The systems paradigm in organization theory: correcting the record and suggesting the future
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Two mislaken beliefs have appeared repeatedly in the organizaand Miller (1978):
tion theory literature concerning aplication of the systems para digm to organizations. This paper identifies and correéis these beliefs. Three opportunities for using the systems paradigm to
furlher the development of organization theory have been ouerlo- oked. The paper identifies these opportunities and suggests how they can be exploited. Finally, the aulhors note that recent ad- vances in organization theory could enrich the paradigm, ma- king it more useful for organization research.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
/kademy of Management Joumal (AMJ) (1972) Theme is- sue: General systems theory, 15, 403-540.
Ackoff, R. L. (1971) Toward a system of systems con- cepts. Management Science, 17, 661-671.
Aguilar, F. J. (1967) Scanning the business environment. New York: Macmillan.
Ashby, W. (1970) Analysis of the systems to be mode- led. In R. Stogdill (Ed.), The process of model building (pp. 94-113). Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
Astley, W. G. (1985) The two ecologies: Population and community perspectives on organizational evo- lution. Administrative Science Quarterly, 30, 224-241.
Astley, W. G. & Van de Ven, A. (1983) Central pers pectives and debates in organization theory. Admi nistrative Science Quarterly, 28, 245-273.
Bamard, C. I. (1938) The functions of the execuhve. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Becr, S. (1966) Decisión and control. London: Wiley. Bell, D. (1973) The coming of post-industrial society. New
York: Basic Books.
Bertalanffy, L. von (1950) The theory of open systems in physics and biology. Science, 3, 23-29.
Bertalanffy, L. von (1962) General systems theory—a critical review. General Systems, 1, 1-20.
Boulding, K. (1956) General systems theory—The skeleton of science. Management Science, 2, 197-208.
Child, J. (1972) Organization structure, environment, and performance: The role of strategic choice. So- ciology, 6, 1-22.
Churchman, C. W. (1971) 77^ design of inquiring sys tems. New York: Basic Books.
Cooper, D., & Wolf, F. (1980) Theory development in organization behavior: A systems perspective. In C.
C. Pinder & L. F. Moore (Eds.), Middle range theory and the study of organizations (pp. 339-353). Boston: Martinus Nijhoff.
Duncan, D. (1972) James G. Miller’s living systems theory: Issues for management thought and practi-
ce. Academy of Management Journal, 15, 513-529. Duncan, R. (1972) Characteristics of organizational
environments and perceived environmental uncer- tainty. Administrative Science Quarterly, 17, 313-327.
Duncan, R. (1973) Múltiple decision-making structu-
res in adapting to environmental uncertainty. Hu man Relations, 26, 273-291.
Emery, F. E. & Trist, E. L. (1965) The causal texture
of organizational environments. Human Relations,
, 21-32.
Fayol, H. (1949) General and industrial management (C. Storrs, Trans.) London: Pittman (Original work published in France in 1916).
Fredrickson, J. W. (1986) The strategic decisión pro
cess and organizational structure. Arademj of Mana gement Review, 11,280-297.
Fry, L. (1982) Technology-structure research: Three critical issues. Academy of Management Journal, 25,
-552.
Gharajedaghi, J., & Ackoff, R. (1984) Mechanisms, organisms and social systems. Strategic Management
Joumal, 5, 289-300.
Glassman, R. B. (1973) Persistence and loose coupling
in living systems. Behavioral Science, 18, 83-98. Henderson, A. M. & Parsons, T. (1947) Max Weber:
The theory of social and economic organizations. Glencoe, NY: Free Press.
Huber, G. P. (1982) Organizational informations sys tems: Determinants of their performance and beha-vior. Management Science, 28, 138-155.
Huber, G. P. (1984) The nature and design of post industrial organizations. Management Science, 30, 928-951.
Kast, D., & Rosenzweig, J. (1972) General systems theory: Applications for organization and manage ment. Academy of Management Joumal, 15, 447-465.
Katz, D., & Kahn, R. (1966) The social psychology of or ganizations. New York: Wiley.
Keeley, M. (1980) Organizational analogy: A compa- rison of organismic and social contract models. Ad- minislrative Science Quarterly, 25, 337-362.
Koontz, H. (1980) The management theory jungle re- visited. Academy of Management Review, 5, 175-187.
Kramer, N. J. T. A., & de Smith, J. (1977) Systems thinking. Leíden, Nethcrlands: Martinus Nijhoff.
Kuhn, T. S. (1970) The structure of scientific revolutions (2nd enlarged edition). Chicago: University of Chi cago Press.
Lawrence, P. R., & Lorsch, J. W. (1967) Organization and environment. Boston: Harvard Business School.
