, undertaken through the political sphere, is needed to provide goods and services intended for the collective welfare.

"The Logic of Collective Action" is based on economic theory. Olson's theory recognizes that competitive markets are the best source of private goods, but draws an articulate and compelling case for the intervention of government to provide those goods and services that are beneficial for society, but which cannot be offered effectively through market mechanisms.

A re-reading of this concise and well-written volume is urgently needed in 2007 America. For close to three decades, the downsizing of government has been the dominant theme in U.S. political life. Some of this trimming may well have been appropriate, but events of recent years (September 11, the Katrina hurricane, the possibility of adverse climate change) suggest that collective action is needed to address the most pressing problems of our time.

Olson's gem of a book is a worthwhile place to start our national reconsideration of the logic of collective action.

The Logic of Collective Action.......2007-01-10

This is a fine new edition of a seminal work in modern economics and political theory. Olson, in this work, introduced the concept of collective action problems: that the costs imposed on individuals for actions beneficial to a group may be too great, and the rewards to them too small, to induce them to act on behalf of the group. The book is highly readable and extremely thought-provoking.

Insightful book.......2006-08-29

Although refuting Marx is hardly a challenge, the argument against Marx here deviates from the norm with a refreshing new perspective.

Just as psychology has gotten, of all places, its most practical insight from the FBI via John Douglas and Michael Stone, and just as physics gets its most fruitful insights from mathematics, politics appears to get its most fruitful insights from economics. That is the corollary of this book.

There is tacit reference to Arrow's theorem in this book. However, more significant is the insight about collective bargaining one gains here. In the area of labor law, understanding collective thinking can help predict outcomes and therefore aid legal judgment.

Somewhat dated, but still worth reading.......2004-10-10

This book does a good job of describing the effects of financial incentives on the ability of large and small groups to organize to promote their interests. But it doesn't try to analyze the effects of non-financial incentives such as the desire for a reputation for altruism.
One of the most striking features of this book is the worldview that it criticizes. Apparently when the book was written, it was respectable to believe that special interest group politics improved democracy. This book seems to have been one of the original reasons for the shift of opinions away from that view. But from today's perspective, Olson seems a bit naive in his optimism that large governments and labor unions will serve the public interest in spite of the problems that the book describes of small interest groups with concentrated interests being more effective at lobbying than large groups with diluted interests.
His clear reasoning on his main points is still not as widely understood as it should be. But the other two books of his that I've read are better (The Rise and Decline of Nations, and Power and Prosperity).

Logically indeed.......2004-04-06

In this influential work, Mancur Olson is dismissing the 'classical' group theories, as he calls them. Rational individuals will rarely contribute to a common (or collective in the economics-lingo) good, because their contribution will be insignificant and the good will be produced whether the individual provides the good or not. With his stringent logic, the late Olson reminds his readers that groups of all kinds consist of individuals, and that these individuals usually follow there own interest, which not necessarily correspond with the organization's.

The book's explanatory powers are tremendous. Why large groups very rarely if ever are able to organize, and at the same time why some small groups exercise extraordinary amounts of power is Olsons main point of interest. In the very interesting last chapter he describes which features an organization, be it a farmer union, a labor union, a profession lobby or a special interest group, must inhibit to attain members.

The best trait of the book (at least for this reviewing economist) is the persuasive logic with which the arguments are hammered home, and the instructive examples that are used to illustrate the point just made. One little objection should be Olson's (human) tendency to arrogance when he is most pleased with his own conclusions. However: still an excellent read, 40 years after it's first printing.

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THE LOGIC OF COLLECTIVE ACTION Public Goods and the Theory of Groups
Mancur Olson
Manufacturer: Schocken
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Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JVA25S

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Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups
Jr. Olson Mancur
Manufacturer: Harvard Univ Pr
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ASIN: B000N7XM5K

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La Logica De La Accion Colectiva / The Logic of Collective Action: Bienes Publicos y lat Teoria de Grupos / Public Goods and the Theory of Groups
Mancur Olson
Manufacturer: Editorial Limusa S.A. De C.V.
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 968184212X

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The Logic of Collective Action Public goods and the theory of groups
Mancur Olson Jr.
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press/
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QJ6OX2

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The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups
Mancur Olson
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Binding: Paperback
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The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups
Mancur Olson
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The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups
Mancur Olson
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Book Description

* Includes case studies, checklists, and models.
* Written by the former director of PricewaterhouseCoopers and the vanguard MySAP Financials Team.

