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Structure in organizations: a reconsideration
Author(s) -
BRYMAN ALAN
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
journal of occupational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 2044-8325
pISSN - 0305-8107
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8325.1976.tb00324.x
Subject(s) - organizational structure , bureaucracy , human relations , social organization , sociology , epistemology , social organisation , social psychology , social structure , psychology , political science , social science , politics , philosophy , law
A brief review of the literature notes that two styles of organizational analysis—the ‘neo‐human relations’ and ‘organismic’ approaches—criticize bureaucracy and advocate the construction of organizations in which structure is less prominent. Evidence is cited which indicates that a certain degree of structure may in fact be beneficial to organizations and their members. This is in turn linked to a discussion of three social science approaches, each of which points to the possibility that structure may not be the bête noire that it is frequently taken to be in the neo‐human relations and organismic orientations.