Here it is: the bigger the organization, the less efficient it is. This applies to government as well as corporations. I propose a scientific study to test this assumption. (If you want more preface then ask.)
Hypothesis: as an organizational structure increases in complexity, there is a reduction in the efficiency of individual actors, and an increase in the number of a) petty or useless jobs and b) choices that can be viewed as "strange" or "counterproductive"; i.e. throwing away 2,000 lbs of pork because its sell by date coincides with Thanksgiving. (A real event.)
Experiment: create two fictional companies whose job is to create origami cranes. One "company" will be comprised of five or less individuals. The second will be staffed by forty individuals. Each "company" will have a set number of impartial observers who will take notes on how things are processed, who do not interfere with the actions of the companies.
These companies will be forced to procure all the materials and skills required to produce these cranes within a deadline, including purchasing supplies on the actual market (going to real stores) and doing their own research (using their own resources.)
Once the quota of paper cranes is met by both "companies," we will do a qualitative and quantitative analysis. All qualitative data will be analyzed and explanations proposed. We will also consider numerical data, such as how much money was spent, how much time was spent, and how much money individual actors were paid by the group. We will then compare data and events to see if this is really what happens.
Further testing will be needed, and this test should be refined, but the general idea is there at the moment. Field work would also be necessary to fully understand the impact that "management" and other Dilbert-esque properties and personalities have on organizations and how they impact efficiency.
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