SOCIOLOGY 102

PEÑARANDA, RODRIGUEZ, ROSALES, VILLAFLOR

Cross Case Analysis of the Schools of Thought in the Rational Systems Perspective

Theory/Model Proponent Proponent’s Conception of Major Features/Concepts Strengths and Limitations

Origin/Background Organization Introduced
Taylor’s Scientific The scientific In an organization, it is -Change in structure of -Efficient production
Management management approach possible to analyze tasks work arrangements methods
received its primary performed by individual - Transformation of the -Focus on the individual
impetus from the work of workers scientifically in role management task and worker level
Fredrick W. Taylor in the order to discover those - Advent of industrial -Direct reward
late nineteenth and early procedures that would peace: the interests of mechanisms
twentieth century but was produce the maximum labor and management -Use of measurements for
carried forward by the output with the minimum would be rendered improvement
contributions of Lillian output of energies and compatible -This approach stressed
and Frank Gilbreth, resources. -Rationalize the and emphasized the
Charles Bedeaux and organization from importance of identifying
Henry Gantt. bottom- up work tasks and then
-Scientific management making that method the
theory: a theory of standard that the
management that inspectors’ activities were
analyzes and synthesizes themselves subject to
workflows careful review.
-the transformation from - Efforts were
craft work to concentrated on analyzing
mechanization and individual tasks but
automation attempts to rationalize
labor at the level of the
individual worker
inevitably led to changes
in the entire structure of
work arrangements
Fayol’s Administrative Henri Fayol, a French
Theory industrialist writing in the there is a collective job to
early part of this century
was one of the earliest
proponents of this
approach, but his ideas the task of administration,
did not become widely
available until 1949 until
his work was translated.
Influential participants human effort necessary to
included Mooney and
Reiley.
In every organization He had introduced -Pioneers in identifying
coordination and fundamental features of
be done, consisting specialization formal organizational
always of the sum of 1. Coordination structure
many individual jobs, and >Scalar Principle – -Views that all
emphasized the hierarchal organizations contain
operating through organizational form in common structural
management, is the which all participants are characteristics
coordination od all the linked into a single -Raised the level of
pyramidal structure of analysis to focus not on
this end. control relations individual behavior but on
>Unity of Command organizational structure
Principle -Emphasized
-No organizational management functions
participants should and attempted to
receive orders from more generate broad
than one superior administrative principles
>Span of Control Principle that would serve as
-Emphasizes that no guidelines for the
superior should have rationalization of
more subordinates than organizational activities.
can effectively be
overseen
2. Exception Principle
-Proposes that all routine
matters be handled by
subordinates leaving
superiors free to deal with
exceptional situations to
which existing rules are
inapplicable
2. Specialization
-Departmentalization
 Principle
-Maintains that activities
w=should be grouped to
combine homogenous or
related activities
>Line-Staff Principle
-Directly concerned with
achieveing organizational
goals while staff activities
consist of advice, service
or support

*Top-bottom
rationalization
Weber’s Theory of Weber’s Theory of Weber had introduced the 1. Different kinds of -Jurisdictional Areas are
Bureaucracy Bureaucracy were most influential ideas in Authority clearly justified
described by Max Weber, social organization. >Traditional -Fixed division of labor
the influential German Weber believes in the Authority- resting among participants
sociologist/ political need for a on established -Hierarchy of offices
economist hierarchical structure belief in the -Set of general rules that
of power in an sanctity of govern performance
organization. immemorial -Employment by the
traditions and organization constitutes a
legitimacy of career for officials
those exercising -Officials are personally
authority under free, selected on the basis
them of technical qualifications,
>Rational-legacy appointed to office and
authority- resting compensated by salary
on a belief in the
legality of
patterns of
normative rules
 >Charismatic
Authority- resting
on devotion to
the specific and
exceptional
sanctity, heroism,
or exemplary
character of a
person
*Patrimonal
System
-Traditional and
rational-legal
authority
relations are
sufficiently stable
to provide a
foundation for
permanent
administrative
structures
2. Introduction to
Bureacracy –
Weber’s Model of
Bureacracy
*Weber
employed ideal-
type construct
Simon’s Theory of Herbert Simon, both in his Organizations both -Goals affect behavior - This theory enables us to
Administrative Behavior early work on simplify decisions and only as theyenter into understand better how
administration and in his support participants in decisions about how to thousands of individual
later work with March are the decisions they need to behave decisions and actions can
the proponents of such make 1. Value Premises – be integrated in the
theory assumptions bout what service of complex goals.
 ends are preferred or -focuses on the clarifying
desirable the processes by which
2. Factual Premises – goals specificity and
assumptions about the formalization contribute
observable world and the to rational behavior in
way in which it operates organization. -
-Ultimate goals served by Furthermore, such theory
organizations are distinguishes between an
frequently somewhat individual’s decision to
vague and imprecise . join and to continue to
General goals serve as the participate in an
starting point for means- organization and the
end chains. decisions an individual is
asked to make as a
participant in the
organization.
-Details what decisions
individual make as
organizational
participants and
influences to which they
are subject in making
these decisions.

