ORGANIZATION THEORY
PUBP6014
Fall, 2023
Professor Walsh
Contact Information:
Office: RICH301 Phone: 404-385-0400 Email: jpwalsh@gatech.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
Description:
This course is a broad introduction to organization theory. We will begin with
classical organization theories and then move on to cover a wide variety of
perspectives for studying organizations. The course will consist of lectures
and discussions based on weekly reading assignments. Students will be expected
to keep up with the readings and be prepared to discuss them in class.
Grading:
There will be three short (5 page) papers required in the class. Each paper
will use the readings to analyze some question about organizations. The grading
of these papers will be based primarily on your ability to demonstrate an
understanding of the relevant readings and to use these readings in a
thoughtful way. Each paper will count for 25% of your final grade.
Participation in class will count for an additional 25% of your final grade.
Texts: Books are available
from your favorite purveyor of books
Adams, S. 1996. The Dilbert Principle. New York: Harper Business.
[for PhD students only]
Scott, W.R. and G.F. Davis. 2007. Organizations and Organizing: Rational,
Natural and Open Systems Perspectives. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
There will also be readings on Canvas or in the library’s e-journal databases.
*THIS IS A TENTATIVE SYLLABUS. READINGS ARE STILL BEING MODIFIED. HOWEVER,
THE FIRST WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT IS CORRECT. *
Week 1 (8/22-8/24) Introduction
Scott and Davis, Ch. 1
Adams, Forward, Introduction, Ch. 1
James
S. Coleman. 1993. “The Rational Reconstruction of Society.” American
Sociological Review, Vol. 58:1-15. [Canvas]
Weeks 2 & 3 (8/29-9/7)-Classical Organization Theory
Scott and Davis, Ch. 2
A. Smith. 1776. Wealth of Nations. Ch. 1. “Of the Division of Labour”[Canvas]
Weber. Bureaucracy [Canvas]
M. Weber. Patrimonialism and Patriarchy [Canvas]
F.W. Taylor. Principles of Scientific Management
John P. Walsh and You-Na Lee. 2015 “The bureaucratization of science.” Research Policy 44(8):1584-1600. [Canvas]
Week 4 (9/12-9/14)-Rationality and Its Limits
Simon, H.A. 1997. Administrative Behavior. Ch. V. “The psychology of
administrative decisions.”[Canvas]
Michael D. Cohen; James G. March; Johan P. Olsen. 1972. “A Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice.” Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1. (Mar., 1972), pp. 1-25. [JSTOR]
Week 5 (9/19-9/21)-Organizations as Natural Systems
Scott and Davis, Ch. 3
Adams, Chs. 7, 9, 10
E. Mayo. 1930. “The Human Effect of Mechanization.” American Economic Review 20(1):156-176. [JSTOR]
Perlow, L.A. 1999. “The Time Famine” Administrative Science Quarterly 44:57-81. [JSTOR]
—————FIRST PAPER DUE THURSDAY, 9/21————
Week 6 (9/26-9/28)-Informal Structure
Adams, Chs. 6, 8
Roy, D. 1952. “Quota restriction and goldbricking in a machine shop”
American Journal of Sociology 57:427-442. [JSTOR]
Blau, P. 1955. “Consultation among colleagues.” Ch. 6 in Dynamics of Bureaucracy. Chicago: Chicago. [Canvas]
Dalton, M. 1959. “Interlocking of official and unofficial reward.” From Men Who Manage. New York: John Wiley & Sons. In O. Grusky and G.A. Miller, eds. 1981. The Sociology of Organizations. New York: Free Press. [Canvas]
Week 7 (10/3-10/5)-Power in Organizations
Scott and Davis, Ch. 8
Adams, Chs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 25
Hickson, D.J., C.R. Hinings, C.A. Lee, R.E. Schneck, and J.M. Pennings. 1971. “A strategic contingencies’ theory of intraorganizational power.” Administrative Science Quarterly 16:216-229. [JSTOR]
Pfeffer, J. and G.R. Salancik. 1974. “Organizational decision making as a political process.” Administrative Science Quarterly 19:135-151. [JSTOR]
Salancik, G.R. and J. Pfeffer. “The bases and use of power in organizational decision making” Administrative Science Quarterly 19:453-473. [JSTOR]
Week 8 (10/10-10/12)-Contingency Theory
—————FALL BREAK TUESDAY, 10/10: NO CLASS————
Scott and Davis, Chs. 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13
Adams, Chs. 11, 17
Lawrence, P. R. & J.W. Lorsch. 1967. “High-performing organizations in three environments.” Ch. 6 of Organizations and Environment. Cambridge: Harvard. In D.S. Pugh, ed. 1990. Organization Theory. New York: Penguin. [Canvas]
Van de Ven, A., A. Delbecq, R. Koenig, Jr. 1976. “Determinants of coordination modes within organizations.” American Sociological Review 41:322-338.
