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Paper Abstract: Compares three books on the topic. Analysis of subject matter, underlying assumptions and contributions to the field. History of organizational theory and development. Human cost of work and organizational behavior. Principal schools of thought. Impact on the corporation of the future of workplace diversity. Trend toward decentralization. Paper Introduction: Analysis and Synthesis of Industrial Era Organization Theory Introduction This analysis will utilize three seminal books in the field of organizational theory -- Classics of Organization Theory, by Jay M. Shafritz and J.Steven Ott; Complex Organizations, by Charles Perrow; and Images of Organization, by Gareth Morgan. This analysis will take the following form. In Part One, each of the three books will be presented in terms of their subject matter, their underlying assumptions, and their contributions to the field. In Part Two, each of the three books will be analyzed and compared, paying particular attention to their differences. In Part Three, the three books will be synthesized Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Morgan, G. (1995, January 16). Katz, D., & Kahn, R. The most valuable lesson to be drawn from thereadings is to discern the methods that many theorists have suggested forovercoming barriers of resistance. As Perrow points out, however, this could lead to a condition wherethe organization of the future requires control for the purposes ofcoordinating across countries. Paradoxes are no stranger to total quality management (TQM) as well. Etzioni (1975) points out in his excellent writings on the paradoxesinherent in organizational theory and concepts of organizational behaviorthat This is the Age of Paradox . In Morgan's view, for instance, the historicheadquarters-subsidiary relationship has evolved from a control-centered toa strategy-oriented approach. Part One: The Key BooksThe Classics of Organization Theory(Shafritz, J.M.; Ott, J.S. In other words, the organization of the parts defines a system, which,in itself, is a phenomenon that can be considered independently of thephysical or conceptual manifestation of its elements (Katz & Kahn, 1978).This then leads the reader into thinking about the organization as asymbol, which is an excellent way to begin understanding the final work.Images of Organization(Morgan, G. Analysis and Synthesis of Industrial Era Organization Theory Introduction This analysis will utilize three seminal books in the field oforganizational theory -- Classics of Organization Theory, by Jay M.Shafritz and J.Steven Ott; Complex Organizations, by Charles Perrow; andImages of Organization, by Gareth Morgan. The process of adapting organizations to environments . . This could happen withinformation system problems, or unrealized or unplanned competition.* General Risks -- these occur when the organization is looking forsolutions outside its competence or the project team is not performing. Different species of organization Part Two: Analysis All three of these books assume the point of view that managing in anenvironment of uncertainty is yet another situation of management ofdiversity. It has to function as a way to make a healthy company gethealthier (Daniels & Burns, 1997, 1 8).* Functional Risks -- The organization is confronted with a reorganizationplan, which is not applicable to the kind of business the company is in. Of course, since the time line runs from Socrates to 199 , there are12 critical years of organizational development and theory which are leftout, most particularly all of the changes connected with the Internet andother aspects of computer connectivity. The overall vision of these authors of these three works all suggestthat we are witnessing a power shift from a "command and-control" world(where some are in control, and others follow) to a dispersed world. Among therisks are:* Financial Risks incurred when the decentralization does not yield thehigh Return-of-Investment expected.* Technical Risks -- Business process oriented Information Technologysolutions either are not available or not working. 23). This suggests to Morgan that the metaphor ischanging and that traditionally, the headquarters-subsidiary relationshipthat has been characterized in the metaphor and image of control is beingreplaced with new images and metaphors of geographic and culturaldiversity. Barriers, as Perrow points out, aresevere, unexpected and not planned for problems in BusinessDecentralization. The purpose of the collection is toprovide the tyro scholar in the field of organizational theory with anoverview of the history of organizational theory and development. (1975), A Comparative analysis of complex organizations:on power, involvement, and their correlates, New York: Free Press. Perhapsthe most helpful part of the entire book is between pages 1 and 23 wherethey provide a historic time line of the varying theories and their impacton social development. Henkoff, R. Morgan credits previous scholars who conceived "open systems theory,"a system of beliefs that was, in itself, a metaphorical leap betweenbiological organizations and human organizations and came up with thissimple conclusion. New York: Wiley. Morgan observes that there are risks as well as benefits to makingthe transition from centralized to decentralized organizations. The key to the readings wasto determine where we have been and, from that knowledge, make assumptionsabout where we are going. (1991), Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/ColePublishing) Shafritz and Ott are not theorists but editors and in this work theyhave compiled numerous writings about organizational theory, all of themconsidered to be seminal works. Organizational life cycles . 