March, J., & Simón, H. (1958) Organizations. New York: Wiley.
Martín, J., Feldman, M., Hatch, M., & Sitkin, S. (1983) The uniqueness paradox in organizational stories. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28, 438-453.
McKelvey, B. (1982) Organizational syst
ematics. Berke- ley: University of California Press.
Melcher, A. J. (1975) General sysiem and organizations: Methodological aspects. Kent, OH: Kent State Univer sity Press.
Meyer, J., & Rowan, B. (1977) Institutionalized orga nizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Joumal of Sociology, 83, 340-363.
Miller, J. (1972) Living systems: The organization. Behavioral Science, 17, 2-182.
Miller, J. (1978) Living systems. New York: McGraw- Hill.
Mintzberg, H., Raisinghani, D., & Theoret, A. (1976) The structure of unstructured decisión processes. Ad ministrative Science Quarterly, 21, 246-275. Mitroff, I. I. (1974) The subjective side of science: A philo-
sophical inquiry into the psychology of the Apollo moon scientists. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Mooney, J. & Reiley, A. (1931) Onuvard industry. New York: Harper and Brothers.
Morgan, G. (1986) Images of organizations. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Mossholder, K. W., & Bedian, A. C. (1983) Cross- level ¿nferences and organizational research: Pers- pectives on interpretation and application. Academy of Management Review, 8, 547-558.
Naisbitt, J. (1982) Megairends. New York: Warner Books.
Nutt, P. C. (1984) Types of organizational decisión processes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 29, 414- 450.
Orwell, G. (1945) Animal farm. London: Secker & Warburg.
Peters, T., & Waterman, R. (1982) In search of excellence. New York: Harper & Row.
Pfeffer, J., & Salancik, G. (1978) The extemal control of organizations: A reso urce-dependent perspective. New York: Harper & Row.
Pinder, C. C., & Moore, L. F. (1980) The inevitabi- lity of múltiple paradigms and the resultant need for middle-range analysis in organizational theory. In C. C. Pinder & L. F. Moore (Eds.), Middle Tange the ory and the study of organizations (pp. 87-100). Boston: Martinus Nijhoff.
Pondy, L. (1983) The role of metaphors and myths in organization and in the faciiitation of change. In L. Pondy, G. Morgan, P. Frost, & T. Dandridge (Eds.), Organizational symbolism (pp. 157-166). Gre- enwich, CT: JAI Press.
Pondy, L., Frost, P., Morgan, G., & Dandridge, T. (1983) Organizational symbolism. Greenwich, CT:JAI Press.
Pondy, L., & Mitroff, I. (1979) Beyond open system models of organizations. In B. Staw (Ed.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 1, pp- 3-39). Green wich, CT: JAI Press.
Rapaport, A. (1966) Mathematical aspects of general systems analysis. General Systems, 11, 3-11.
Rousseau, D., & Cooke, R. (1984) Technology and structure: The concrete, abstract, and activity sys tems of organizations. Joumal of Management, 10(3), 345-361.
Scott, W. R. (1981) Organizations: Rational, natural and open systems. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Shibutani, T. (1968) A cybernetic approach to motiva- tíon. In W. Buckley (Ed.), Modem systems research for the behavioral scientisl (pp. 303-336). Chicago; Aldine.
Sloan, A.P., Jr. (1946) My years with General Motors. New York; Doubleday.
Sommerhoff, G. (1950) Analytical biology. London: Ox-ford University Press.
Sommerhoff, G. (1969) The abstract characteristics of living systems. In F. E. Emery (Ed.), Systems thin- king (pp. 147-220). Middlesex, England: Penguin Books.
Taylor, F. W. (1947) Scientific management. New York: Harper and Brothers (Original work published in 1911).
Thompson, J. (1967) Organizations in action. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Toffler, A. (1970) Future shock. New York: Random House.
Toffler, A. (1985) The adaptive corporation. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Tunstall, W. B. (1983) Cultural transition at AT&T. Sloan Management Review, 25(1), 15-26.
Ulrich, D., & Barney, J. (1984) Perspectives in organi zations: Resource dependence, efficiency and popu- lation. Academy of Management Review, 9, 471-481.
Weick, K. E. (1974) Middle range theories of social systems. Behauiural Science, 19, 357-367.
Weick, K. E. (1976) Educacional organizations as looscly coupled systems. Administrative Science Quarterly, 21,
-8.
Weick, K. E. (1979) The social psychology of organizing. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Zammuto, R., & Cameron, K. (1985) Environmental decline and organizational response. In L. L. Cum- mings & B. M. Staw (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 7, pp. 223-262) Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.