Summary
Contents
Subject index
Organizations: Management Without Control provides a comprehensive understanding of the functions of formal organizations and the challenges they face. The most effective organizations provide members with opportunities to achieve their personal goals while pursuing the organization's objectives. Using a practical approach with minimal jargon, author Howard P. Greenwald covers the basic features of organizations such as roles, structure, reward systems, power and authority, and culture and introduces important theoretical perspectives related to these features.
Key Features
Emphasizes the theme of “management without control”: This volume differs from most standard texts by highlighting both the challenges and opportunities that result from the independence of the individuals in the organization's ranks.; Stresses the importance of individual motivation and self-fulfillment: Recognizing the individual's responsibility for their own success, the book helps readers evaluate clues to whether the organization to which they belong is an adequate opportunity.; Offers a critical perspective on current fads and management ideologies: Proposing no formulaic solutions, the book provides the perspectives required to understand each organization's uniqueness and to develop remedies to issues as they arise.; Makes theory accessible through numerous real-life examples: Chapters include examples from life in business organizations, government agencies, non-profits, clubs, friendship groups, and families.; Examines multinational corporations: Challenges involved in management on an international scale are explored as the book applies the principle of individual and group independence to global matters.; Underscores multidisciplinary interest in organizations: Content is drawn from sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and management science.
Intended Audience
This introductory textbook on formal organizations is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses such as Organizational Behavior, Managing Complex Organizations, Sociology of Organizations, and Government/Non-profit Management in the departments of business, public administration, health administration, social work, sociology, and psychology.
Instructor's Resources
An Instructor's Resource CD is available upon request. This CD provides PowerPoint presentations, test questions, additional examples and cases, suggested exercises, and much more!
Organizational Theories and Perspectives
Organizational Theories and Perspectives
Learning Objective
To become aware of alternative conceptual approaches to understanding organizations.
Principles
Multiple theories help explain why organizations exist how they function, and what influences affect them. Key theories include
- Transaction cost theory, which justifies the existence of organizations by their ability to reduce the costs of individual-to-individual economic relations
- Rational systems theory, which thinks of organizations as tools to achieve specific goals
- Contingency theory, which highlights the effects of purpose, technology, and environment on organizations
- Institutional theory, which emphasizes the organization's need to attain legitimacy and stability within a potentially disruptive social environment
- Network theory, which explains thinking and action within an organization on the basis of the place that the organization occupies in an array of organizations involved ...
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