Designing Organizations: 21st Century Approaches

The design of organizations has been an ongoing concern of management theory and practice over the past several decades. Over this time, there has been little change in the fundamental theory, principles and concepts of Organization Design (OD). Recently organizational life has changed dramatically with the advent of: new communication systems, adaptive mechanisms, information technology, knowledge management systems, innovation processes and more. This book systemically examines these developments and their impact on OD with contributions from leading scholars in the area. Also featured in the book are the practical issues with implementing OD in organizations.

The individual chapters are organized into five sections: (1) Putting Contingency Theory in its Place, (2) Focus on Individuals Who Make up the Organization, (3) Innovation Processes and Organization Design, (4) Adaptation and Technology, and (5) Design for Performance. Each chapter examines aspects of the book’s threefold theme: (1) core issues in organization design, (2) emerging theoretical perspectives in OD, and (3) new developments and directions in OD. A special feature of each chapter is: 1) implications for theory, and 2) implications for practice.

DESIGNING ORGANIZATIONS: 21st Century Approaches is a benchmark publication in the field of organization design. By focusing on recent developments in organization design, this book will help to create more thoughtful research and stronger empirical analyses in this important area of management and organization.