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"This investment is all about integration of processes, data, technology, and, crucially, our culture. Knitting together our people and getting them to share and communicate is critical."" PHIL BENTLEY, CFO, CENTRICA ""We look to globally share our information on brands, knowledge, consumer insights¿What we need now is outstanding decision-support tools, built around our structured database¿We need an analytical environment which will fuel our growth, not just cut our costs."" GARY FAYARD, CFO, THE COCA COLA COMPANY ""What differentiates success in this industry is the ability to execute. This, coupled with our installed infrastructure represents our competitive advantage. More and more, we are being asked to build total solutions."" JIM DALEY, CFO, EDS ""Our mantra in finance: driving superior performance and being more proactive. What, exactly, does this means? Driving functional excellence, setting standards, and developing KPIs for risk management and decision support. Our priorities in finance? Playing our part in developing our global business approach."" WOLFGANG REICHENBERGER, CFO, NESTLE Today, the CFO's role has moved beyond that of understanding and harnessing the awesome resources of eBusiness to proactively integrating those resources - across business functions, alliance partners, and geographic boundaries to create a truly global company. The CFO as Business Integrator is a practical, results-driven guide to reaping the benefits of new integration technology and shaping a new, forward-driving finance agenda around the financial supply chain, managed services, and advanced analytics and decision-support."

Customer Reviews:

Insightful!.......2004-05-20

A cynic might be tempted to sneer at a book published by a major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software vendor - specifically, SAP - urging CFOs to make better use of ERP. This software is intended to tie all business functions together in a commonly accessible bundle. Having overspent on this and other information technologies, many executives question its value. Indeed, a recent Harvard Business Review article carried in its title the blunt, provocative suggestion that, "IT Doesn't Matter." Well, these authors believe it matters, because the IT processes and systems that the CFO supports directly affect the bottom line. The book offers valuable case histories, specific technological and managerial counsel, informative charts and candid input from executives. It covers the CFO's perspective on integrating information technology processes into a company's services, supply chains, culture and analytics. Each chapter ends with a useful "CFO Checklist." The cases are promotional and very tech-friendly, so read between the lines. This book is, after all, a marketing initiative. Still, we find the text specific, knowledgeable and worth reading.

Highly Recommended.......2003-08-14

As the third volume in a series of "CFO" publications," The CFO as Business Integrator" benefits from the author's experience gaining in writing previous books. It is well balanced, and provides an excellent overview of all aspects of business process integration. The book is centrally focused on the new role of the CFO as decision maker and integrator.
"CFO as Business Integrator" was written by a team of SAP who provide SAP's vision for Finance and Controlling. Topics addressed include: Shared Services, Intangibles, Corporate Governance, Financial Supply Chain, Integration of Planning and Portal access.
The book offers a number of case studies, enabling readers to gain insight from real-world examples. Customer studies are offered by Manfred Gentz, CFO DaimlerChrysler, Jim Daley, CFO EDS or Wolfgang Reichenberger, CFO Nestlé.
Overall the Book is a good, easy read for CFO's and provides solid information that can be used to implement stronger, more efficient business process across the entire organization, changing the role of the CFO from that of a number cruncher and gatekeeper to a consultant and profit driver.

The best of the "Cedric Read Trilogy".......2003-04-03

Following "CFO: Architect" and "eCFO", at last a work of real substance, and minimal PwC consulting-ese (only to be replaced with SAP-centrism, an understandable weakness, as SAP sponsored the book).

Each chapter is written by a businessperson with considerable depth in his particular area - from a business perspective - which distinguishes this volume from previous books in the series, which - to put it just slightly unkindly - were written by consultants who couldn't consult their way out of a paper bag.

Shortcomings aside, this volume is obligatory reading for every CFO and financial manager who who wants to navigate his company by looking forward versus by looking at the rear-view mirror.

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Collected Works of Justice Holmes: Complete Public Writings of Oliver Wendell Holmes
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Productivity growth in agriculture (revisited): A measurement framework and some empirical results (Discussion paper / University of Nottingham, Department of Economics)
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Physics and Chemistry of Low-Dimensional Inorganic Conductors (NATO Science Series: B:)

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Charge Density Waves in Solids (Lecture Notes in Physics)

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Charge Density Waves in Solids (Modern Problems in Condensed Matter Sciences, Vol 25)
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Manufacturer: Addison Wesley Longman
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