I thought this might help clarify a point (from an earlier post elsewhere):
An easy way of explaining the knowledge aspect of Hayek is to refer to the phenomena of specialization and delegation. As knowledge and technical expertise increase, no one is able to encompass the whole. Even in areas like law, medicine, and engineering, it is necessary for specialists to give their attention to the body of knowledge and technique that will arise under the general rubric, but constitute enormous areas of discrete study. Although it is possible for specialists to communicate with "generalists" to some extent, for the most part their relation to others not expert in their specialty is little better than their relationship with laymen, who can only understand in the most general terms.
Similarly, as organizations become larger and more sprawling, it is increasing necessary to delegate authority to individuals, teams, or committees who are in a position to study, analyze, and decide the specific problems that arise in the course of operating a large enterprise. For example, in a legislative body, the accumulation of documentary evidence and testimony is handled by sub- committee, with ample staff support, and reviewed with the objective of reporting out recommendations which, in the ordinary course of things, will be accepted with few amendments by the larger committee, which will then pass on the recommendations to the body as a whole. In the total scheme of things, it is standard that those delegated to actually study the question will have their recommendations followed. Similarly, management theory increasingly deplores attempts at top- down management, and recommends the general setting of policy, including coordinating sectors and setting goals, while leaving individuals and teams alone, for the most part, supporting them in devising the best ways to get things done.
In both of these ways, one can see that the limitations of knowledge and requirements of parceling out responsibilities lead to decentralization of decision- making as a more efficient means of conducting business than the highly centralized model............ |
