Toward a new budgetary decision makings theory: - An Essay on Evolutionary Psychology and Its Application to Korean Budgetary Process

This study tried a new approach to budgetary decision makings theories by borrowing a theoretical discussion of evolutionary psychology. Decision making bases are different between the mutually different environments of normal... [ view full abstract ]

This study tried a new approach to budgetary decision makings theories by borrowing a theoretical discussion of evolutionary psychology. Decision making bases are different between the mutually different environments of normal and emergency situations. Decision making is likely to rely mostly on intuition or a priori knowledge or precedent in normal situations while omitting the logical, analytical thinking process. On the contrary, in emergency situation is the decision highly likely to be made on the basis of the reason accompanied by logical thinking process that is mobilized for the best rational decision making. Seen in the connection of the budget theories, intuition can be said to be linked to the incrementalism in which decision making is based on precedents while reason is used in the process of exploring a broad range of knowledge and problem-solving ways which can be considered to be associated with the non-incrementalism. Reason and intuition are not applied in the way of cutting something in two with a stroke of the sword, but are mixed in combination with each other; so when discussing the budget for a particular year, it is possible to explain to what extent it is incremental or how much the non-incremental factor is dominating by the probabilistic concept instead of just saying that it is incremental or non-incremental. This view is different from the dichotomic thinking of the existing budget decision theories. On the other hand, this study has its significance in that it presented the applicability of the evolutionary psychology theory to the budgetary decision theories by applying the discussion of reason and intuition as decision psychological mechanisms to the decision-making structure shown in the budget process in Korea.

■ Keywords: Evolutionary psychology, Budgetary decision makings theories, Incrementalism