Organization Theory
PART A
Introduction
Understanding organizations may occur to some, to be a complex issue. The multiple approaches allow us to embrace this issue by providing us with concepts and theories using the different assumptions of ontology and epistemology to understand and analyze organizations better. This essay will discuss on the modernism and critical theoretical perspectives and its influence on the aspects that constitute an organization which includes power, control and conflict, social and physical structure of an organization and organization culture.
Modernism
The modernist perspective takes on an objective ontology stance where reality exists in the minds of the individuals and their reactions are based on what is happening around them, and a positivist epistemology stance where hypotheses testing are carried out against the objective reality with our knowledge to obtain the values of reason, truth and validity (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006).
Most organizations today, adopt a modernist approach in operating their organization. They function around an existing set of correct standards and procedures to maximize the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of its systems to create competitive advantage and profitability. This philosophy of scientific management by Frederick Taylor sets the foundation for management and allows for the measurement of employees’ performance (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006).
Modernist approach also sees that organization is structured into a hierarchy system that comprises of subsystems that are differentiated according to their specialization to optimize its efficiency. As Bertalanffy (1953, cited in Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science 2012) defined systems as ‘sets of elements standing in interaction’, there is no standalone subsystem in the whole system. Every subsystem plays an important role in contributing to the efficiency of the organization.
Critical theory
The critical theory is concerned with
Introduction
Understanding organizations may occur to some, to be a complex issue. The multiple approaches allow us to embrace this issue by providing us with concepts and theories using the different assumptions of ontology and epistemology to understand and analyze organizations better. This essay will discuss on the modernism and critical theoretical perspectives and its influence on the aspects that constitute an organization which includes power, control and conflict, social and physical structure of an organization and organization culture.
Modernism
The modernist perspective takes on an objective ontology stance where reality exists in the minds of the individuals and their reactions are based on what is happening around them, and a positivist epistemology stance where hypotheses testing are carried out against the objective reality with our knowledge to obtain the values of reason, truth and validity (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006).
Most organizations today, adopt a modernist approach in operating their organization. They function around an existing set of correct standards and procedures to maximize the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of its systems to create competitive advantage and profitability. This philosophy of scientific management by Frederick Taylor sets the foundation for management and allows for the measurement of employees’ performance (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006).
Modernist approach also sees that organization is structured into a hierarchy system that comprises of subsystems that are differentiated according to their specialization to optimize its efficiency. As Bertalanffy (1953, cited in Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science 2012) defined systems as ‘sets of elements standing in interaction’, there is no standalone subsystem in the whole system. Every subsystem plays an important role in contributing to the efficiency of the organization.
Critical theory
The critical theory is concerned with