[JSTOR]
[OPTIONAL]
Burns, T. & G.M. Stalker. 1961. Management of Innovation. Ch. 6 “Mechanistic and organic systems of management.” [Canvas]
Week 9 (10/17-10/19)-
(10/17) Organizational Networks
Scott and Davis, Ch. 11
Krackhardt, D. and J.R. Hanson. 1993. Informal Networks: The Company Behind the Chart. Harvard Business Review Juny-August, 1993: 104-111. [Canvas]
(10/19) Organizational Learning
Adams, Chs. 14, 23
Argote, L. and E. Darr. 2000. Repositories of knowledge in franchise organizations: individual, structural and technological.” Pp. 51-68 in G. Dosi, R.R. Nelson and S.G. Winter, etc. The Nature and Dynamics of Organizational Capabilities. Oxford: Oxford. [Canvas]
Week 10 (10/24-10/26)- Organizations and Innovation
Adams, Chs. 15, 26
—————SECOND PAPER DUE THURSDAY, 10/26————
Week 11 (10/31-11/2)-Institutional Theories
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Adams, Chs. 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20
Meyer, J.W. and B. Rowan. 1977. “Institutionalized organizations: formal structure as myth and ceremony.” American Journal of Sociology 83:
340-363. [JSTOR]
Edelman, L.B. 1992. “Legal ambiguity and symbolic structures.” American Journal of Sociology 97:1531-76. [JSTOR]
Paul J. DiMaggio, Walter W. Powell. 1983. “The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields.” American Sociological Review, Vol. 48, No. 2. (Apr., 1983), pp. 147-160. [JSTOR]
Stinchcombe, A.L. 1965. “Social structure and organizations.” In J. March, ed. Handbook of Organizations. Chicago: Rand McNally. [Canvas]
Westphal, J.D., R. Gulati, S.M. Shortell. 1997. “Customization or conformity? an institutional and network perspective on the content and consequences of TQM adoption.” Administrative Science Quarterly 42:366-394. [JSTOR]
Baron, J.N., M.T. Hannan and M.D. Burton. 1999. “Building the Iron Cage.” American Sociological Review 64:527-547. [JSTOR]
Week 12 (11/7-11/9)-Organizational Ecology
Scott and Davis, Ch. 5, 10
Adams, Chs. 21, 22
Hannan, M. & J. Freeman. 1977. “The population ecology of organizations.” American Journal of Sociology 82:929-964. [JSTOR]
Week 13 (11/14-11/16)- Comparative Models of Organization-I
Adams, Ch. 24
Hamilton, G.S., N.W. Biggart. 1988. “Market, culture and authority: a comparative analysis of management and organization in the Far East.” American Journal of Sociology 94:S52-S94. [JSTOR]
Lincoln, J.R. and K. McBride. “Japanese industrial organization in comparative perspective.” Annual Review of Sociology 13:289-312. [JSTOR]
Weeks 14 (11/21-11/23)-Comparative Models of Organization-II
(11/23)-THANKSGIVING BREAK: NO CLASS
Weeks 15 (11/28-11/30)-Comparative Models of Organization-III
Rothschild-Whitt, J. 1979. “The collectivist organization.” American Sociological Review 44:509-527.[JSTOR]
Sirianni, C. 1993. “Learning pluralism: democracy and diversity in feminist organizations.” Ch. 29. In F. Fischer and C. Sirianni, eds. 1994. Organization & Bureaucracy. Philadelphia: Temple. [Canvas]
Week 16 (12/5) Conclusions
Scott and Davis, Chs 11, 13, 14
—FINAL PAPER
DUE Tuesday, 12/11, Noon, by email to jpwalsh@gatech.edu—-