Applying Theory of Constraints to the Indian Administrative Services

Abstract

This paper attempts to identify constraints faced by Indian Administrative officers using the Theory of Constraints (ToC). Results show that despite its origins as a manufacturing methodology, Goldratt’s ToC can be applied to identify constraints in the Indian administrative system, the most likely cause-and-effect relationships leading to such constraints, and the courses of action that are generally taken by officers to eliminate them. Three categories of constraints clearly emerged as inhibitors to the efficiency of the system. These are structural, policy and resources related. Lack of adequate training and insensitivity of officers towards the ground realities of the public are identified as some of the other constraints. It is observed that most of the respondents offered institutional arguments to characterize constraints in the system. Institutional arguments are not about assemblage of individual actions, but higher order factors above the individual level that influence the processes and outcomes and tend to sire regular patterns or inertia.

A teoria das Restrições aplicada no setor público: uma revisão da literatura

“…Alguns oficiais exploram as restrições procurando brechas nas regras. O governo atualmente é receptivo a experimentos e um pouco de desvio de política é permitido se atingir o bem público; então, a melhor maneira disponível é explorar a restrição, para ver quais opções estão disponíveis (Mishra & Sasmita, 2014). Abdi et al (2014) recomendam também proceder a seleção cuidadosa de parceiros potenciais, monitoramento e avaliação de projetos.…”

Investigating the optimisation of South African university library budgets in an austerity environment.

“…TOC concentrates on constraints, which Kohli & Gupta (2010) and Mishra & Palo (2014) describe as the chain's weakest link. TOC was developed by Eliyahu Goldratt and introduced in 1984 (Knaggs, 2013).…”

“…Although TOC started as a manufacturing methodology, successful application studies were seen in administrative services (Knaggs, 2013;Mishra & Palo, 2014), small business (Kohli & Gupta, 2010), banking (Reid, 2007) and Habitat for Humanity, Pretoria Academic Hospital, British National Health Service, United Nations, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States (US) Department of Defense (Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy), and the Israeli Air Force have all successfully employed TOC solutions (Watson, Blackstone & Gardiner, 2007). According to Watson, Blackstone & Gardiner (2007), the successful application of TOC was publicly disclosed by 3M, Amazon, Boeing, Delta Airlines, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, General Motors, and Lucent Technologies.…”

“…Once one constraint is eliminated, another is identified, and the elimination process follows. Building on the chain analogy, Mishra & Palo (2014) state that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Thus, TOC views the weakest link as the constraints that hinder achieving the company's objectives.…”

“…According to Eden & Ronen (2007), Mishra & Palo (2014) and Naor, Bernardes & Coman (2013), a constraint can be physical, for example, resources or labour, and for this study, the shrinking budgets, market/external limit, dummy/a bottleneck that is very inexpensive compared to entire system and policy/rules or procedures, for example, government regulations that prevent the system from achieving its goals. Eden & Ronen (2007) give an example of a dummy bottleneck as the lack of sanitary resources causing delays in surgical procedures.…”