Organizational studies

The organizational sociology is a sub-discipline of sociology, the empirical research and theoretical analysis of the forms, structures and internal processes of organizations and their interactions with the social environment dedicated to. Due to the variety of forms that organizations can take (among companies, organizations, associations, political parties, universities, schools, hospitals, theaters, public administration, churches, military, non-governmental organizations ), the core of the discipline is the organizational theory that similarities and differences of these forms turns out. The sociology of organizations focuses on the exploration of structures, members, objectives and functions, as well as organizational behavior under aspects of social division of labor, cooperation and rule. Strong links to the sociology of organizations have on the industry and business sociology.

Differentiation from related disciplines

In contrast to the sociology of organizations, the business organization theory deals with the structure of and processes in organizations, primarily under the criteria of expediency and economic efficiency. The organizational psychology, however, shall in turn submit the research interest primarily to the individuals whose psyche and behavior within organizations.

Subject matter and themes of organizational sociology research

Her breakthrough owes the discipline of Max Weber 's theory of bureaucracy and the Hawthornestudien ( Hawthorne effect, see there Roethlisberger / Dickson ) during the Great Depression. The latter have discovered the difference between " formal " and " informal " structure of organizations. The interactions between the two are still a matter of research.

The organization sociological theory and research focuses on the social functions of organizations ( Max Weber, Talcott Parsons, Charles Perrow, Niklas Luhmann), with the structure types of organizations ( Richard Scott, Henry Mintzberg ), the processing of decisions and the absorption of uncertainty in organizations ( Niklas Luhmann, Dirk Baecker ).

Sociologists consider organizations both as an effective collective actors or as corporate actors in the interaction with other organizations in their environment as well as social systems with specific internal problems (eg bureaucracy and oligarchy Members recruiting and loyalty, divergence of organizational goal and members of motivation).

Emergence as an academic discipline

The institutionalization of organizational sociology took place in the U.S. and in Europe on different development paths.

In the U.S., the organization theory - in particular by the rapidly growing importance of organizational research to the business schools - institutionalized practice and interdisciplinary. The theory development won by Robert K. Merton's concept of " middle-range theory " of independence from social-theoretical questions and the corresponding sociological " big theories " ( " grand theories "). Merton's students ( including Philip Selznick, Alvin W. Gouldner, Peter Blau, Seymour M. Lipset and James S. Coleman ) have this concept successfully driven and sustainable establishment of the "organization sciences" as a separate discipline with a large body of empirical studies and contributed a large number of specialized journals.

From a political profession differentiation as in the U.S., the single European schools of organization theory are far away. "Organization" was here treated in the context of capitalism and state theories and their problems addressed accordingly in debates about management or production. The specific problems of the practitioners were discussed in the corporate and organizational consulting. They were not regarded as problems of its own kind. From the shadows of Industry and Industrial Sociology, the organization theory in Germany was able to solve only in the 1980s.

Although the historical roots both in Europe and North America since the 1970s was marked since 1940, but no later than a dominance of U.S. approaches from, although passed in this " intermediate phase " partially close links with American approaches to British authors and schools. From the North American center European organization sociologists its central ideas and concepts. However, they themselves are rarely in a position to respond to the key debates in the United States with innovative and independent concepts.

Application

Applies organizational sociology research, inter alia, also in corporate and consulting works councils, which proceed according to different schools, such as the micro-political approach (among Crozier / Friedberg ) or the system theoretical approach which, inter alia, Niklas Luhmann and - in a modified form - also made ​​Dirk Baecker fruitful for organizational sociology.