The External Control of Organizations

The External Control of Organizations
Author: Jeffrey Pfeffer
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2003
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 080474789X

This work explores how external constraints affect organizations and provides insights for designing and managing organizations to mitigate these constraints. All organizations are dependent on the environment for their survival. It contends that it is the fact of the organization's dependence on the environment that makes the external constraint and control of organizational behaviour both possible and almost inevitable. Organizations can either try to change their environments through political means or form interorganizational relationships to control or absorb uncertainty.

Organizational Behavior 2

Organizational Behavior 2
Author: John B. Miner
Publisher: M.E. Sharpe
Total Pages: 472
Release: 2006
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780765615251

"The sequel to Organizational Behavior: Essential Theories of Motivation and Leadership (2005) provides a review and analysis of the key theories of macro-organizational behavior. It provides background on scientific method, theory construction and evaluation, measurement considerations, research design, and the nature of knowledge in organizational behavior, and discusses theories in areas including decision-making, systems, and organizational sociology. The text assumes prior studies in fields such as organizational behavior and management." -- Publisher.

Organizations and Environments

Organizations and Environments
Author: Howard Aldrich
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Total Pages: 428
Release: 2008
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780804758291

When Organizations and Environments was originally issued in 1979, it increased interest in evolutionary explanations of organizational change. Since then, scholars and practitioners have widely cited the book for its innovative answer to this question: Under what conditions do organizations change? Aldrich achieves theoretical integration across 13 chapters by using an evolutionary model that captures the essential features of relations between organizations and their environments. This model explains organizational change by focusing on the processes of variation, selection, retention, and struggle. The "environment," as conceived by Aldrich, does not refer simply to elements "out there"—beyond a set of focal organizations—but rather to concentrations of resources, power, political domination, and most concretely, other organizations. Scholars using Aldrich's model have examined the societal context within which founders create organizations and whether those organizations survive or fail, rise to prominence, or sink into obscurity. A preface to the reprinted edition frames the utility of this classic for tomorrow's researchers and businesspeople.

Organizations and Organizing

Organizations and Organizing
Author: W Richard Scott
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 478
Release: 2015-08-07
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317345916

This broad, balanced introduction to organizational studies enables the reader to compare and contrast different approaches to the study of organizations. This book is a valuable tool for the reader, as we are all intertwined with organizations in one form or another. Numerous other disciplines besides sociology are addressed in this book, including economics, political science, strategy and management theory. Topic areas discussed in this book are the importance of organizations; defining organizations; organizations as rational, natural, and open systems; environments, strategies, and structures of organizations; and organizations and society. For those employed in fields where knowledge of organizational theory is necessary, including sociology, anthropology, cognitive psychology, industrial engineering, managers in corporations and international business, and business strategists.

Management and Organization Theory

Management and Organization Theory
Author: Jeffrey A. Miles
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 485
Release: 2012-01-30
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1118196600

MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION THEORY Management and Organization Theory offers a summary and analysis of the 40 most popular, researched, and applied management and organization theories. This important resource includes key instruments used to measure variables in each theory and examines pertinent questions about the theory: strengths and weaknesses, practical applications, and the seminal articles published on each theory. "This is a remarkable book. Jeffrey Miles clearly explains and synthesizes 40 major theories of management and organization in an easily accessible and engaging style. Well researched, comprehensive in its coverage, thorough, balanced, and fair in its analyses of theories, the book is destined to be a major authoritative reference in the field. It is one of the most readable, informative, and useful books I have read. I strongly recommend it." Shaker A. Zahra, department chair, Robert E. Buuck Chair, and professor, Strategic Management and Organizations Department, University of Minnesota "This book provides a terrific advantage to any student or manager seeking to grasp the fundamental concepts that explain organizations and the behavior of people within them." Richard L. Daft, author, The Executive and the Elephant: A Leader's Guide to Building Inner Excellence; and the Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Professor of Management, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University "An easy-to-read summary of some of the most critical theories in the field of management theories that have implications not just for scholars, but for practicing managers as well." Jay Barney, professor of management and human resources, and Chase Chair for Excellence in Corporate Strategy, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University

Understanding Organizations in Complex, Emergent and Uncertain Environments

Understanding Organizations in Complex, Emergent and Uncertain Environments
Author: Anabella Davila
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2012-06-07
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1137026081

Explores the concept of complexity and analyses how organizational governance can contribute to environmental sustainability. A common theme in these chapters is that organizations actively engage with their environments. Consequently, organizational responses are partly the result of iterative processes with the environment.

Organizations

Organizations
Author: Howard P. Greenwald
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 529
Release: 2008
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1412942470

Providing a comprehensive understanding of the functions of formal organizations and the challenges they face, this text emphasizes the importance of forces that organizations or their leaders cannot fully control as a key distinctive theme. It covers basic features of organizations such as roles, structure, reward systems, power and authority, and culture and introduces important theoretical perspectives related to these features.

Managing With Power

Managing With Power
Author: Jeffrey Pfeffer
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
Total Pages: 404
Release: 1993-11-12
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1422143457

Although much as been written about how to make better decisions, a decision by itself changes nothing. The big problem facing managers and their organizations today is one of implementation--how to get things done in a timely and effective way. Problems of implementation are really issues of how to influence behavior, change the course of events, overcome resistance, and get people to do things they would not otherwise do. In a word, power. Managing With Power provides an in-depth look at the role of power and influence in organizations. Pfeffer shows convincingly that its effective use is an essential component of strong leadership. With vivid examples, he makes a compelling case for the necessity of power in mobilizing the political support and resources to get things done in any organization. He provides an intriguing look at the personal attributes—such as flexibility, stamina, and a high tolerance for conflict—and the structural factors—such as control of resources, access to information, and formal authority—that can help managers advance organizational goals and achieve individual success.

The Contingency Theory of Organizations

The Contingency Theory of Organizations
Author: Lex Donaldson
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2001-02-20
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780761915744

This volume presents a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the theories, evidence and methodological issues of contingency theory - one of the major theoretical lenses used to view organizations.