Classics of Organization Theory

by Jay M. Shafritz

This volume collects the most important works in organization theory, as written by the most influential authors in the field. These are the works of the "masters"-and, having withstood the test of time, the ideas presented by each of the works are commonly referenced in the study of organizational theory. This text is designed to help students learn about, understand, and appreciate key themes and perspectives in the field. The authors begin the text by describing what organization theory is, how it has developed, and how its development has coincided with developments in other fields. Each chapter focuses on one major perspective of organization theory, helping students absorb these concepts before moving onto new ones.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Grad School, Sociology, Research, Economics, School

600 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 1978

Reviews

[Leb Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as thrilling as the books I read for entertainment but this book offers a comprehensive overview of the history of organizational theory. The ideas of the first theorists remain mostly relevant in today’s industries. My favourite tidbit was the idea that the management structures of a company is rooted in the era it was created. If you work for a train company, it is managed it a style closer to the 1800s than a phone company would be. Great info, dense literature.

[Joe DeGraaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This offered a comprehensive overview of major publications and scholars throughout the history of leadership and organization theory. Going back to the Art of War and Moses, extending to recent discussions of culture and gender in organizational design, this is a dense and detailed examination that offers a great resource.

[Sadie Forsythe]

I read this for a graduate-level Organization Theory and Behavior class. Some sections of it were more interesting to me than other parts. But I feel like it gave me a good overview of the development and direction of the field, as a whole.

[John Carter McKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed reading this anthology: it's a superb collection, and with introductory material for each chapter that's concise and fresh. It takes a historical approach, which I found surprisingly helpful for getting a feel for the evolution of an academic discipline: it starts with Taylor and Weber, proceeds through the postwar cyberneticists and human resources theorists to feminism and corporate social responsibility. Most all of the articles are well written and accessible (one or two are either turgid or chopped to bits for length).

The volume hangs together as a coherent whole better than most any edited collection I can think of. Whether your field is management or science and technology studies, this is a reference you want to have handy.

[Sidney Mariano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saved my ass, basically.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good collection that makes you think of the philosophical and psychological shifts of Organization theories.

[Mel]

REading for class, and I hate it. It's wordy.

[Yusuke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough reading. It covers all the basic traditional management theories from Adam Smith to the latest theories.The chapter about organizational cultures is good.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the text for my first course when I was working towards my Master's degree. Only a few articles were really interesting. I remember the Selznick article to be particularly grueling.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of organizational theories. As an professional coach, I find many of the studies useful in establishing foundational theories.