Sociology of organizations
Examen: 40 min voorbereiding voor 2 vragen
Geschreven voorbereiding bij examen
Examen zelf: 15 min
Groepswerk + peer assessment
,Organizations as rational systems
Intro
!theories = discussed in chronological order
Start: oldest (relevant on current situations?)
’60 → ’90: perspectives on organizations = complex → 2 types of perspectives:
1. Micro:
• Contingency theory
• Resource dependence theory
• Transaction cost theory
2. Macro:
• Organizational ecology
• Neo-institutional theory
- Perspectives = open / rational / natural
The encapsulation of social life in organizational relations
Everyday life = form of organization
- Hospital, food chain, cinema, public transport, school, …
- Organizations = omnipresent
- Organizations = structures of society
➢ How society functions ≈ organization
Organizational problems and types of “publics”
Types of publics (ex. University) :
1. Ordinary employees: Ex. Teachers (werknemers)
2. Employers and managers (werkgevers)
3. Contact public (direct relationship: part of an organization ≠ employee)
➢ Ex. Students (deelnemers)
4. General public (indirect relationship: politicians, journalists, … can have an opinion about)
Types of problems:
1. Controllability: lack of control for contact, employees, … on direction of organization
➢ No input on the future or decisions of the management
2. Quality of working life: working climate, nature, …
➢ Ex. Stress level because of directives
3. Directing and planning: goalsetting, directing, …
4. Manageability: unintended consequences functioning of the organization
Associations between problems and public
+ frequently // +- sometimes // - rarely
, What is an organization: general definitions
More than 1 definitions: communalities between them
1. Blau and scott: “ have been deliberately established for a certain purpose “
➢ Consciously decided (≠ natural, spontaneous, …)
➢ Goal setting = specific
2. Etzioni: “ are social units deliberately constructed and reconstructed to seek specific goals”
➢ = specific purpose + deliberately
➢ ≠ goal (need input and rational action to reach) purpose
➢ ≠ change over time → reconstructed
3. Stinchcombe: “ any social arrangement in which activities of some people are systematically
planned by other people (who, therefore, have authority over them) in order to achieve some special
purpose…”
➢ Designers and subordinates: difference in constitutional power
➢ Distribution of tasks = structure of the organization
In sum: The blueprint of an organization determines the construction of social relationships within an
organization, and thus by definition, the potential for conflict, cooperation and participation
Different departments/subentities
Manager: reaching goals due to efficient structure
Essential ingredients
Informal: habits, routines, ….
Ingredients in theories !
Examen: 40 min voorbereiding voor 2 vragen
Geschreven voorbereiding bij examen
Examen zelf: 15 min
Groepswerk + peer assessment
,Organizations as rational systems
Intro
!theories = discussed in chronological order
Start: oldest (relevant on current situations?)
’60 → ’90: perspectives on organizations = complex → 2 types of perspectives:
1. Micro:
• Contingency theory
• Resource dependence theory
• Transaction cost theory
2. Macro:
• Organizational ecology
• Neo-institutional theory
- Perspectives = open / rational / natural
The encapsulation of social life in organizational relations
Everyday life = form of organization
- Hospital, food chain, cinema, public transport, school, …
- Organizations = omnipresent
- Organizations = structures of society
➢ How society functions ≈ organization
Organizational problems and types of “publics”
Types of publics (ex. University) :
1. Ordinary employees: Ex. Teachers (werknemers)
2. Employers and managers (werkgevers)
3. Contact public (direct relationship: part of an organization ≠ employee)
➢ Ex. Students (deelnemers)
4. General public (indirect relationship: politicians, journalists, … can have an opinion about)
Types of problems:
1. Controllability: lack of control for contact, employees, … on direction of organization
➢ No input on the future or decisions of the management
2. Quality of working life: working climate, nature, …
➢ Ex. Stress level because of directives
3. Directing and planning: goalsetting, directing, …
4. Manageability: unintended consequences functioning of the organization
Associations between problems and public
+ frequently // +- sometimes // - rarely
, What is an organization: general definitions
More than 1 definitions: communalities between them
1. Blau and scott: “ have been deliberately established for a certain purpose “
➢ Consciously decided (≠ natural, spontaneous, …)
➢ Goal setting = specific
2. Etzioni: “ are social units deliberately constructed and reconstructed to seek specific goals”
➢ = specific purpose + deliberately
➢ ≠ goal (need input and rational action to reach) purpose
➢ ≠ change over time → reconstructed
3. Stinchcombe: “ any social arrangement in which activities of some people are systematically
planned by other people (who, therefore, have authority over them) in order to achieve some special
purpose…”
➢ Designers and subordinates: difference in constitutional power
➢ Distribution of tasks = structure of the organization
In sum: The blueprint of an organization determines the construction of social relationships within an
organization, and thus by definition, the potential for conflict, cooperation and participation
Different departments/subentities
Manager: reaching goals due to efficient structure
Essential ingredients
Informal: habits, routines, ….
Ingredients in theories !
