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Realism in Organizational Theory: A Reassessment *
Author(s) -
Keeley Michael
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
symbolic interaction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.874
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1533-8665
pISSN - 0195-6086
DOI - 10.1525/si.1983.6.2.279
Subject(s) - normative , realism , sociology , epistemology , critical realism (philosophy of perception) , organizational studies , organizational theory , symbolic interactionism , social reality , social psychology , organizational commitment , psychology , social science , philosophy , management , economics
Among organizational theorists, the old debate concerning the reality of social groups has been largely settled in favor of a realist position, which portrays organizations as natural entities that have many of the properties of living beings. I argue in this article that an alternative, interactionist view has been too lightly regarded as a general framework for organizational analysis. This view is defended on descriptive grounds, and its normative advantages are discussed.