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STRATEGIC CHOICE: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
Author(s) -
Montanari John R.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of management studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.398
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1467-6486
pISSN - 0022-2380
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6486.1979.tb00383.x
Subject(s) - discretion , contingency theory , organizational structure , contingency , context (archaeology) , process (computing) , organizational theory , business , organizational architecture , process management , management , economics , political science , computer science , epistemology , paleontology , philosophy , law , biology , operating system
T he problem of which organization structure is most appropriate for current business conditions has perplexed managers for decades. Several management theorists have proposed that modifications of the firm's structural design were in response to changes in the organization's context. Recently, Child 2 suggested that senior executives in the firm may have the discretion to strongly influence their organization unit's structure. This paper discusses the development of a contingency theory of structural determination which incorporates strengths of past theories, managerial discretion, fourteen dimensions of structure, and organizational effectiveness. It also reports on preliminary research which supports the importance of managerial discretion in the structural determination process.