Understanding Organizations

List of Figures and Tables vii

Acknowledgments viii

1 Introducing Organizations 1

What is an organization? 1

The organizational society 8

Key Readings 17

2 Classic Theories of Organizations 19

Weber – bureaucracy and beyond 20

Durkheim and the division of labor in society 28

Karl Marx and the spirit of capitalism 32

Conclusions 37

Key Readings 38

3 Management and Administration 40

How work works 41

Rational systems – Fayol, Ford, Taylor 42

Organizations as human systems 54

Key Readings 60

4 Culture in Organizations 61

What workers want 63

The TVA and the hearts of men 67

What workers feel 69

Bureaucracy as a culture 71

Organizational cultures at work 76

Culture shift 78

Dress for success 81

Conclusions 82

Key Readings 83

5 Organizational Dysfunctions 85

Everyday dysfunction 86

Built-in failures 96

Disasters 99

Key Readings 104

6 Organizations and Environments 105

Defi nitions and assumptions 105

Relations among organizations 111

The neo-institutional model 125

Key Readings 131

7 The Non- profi t Sector 132

Defining the non-profit sector 133

Why is there a non-profit sector? 135

How are NPOs different? 140

Commerce and community at an arts organization 144

The three sectors intersect 145

Key Readings 153

8 Organizing for Social Change 154

Community-based non-profits and the state 155

Social change organizations 161

Key Readings 171

9 What's Next for the Sociology of Organizations? 173

Which way is forward? 173

Organizations are at the heart of sociology 187

Now that you know this . . . 191

Glossary 193

References 198

Index 211