Cross Case Analysis of the Schools of Thought in the Natural Systems Perspective

Theory/Model Proponent Proponent’s Conception of Major Features/Concepts Strengths and Limitations

Origin/Background Organization Introduced
Mayo and the Human Hawthorne studies are Demonstrated the -Hawthorne Effect -Emphasized the evils of
Relations School described by importance of informal -Workers do not behave industrialism and
Roethlisberger and organizations as “rational” economic nostalgically longed for
Dickson and given its most -Supported the primacy of actors, but as complex the stability and socially
influential interpretation organizations to be beings with multiple cohesive ways of the pre-
by Elton Mayo. attributed to natural motives and values industrial past
 human groupings,
communication and
leadership.
Barnard’s Cooperative Chester Barnard was an Organizations are
System executive who served as essentially cooperative
president of the New systems, integrating
Jersey Bell Telephone contributions of their
Company. He developed individual participants.
his own views of the Barnard described formal
nature of organizations organizations as “that
kind of cooperation
among men that is
conscious, deliberate,
purposeful”. He also
emphasized that
organizations rely on the
willingness of participants
to make contributions.
Selznick’s Institutional Philip Selznick was a -Important thing about
Approach student of bureaucracy organizations is that,
under Merton at though they are tools,
Columbia who developed each has a life of its own.
his own unique natural Organizations like in the
system model. rational system, are
rationally ordered
instruments designed to
attain goals
-Introduction of personal -Emphasized the great
counselors and variability of individual
importance of supervisory characteristics
skills
-Formation of a collective -Insistence on the
purpose that becomes nonmaterial, informal,
morally binding on interpersonal, and moral
participants basis of cooperation
-Combines two -The distinctive function
contradictory ideas: goals of the executive is
are imposed from top developing and imparting
down while their a mission
attainment depends on
willing compliance from
the bottom up
-Necessity of survival can
override the morality of
purpose
-Stressed -Organizational rationality
institutionalization: the is constrained by the
process by which an “recalcitrance of the tools
organization “takes on a of action”
special character” and -Focus on critical
“achieves a distinctive decisions that, once
competence” made, result in a change
-Organizational structure in the structure itself
as an adaptive organism -Focuses on “internal
shaped in reaction to the relevance”
characteristics and -Sought to explain goals of
commitments of organization-not the
participants and external professed goals, but the
influences. ends actually pursued or

Parson’s AGIL Schema Talcott Parsons was a
Harvard scholar who classified according to
attempted to revive and
synthesize works by the
leading European
sociological theorists
-Leadership plays a critical simply the operative goals
role
Organizations can be -Applicable to all types of -Formulation tends to be
social systems and may be more of a highly abstract
their social function. applied at more than one conceptual framework
level in analyzing a given that a substantive theory
type of system. Thus,
Parson applies it to
organizations at the
ecological, structural, and
social psychological levels.

Cross Case Analysis of the Schools of Thought in the Open Systems Perspective

Theory/Model Proponent Proponent’s Conception of Major Features/Concepts Strengths and Limitations

Origin/Background Organization Introduced
Systems Design Ludwig van Bertalanffy Views organization from a -Complexity and Chaos - Orientation is pragmatic
first proposed system managerial perspective, Theory and applied
theory. It was later not simply to describe and -Simulation techniques
furthered by Ross Ashby. understand them. -Normal accidents versus
reliable organizations
-Information flow
Contingency Theory Lawrence and Lorsch There is no best way to -Management is - Provides insight into
developed an open organize an organization. situational in nature. organization’s adaptability
systems theory of how Instead, the right action is -“If and Then Approach” to both internal and
organizations and contingent upon the to management external environment.
organizational sub-units internal and external -Follows the technique of -Focuses on multivariate
adapt to best meet the situation. multivariate analysis nature of organizations.
demands of their -Does not follow the
immediate environment. concept of “universality of
Jay Galbraith connects the principles”
extent of environmental
challenge with
organizational
 information system by
asserting that
environmental
uncertainty enters the
organization by affecting
the work or task it
performs.
Weick’s Model of Karl Weick pursued this Rather than focusing on -Concept of Enactment; -Shifts attention from
Organizing approach at the social organizations, attention creates environments structure to process
psychological level. should be focused at -Selection; collective -Emphasizes central role
“organizing”. sense making of communication and
-Retention; reinforces information processing
selections and options -Fails logical consistency
as people are not
necessarily guided by
rules in an organization
-Views the organization as
a static entity.
-Does not significantly
deal with hierarchy and
conflict.
-Neglects the larger social,
historical, and
institutional context.