1986, Newbury Park, CA: Sage) At the beginning of this work, Morgan says "All theories oforganization and management are based on implicit images or metaphors thatlead us to seem understand and manage organizations in distinctive yetpartial ways" (Morgan, 1986, 18). Barriers increase the impact of project risk factors, asis the situation suggested by Morgan who cites as an example how themiddle management resistance against the objective of introducing self-directed work teams can and often does emphasizes the political projectrisk and hinder the organization to such an extent that the organizationmay falter. References Etzioni, A. Agreeing or disagreeing with the author's choicesis instructive only insofar as it provides us with a method ofunderstanding how the authors view the history of organizational behaviorstudies.Complex Organizations: A Critical Essay(Perrow, C.,1986, New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education) In a very great sense, this book is also a survey look atorganizational theory with one major exception. It is from Chapters 3 and 4 that the main ideas for thisanalysis will be drawn, since these two chapters have the most humanisticapproach. Factors influencing organizational health and development . (1991), The Classics of Organization Theory, Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing) "The use of metaphor," he suggests, "impliesa way of thinking and a way of seeing that pervade how we understand ourworld generally. Today, authors and theorists, when they discuss their projectedvisions for the future, must deal with one inescapable paradigm: how thechanges in the diversity of the workplace will impact the corporation ofthe future, particularly on the role of the organizational structure. A second level of value could befound in the way that the authors choose to organize the work. Asa general rule, decentralization cannot help a sick company get well, as inthe Enron case. In Part One, each of the three books will be presented interms of their subject matter, their underlying assumptions, and theircontributions to the field. This section is followedby the "Human Resources" section where the value added nature of humancapital is considered. Where Shafritz and Ott'swork went inside the minds of numerous theorists, with Perrow's work, wealways stay within his mind. . In thefirst section, "Classical Organization Theory" they cite works by Socrates,Adam Smith, Babbage, Towne, Fayol and others. Morgan's approach is to trace the "idea" of organizational developmentusing a developmental paradigm that follows a path from mechanism tohumanism. For maximum clarity, he ensures that he produces very clear parametersof how he is using the term. L. Morgan follows systems theory traditionswhen he says that he will explore the "organismic" metaphor by considering: . .organizational members and stakeholders and contemporary workers [are] routinely faced with paradoxes at work, at home, and with society's basic values. He lays out this theme in 12 chapters that gradually increase incomplexity. .We use metaphor whenever we attempt to understand oneelement of experience in terms of another" (p. However, as Shafritz and Ott observe, theperspective of 'control' in organizations has been mostly viewed as asuperior-subordinate relationship with superiors issuing orders andoverseeing the subordinates. Often called a classic inorganizational theory provides a succinct overview of the principal schoolsof thought. Part Three: The Synthesis All of the authors studied in the three books suggest that the trendin organizational behavior is toward more complete decentralization and theconcomitant need to develop generic strategies to achieve thisdecentralization. The authors cited here all dealt with the human cost of work andorganization, and treated labor as value added. Morgan constantlycautions that a metaphor is not simply a shortcut to understanding, sinceit, of necessity, gives a skewed approach to understanding. (1986), Images of Organization, Newbury Park, CA: Perrow, C.,(1986), Complex Organizations: A Critical Essay, New York:McGraw-Hill Higher Education)Sage Shafritz, J.M.; Ott, J.S. In Part Two, each of the three books will beanalyzed and compared, paying particular attention to their differences.In Part Three, the three books will be synthesized, paying carefulattention to a notation of the efficiency and effectiveness of each book.Part Four, the Conclusion, will show how these theories will affect thecoming decades and will address key issues of a) human nature and humanbeings; b) sources of authority and power; c) communication; d) roles ofmanagers and leaders; e) view of organizational boundaries; f) view ofstructural differences; and, g) view of organizational success. In this book, the most original of thethree under consideration, he states that his task is "borrowing" what hastraditionally been thought of as a literary device, the term "metaphor" todefine and understand the complex theory of organizational behavior. We are seeing, therefore, the organizationaltheories (many of which also appear in the Classics book) through thefilter of Perrow's mental perceptions. Perrow alwaystries to guide the reader into thinking in two broad concepts: how theparts of a theory are developed and/or arranged and what they do; and, therelations, which connect the parts into a whole. Perrow believes that successful organizations, therefore, are thosethat learn to disperse control and decision-making, and that find ithelpful to obtain the opinions and experiences of a broad diversity ofpeople. "The notion of a system may be seen as simply a moreself-conscious and generic term for the dynamic interrelatedness ofcomponents" (Henkoff, 1995, 85). This does have the effect of reducing a theory or proposed school ofthought to its essential elements (analyzing a person on the basis of hisconstituent parts: viz, organs, cells, movements, words). This analysis will take thefollowing form. The pursuit of total quality requires leaders and followers to think and act in ways that are very different from their prior modes of operation and, in some cases, that seem to be based on contradictory principles--a paradox (Etzioni, 1975, 81). Part Four: Conclusions These three books take us from the beginnings of organizational theoryto a time period that is almost contemporary. Managing: smartest & dumbestmanagerial moves of 1994 here they are, the dramatic deals and remarkablerecoveries, the costly delays and sheepish retreats, the good, the bold,and the unlovely, Fortune, 84+. (1978), The social psychology oforganizations (2nd ed.). Organizations as "open systems" . If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.