For Positivist Organization Theory

by Lex Donaldson
For Positivist Organization Theory
Author: Lex Donaldson
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 204
Release: 1996-08-28
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780761952275
GET BOOK

Organization theory is presently dominated by theories of strategic choice and politics. Managers are seen as exercising a wide choice and maximizing their personal self-interest through complex power struggles. This stimulating volume challenges these views, arguing instead that managerial decisions are determined by the situation and serve the interests of the whole organization. Showing that organizations follow laws which generalize across organizations of many different kinds in many different national cultures, the book rejects the model of organizational configurations or types. The author offers a critical assessment of leading organization theorists such as Henry Mintzberg, John Child, Michael Hann

For Positivist Organization Theory

by Lex Donaldson
For Positivist Organization Theory
Author: Lex Donaldson
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 201
Release: 1996-08-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1849208174
GET BOOK

Organization theory is presently dominated by theories of strategic choice and politics. Managers are seen as exercising a wide choice and maximizing their personal self-interest through complex power struggles. This stimulating volume challenges these views, arguing instead that managerial decisions are determined by the situation and serve the interests of the whole organization. Showing that organizations follow laws which generalize across organizations of many different kinds in many different national cultures, the book rejects the model of organizational configurations or types. The author offers a critical assessment of leading organization theorists such as Henry Mintzberg, John Child, Michael Hannan and Danny Miller - and also of the satirist Northcote Parkinson.

Sociology and Organization Theory

by John Hassard
Sociology and Organization Theory
Author: John Hassard
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 194
Release: 1995-04-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780521484589
GET BOOK

It has been claimed that organization theory is in a state of crisis. This book traces the history of the orthodox systems theory paradigm in organization studies from its foundations to its recent deconstruction by postmodernists. The analysis offers general support for the "sociology-in-crisis" thesis, but takes issue with one of its main propositions, that paradigms are incommensurable. It is argued that paradigms are porous rather than hermetic phenomena, a fact that has profound implications for the theory building process.

Studying Organization

by Stewart R Clegg
Studying Organization
Author: Stewart R Clegg
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 492
Release: 1999-04-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1446237192
GET BOOK

In response to the needs of lecturers, the acclaimed Handbook of Organization Studies has been made available as two major paperback textbooks. In this, the first of a two-volume paperback edition of the landmark Handbook of Organization Studies, editors Stewart Clegg and Cynthia Hardy survey the field of organization studies. Studying Organization is an ideal textbook around which to build courses on organization theory and research methodology. Central to the enterprise has been a concern to reflect and honour the manifest diversity of the field, including recognition of the extent to which the very notion of a single field of organization studies is debated. Part One locates the study of organization by reviewing some of the most significant theoretical paradigms to have shaped our understanding. The second part reflects on the relationships between theory and research in organization studies.

Logics of Organization Theory

by Michael T. Hannan
Logics of Organization Theory
Author: Michael T. Hannan
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 381
Release: 2012-01-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1400843014
GET BOOK

Building theories of organizations is challenging: theories are partial and "folk" categories are fuzzy. The commonly used tools--first-order logic and its foundational set theory--are ill-suited for handling these complications. Here, three leading authorities rethink organization theory. Logics of Organization Theory sets forth and applies a new language for theory building based on a nonmonotonic logic and fuzzy set theory. In doing so, not only does it mark a major advance in organizational theory, but it also draws lessons for theory building elsewhere in the social sciences. Organizational research typically analyzes organizations in categories such as "bank," "hospital," or "university." These categories have been treated as crisp analytical constructs designed by researchers. But sociologists increasingly view categories as constructed by audiences. This book builds on cognitive psychology and anthropology to develop an audience-based theory of organizational categories. It applies this framework and the new language of theory building to organizational ecology. It reconstructs and integrates four central theory fragments, and in so doing reveals unexpected connections and new insights.

Organization Theory and Governance for the 21st Century

by Sandi Parkes Pershing
Organization Theory and Governance for the 21st Century
Author: Sandi Parkes Pershing
Publisher: CQ Press
Total Pages: 836
Release: 2014-08-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1483320960
GET BOOK

Applying organization theory to public and governance organizations, Organization Theory and Governance for the 21st Century presents readers with a conscious and thoughtful awareness of the history and evolving nature of organizations. Authors Sandra Parkes Pershing and Eric Austin address emerging theories rarely touched upon in competing titles, and take a deeper look into assumed theories to give the student a chance to critically consider the consequences these embedded assumptions have for organizational practice. By providing a consistent theoretical grounding and a clear focus on post-traditionalist thinking, the book gives students the background they need to analyze organizational settings and take effective action in the unique setting of contemporary governance.

Key Concepts in Organization Theory

by Ann L Cunliffe
Key Concepts in Organization Theory
Author: Ann L Cunliffe
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2012-08-16
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1446290026
GET BOOK

From agency theory to power and politics, this indispensable guide to the key concepts of organization theory is your compass as you navigate through the often complex and abstract theories about the design and functioning of organizations. Designed to complement and elucidate your textbook or reading list, as well as introduce you to concepts that some courses neglect, this historical and interdisciplinary account of the field: - Helps you understand the basics of organization theory - Allows you to check your understanding of specific concepts - Fills in any gaps left by your course reading, and - Is a powerful revision tool Each entry is consistently structured, providing a definition of the concept and why it′s important to theory and practice, followed by a summary of current debates and a list of further reading. This companion will provide you with the nuts and bolts of an understanding that will serve you not just in your organization studies course, but throughout your degree and beyond. Key concepts include: agency theory; business strategy; corporate governance; decision making; environmental uncertainty; globalization; industrial democracy; organizational change; stakeholder theory; storytelling and narrative research; technology and organization structure.

For Positivist Organization Theory

by Lex Donaldson
For Positivist Organization Theory
Author: Lex Donaldson
Publisher:
Total Pages: 189
Release: 1996
Genre: Organization
ISBN: 9781446280331
GET BOOK

Organization theory is presently dominated by theories of strategic choice and politics. Managers are seen as exercising a wide choice and maximizing their personal self-interest through complex power struggles. This stimulating volume challenges these views, arguing instead that managerial decisions are determined by the situation and serve the interests of the whole organization. Showing that organizations follow laws which generalize across organizations of many different kinds in many different national cultures, the book rejects the model of organizational configurations or types. The author offers a critical assessment of leading organization theorists such as Henry Mintzberg, John Child, Michael Hannan and Danny Miller - and also of the satirist Northcote Parkinson.

The Oxford Handbook of Organization Theory

by Haridimos Tsoukas
The Oxford Handbook of Organization Theory
Author: Haridimos Tsoukas
Publisher: Oxford Handbooks Online
Total Pages: 676
Release: 2005
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780199275250
GET BOOK

2) How has organization theory developed over time, and what structure has the field taken? What assumptions does knowledge produced in organization theory incorporate, and what forms do its knowledge claims take as they are put forward for public adoption? 3) How have certain well-known controversies in organization theory, such as for example, the structure/agency dilemma, the study of organizational culture, the different modes of explanation, the micro/macro controversy, and the differnet explanations produced by organizational economists and sociologists, been dealt with? 4) How, and in what ways, is knowledge generated in organization theory related to action? What features must organization theory knowledge have in order to be actionable, and of relevance to the world 'out there'? How have ethical concerns been taken into account in organization theory? 5) What is the future of organization theory? What direction should the field take? What must change in the way research is conducted and key theoretical terms are conceptualized so that organization theory enhances its capacity to generate valid and relevant knowledge?