The Sociology of Organizations An Anthology of Contemporary Theory and Research

by Wharton, Amy S.

• ISBN13: 9780195330700
• ISBN10: 0195330706
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-07-28
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Wharton's anthology provides an overview of contemporary theory and research in the sociology of organizations. Three features of this book are particularly distinctive: * An emphasis on sociological content: Although the readings reflect the multidisciplinarity and breadth of the organizations area, this anthology gives primary emphasis to selections with sociological content. Hence, the book should have strong appeal to instructors and students seeking a sociological understanding of organizations. * Attention to contemporary theory and research: A unique feature of this anthology is its attention to contemporary theory and research on organizations. At the same time, Wharton grounds the book in the "modern classics." The readings reveal how organizational sociology contributes to our understanding of key social and economic issues, such as diversity, globalization, and the environment. * Comprehensive, research-based, and methodologically diverse: The book is comprehensive in its coverage of topics, levels of analysis, and methodological approaches. Topics covered include: * Conceptions of organizations * Organizational structure * Historical development of the capitalist firm * Nonprofits and alternative organizational forms * Organizational culture * Organizational demography and social networks * Environments and organizational change Introductions to each section identify and explain central issues, key concepts, and relationships among topics.

Table of Contents

Understanding Organizations

Foundations of Contemporary Organizational Sociology

Reflections on a Half-Century of Organizational Sociology

Markets, Bureaucracies, and ClansCharles Perrow

Why Bureaucracy?

The Social Structure of Managerial Work

Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony

Varieties of Organizations

Organizing America: Wealth, Power, and the Origins of Corporate Capitalism

Bureaucracy and Democracy in Organizations: Revisiting Feminist Organizations

Nonprofit Organizations in International Development: Agents of Empowerment or Preservers of Stability?

Homophily in Voluntary Organizations: Status Distance and the Composition of Face-to-Face Groups

Democratizing Rural Economy: Institutional Friction, Sustainable Struggle and the Cooperative Movement

Inside Organizations

Culture and Control

Boundary Control: The Social Ordering of Work and Family Time in a High-tech Corporation

An Alternative to Bureaucratic Impersonality and Emotional Labor: Bounded Emotionality at The Body Shop

Maintaining Norms About Expressed Emotions: The Case of Bill Collectors

Metaphors and Meaning: An Intercultural Analysis of the Concept of Teamwork

Beach Time, Bridge Time, and Billable Hours: The Temporal Structure of Technical Contracting

Power and ConflictCalvin Morrill

Covert Political Conflict in Organizations: Challenges from Below

A Social Movement Perspective on Corporate Control

Two Faces of the Powerless: Coping With Tyranny in Organizations

When Cymbals Become Symbols: Conflict Over Organizational Identity within a Symphony Orchestra

Demography, Inequality, and Social Networks

Cultural Diversity at Work: The Effects of Diversity Perspectives on Work Group Processes and Outcomes

Race, Opportunity, and Diversity of Social Circles in Managerial Networks

The Effects of Organizational Demographics and Social Identity on Relationships Among Professional Women

(In)Voluntary Association: A Multilevel Analysis of Gender Segregation in Voluntary Organizations

Organizations and Environments

The Creation of Organizational Forms

The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields

The Demographic Perspective

Caveat Emptor: The Construction of Nonprofit Consumer Watchdog Organizations

Studies of Organizational Adaptation and Change

Autonomy, Interdependence, and Social Control: NASA and the Space Shuttle Challenger

Institutional Pressures and Strategic Responsiveness: Employer Involvement in Work-Family Issues

Breaking the Iron Law of Oligarchy: Union Revitalization in the American Labor Movement

Institutional Sources of Practice Variation: Staffing College and University Recycling Programs

The Twenty-First Century Organization

The Capitalist Firm in the Twenty-First Century: Emerging Patterns in Western EnterpriseGerald

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