Session 06: Organization Design & Contingency Theory

Topics

In addition to comparing alternative forms of organization, an extensive amount of theorizing and research has focused on the design of organizations as open and intendedly-rational systems. As noted in our review of OMT classics in week 3, this perspective emerged in the 1960’s with the development of contingency and configuration theories of organization design. This perspective assumed that organizational structures and systems are relatively stable arrangements that can be adapted to fit occasional changes in environmental demands.

• Prof. Van de Ven’s class slides, old 1979 notes on organization design, and notes on Thompson (1967)

• Michelle Linhoff and Jay Chang-Wook discussion slides

Required Readings

• Thompson (1967) "Organizations in Action," Chpts. 3-5, pp. 25-65. Also, see Zald’s preface & Scott’s introduction to transaction edition

• Lawrence & Lorsch (1967) "Differentiation and Integration in Complex Organizations," ASQ, 12: 1-47.

• Donaldson (2001) “The Contingency Theory of Organizations,” Sage, Chpt. 1, pp. 1-33.

• Meyer, Tsui, & Hinings (1993) "Configurational Approaches to Organizational Analysis," AMJ, 36, 6: 1175-1195.

• Drazin & Van de Ven (1985) "Alternative Forms of Fit in Contingency Theory," ASQ, 30: 514-39.

• Van de Ven, Leung, Bechara & Sun (2012) “Changing organizational designs and performance frontiers,” OS

Supplementary Readings

• • Stinchcombe (1965) “Social structure and organizations”

  • Perrow (1967) "A Framework of the Comparative Analysis of Organizations" ASR, 32: 194-208.

  • Galbraith (1977) Organization Design Chpt. 3, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

  • Pugh (1981) "The Aston Program of Research" and Starbuck commentary in Van de Ven and Joyce Ibid.

  • Child (1972) "Org. Structure, Env. and Perform.: The Role of Strategic Choice," Sociology, 6.

  • Miller (1992) "Environnemental Fit Versus Internal Fit," Organization Science, 3, 2: 252-278.

  • Van de Ven & Ferry (1980) Measuring and Assessing Organizations, NY: Wiley. (Out of print. Accessible here.)

  • Doty, Glick, & Huber (1993) "Fit, Equifinality, and Organizational Effectiveness: A test of two configurational theories," AMJ, 36, 6: 1196-1250.

  • Milgrom & Roberts (1995) “Complementarities and fit: Strategy, structure, and organizational change in manufacturing,” Journal of Accounting and Economics, 19: 179-208

  • Whittington & Pettigrew (2003). “Compementaries Thinking.” Pettigrew, Whittington, Melin, Sanchez-Runde, van den Bosch, Ruigrok, & Numagami (Eds.) “Innovative forms of organizing,” Chpts. 6. London: Sage, pp. 125-132.

  • Sinha & Van de Ven (2005) “The Design of Work within and between Organizations,” Organization Science