The second edition of Organizational Theory in Higher Education is a comprehensive and accessible treatment of organizational theory and higher education administration. Noted scholar Kathleen Manning offers a fresh take on the models and lenses through which higher education can be viewed by presenting a full range of organizational theories, from traditional to current. Chapters discuss the disciplinary foundation, structure, metaphor, assumptions, characteristics, and other elements of each organizational theory and conclude with cases highlighting practical applications. Questions for discussion are provided at the end of each chapter and embedded in the cases to assist the reader in making connections to their practice. Manning’s rich, interdisciplinary treatment enables readers to gain a full understanding of the perspectives that operate on a college campus and ways to adopt effective practice in the context of new and continuing tensions, contexts, and challenges. New to this Edition :
Read for a doctoral program class, Organizational Theory and Governance, at Union University.
It was good, helpful, and reframed some of what Birnbaum cited in his work "How Colleges Work" which was read in tandem with this text.
I felt the "modern" models of organizational theory that Manning has put forward are less models of organizational operation and more like "lenses" from which one can review traditional models. The modern models put forward do not have ability to stand up as organizational models. They can, however, influence the operations of the traditional models.
I read this textbook for my Organizational Theory in Higher Education class. It was a great entry text for an overview of different organizational theories and frameworks. I enjoyed the case studies at the end of each chapter because it provided a practical application of each theory. It wasn't a dense book, but it still had a lot of great information.
While the information in the book feels relevant, the examples can also feel out of date. Part of the issue of any textbook is the moment it is sent to the printer, it is already behind.