This is the best Dilbert cartoon I have ever seen, and that says something. Of course there is an academic name for this situation, and it is called a garbage can, from Cohen, M. D., J. G. March, et al. (1972). “A Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice.” Administrative Science Quarterly 17(1).

Aw shucks, I’ll just post it:

Update 10 minutes later: Now it dawned on me – it is the garbage man saying this. Which leads me to think that Scott Adams has read a lot more organizational theory than he wants to let on.