Organization Theory
- LAST REVIEWED: 19 October 2016
- LAST MODIFIED: 29 June 2015
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199846740-0024
- LAST REVIEWED: 19 October 2016
- LAST MODIFIED: 29 June 2015
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199846740-0024
Introduction
Organization theory is concerned with the relationship between organizations and their environment, the effects of those relationships on organizational functioning, and how organizations affect the distribution of privilege in society. A central concept is organizational design (sometimes termed “organizational form”). Organizational design is important because the ability of societies to respond to various problems depends on the availability of organizations with different capabilities. Organization theorists are thus interested in the range of organizational designs; their governance, capabilities (e.g., the ability to innovate, learn, and adapt), processes (e.g., decision making), and consequences (and for whom); and how new organizational designs arise and become established. The authors of this bibliography would like to acknowledge the suggestions and constructive advice of Tony Briggs, David Deephouse, Jennifer Jennings, Sally Maitlis, Evelyn Micelotta, Mia Raynard, Wendy Smith, and Tyler Wry.
Textbooks
Organizational theory texts may cover the breadth of the field (see, e.g., Scott and Davis 2007, Tolbert and Hall 2009) or focus on particular themes, such as organizational design or organizational change (see, e.g., Daft 2007, Jones 2010). Most textbooks are revised and published as new editions every two or three years. A very different introduction to the literature is provided in Pugh and Hickson 2007, which is organized around the works of important scholars (not all of whom are organization theorists).
Daft, Richard L. Organization Theory and Design. 9th ed. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2007.
Focuses on organizational design, managing contextual relationships, and managing dynamic processes.
Jones, Gareth R. Organizational Theory, Design, and Change: Text and Cases. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010.
Looks at organizational design and change.
Pugh, Derek S., and David J. Hickson. Writers on Organizations. 6th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2007.
DOI: 10.4135/9781483329628E-mail Citation »
Unlike most texts, this one is not organized by topic or perspective. Instead, the text summarizes the works of a range of major scholars.
Scott, W. Richard, and Gerald F. Davis. Organizations and Organizing: Rational, Natural, and Open System Perspectives. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.
Revision of Scott’s Organizations: Rational, Natural, and Open Systems (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1981), which ran to five editions.
Tolbert, Pamela S., and Richard H. Hall. Organizations: Structures, Processes, and Outcomes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009.
Based on classical and modern-day theory, this text examines the impacts organizations have on individuals and society.
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Article
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- Attitudes
- Attributions
- Authentic Leadership
- Automation
- Bayesian Statistics
- Behavior, Organizational
- Behavioral Approach to Leadership
- Behavioral Theory of the Firm
- Benefits
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- Brokerage in Networks
- Business and Human Rights
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- Career Transitions and Job Mobility
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- Creativity
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- Emotional Labor
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- Entrepreneurial Firms
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- Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship, Corporate
- Entrepreneurship, Women's
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Ethics
- Faking in Personnel Selection
- Family Business, Managing
- Feedback
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- Findings, Reporting Research
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- Forecasting
- Global Leadership
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- Grounded Theory
- Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions
- Human Capital Resource Pipelines
- Human Resource Management
- Human Resource Management, Strategic
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- Human Rights
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- Impression Management at Work
- Imprinting
- Innovative Behavior
- Intelligence, Emotional
- International Economic Development and SMEs
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- Job Analysis and Competency Modeling
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- People Analytics
- Performance Appraisal
- Planning And Goal Setting
- Proactive Work Behavior
- Psychological Contracts
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- Regional Entrepreneurship
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- Research, Ethics in
- Research, Longitudinal
- Research Methods
- Research Methods, Qualitative
- Resource-Dependence Theory
- Resources
- Response Surface Analysis, Polynomial Regression and
- Role of Time in Organizational Studies
- Safety, Work Place
- Selection
- Selection, Applicant Reactions to
- Self-Determination Theory for Work Motivation
- Self-Efficacy
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy In Management
- Self-Management and Personal Agency
- Sensemaking in and around Organizations
- Service Management
- Shared Team Leadership
- Social Cognitive Theory
- Social Evaluation: Status and Reputation
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- Social Ties and Network Structure
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- Stakeholders
- Status in Organizations
- Strategic Alliances
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- the Workplace, Millennials in
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- Training Evaluation
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- Turnover
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- Validity
- Virtual Teams
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- Work and Family: An Organizational Science Overview
- Work Contexts, Nonverbal Communication in
- Work, Mindfulness at
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- Workplace Coaching
- Workplace Commitment
- Workplace Gossip
- Workplace Meetings
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- World War II, Management Research during