To What Extent, and Why, Did Enterprise Managers Under Central Planning Pursue Goals That Were Privately Rational, but Economically Inefficient?

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The centrally planned economy is based on four basic dimensions; these are decision-making rules, property rights, and the mechanism of information flows and the nature of incentives. The command economy decisions making rules were planned in a hierarchical way. At the top of the chain is the Communist Party which task was to develop the general instructions on resources allocation. After that, these directives are passed to the state planning agency, called the ‘Gosplan’, which duty was to converts these orders into a set of active plan targets. The aggregate output targets are then given to the Industrial ministries which are in charge for their implementation. Afterwards, the targets are passed to sub – departments which are in control for their accomplishment in a more narrowly defined industrial sector. Finally the output targets are hand to the enterprises under the ministries supervision. Most of the enterprises were controlled by the state. On each stage of the planning mechanism more details were added to the plan and output goals are increased. The plan identified both inputs and outputs in physical and financial terms, resources and the distribution of assets for the enterprises; and it is divided into monthly periods. Therefore, why did enterprise managers under central planning pursue goals that were privately rational, but economically inefficient? The enterprise managers who look for the best possible decision, from their point of view act in a privately rational way. Whereas, economic efficiency is when resources are used at their optimum to make some people better off without making others worse off. The managerial behaviour is the first argument in support of that managers pursued privately rational goals under centrally planned economy. By observing the enterprises managerial actions the problem of managerial success indicator arises. The problem

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