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Organizations and Organizing: Rational, Natural and Open System Perspectives
This broad, balanced introduction to organizational studies enables the reader to compare and contrast different approaches to the study of organizations. This book is a valuable tool for the reader, as we are all intertwined with organizations in one form or another. Numerous other disciplines besides sociology are addressed in this book, including economics, political science, strategy and management theory. Topic areas discussed in this book are the importance of organizations; defining organizations; organizations as rational, natural, and open systems; environments, strategies, and structures of organizations; and organizations and society. For those employed in fields where knowledge of organizational theory is necessary, including sociology, anthropology, cognitive psychology, industrial engineering, managers in corporations and international business, and business strategists.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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About the author
W. Richard Scott
38 books11 followersW. Richard (Dick) Scott received his undergraduate and M.A. degrees from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago.
He is currently Emeritus Professor in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University where he also holds courtesy appointments in the Graduate School of Business, School of Education, and School of Medicine. He has been at Stanford throughout his professional career. In addition to serving as chair of the Department of Sociology, from 1972 to 1989 he directed the Organization Research Training Program at Stanford under the auspices of the National Institute of Mental Health, and was the founding director of the Stanford Center for Organizations Research, 1988-1996.
He is the author or co-author of over one hundred scholarly articles and book chapters and has written or co-written about a dozen books and edited or co-edited another dozen. His most recent books include Institutional Change and Healthcare Organizations ( 2000) with Martin Ruef, Peter Mendel and Carol Caronna, and Institutions and Organizations, Second Edition (2001) . He has served on the editorial board of many professional journals and was the editor of the Annual Review of Sociology from 1986-1991.
He has also been active in policy circles at the national level, serving on study sections for the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Center for Health Service Research. He was elected a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science in 1975, and he served as a member of the governing board of the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (CBASSE) of the National Research Council from 1990-1996.
Scott is a past fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. In 1988, he received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Management and Organization Theory Division of the Academy of Management; and in 1996, he was selected for the Richard D. Irwin Award for Scholarly Contributions to Management from the Academy of Management. In 2000, the W. Richard Scott Award for Distinguished Scholarship was created by the Organizations, Occupations, and Work Section of the American Sociological Association, to annually recognize an outstanding article-length contribution to the field. He has received honorary degrees from the Copenhagen Business School ( 2000) and from the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration (2001) .
He is currently Emeritus Professor in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University where he also holds courtesy appointments in the Graduate School of Business, School of Education, and School of Medicine. He has been at Stanford throughout his professional career. In addition to serving as chair of the Department of Sociology, from 1972 to 1989 he directed the Organization Research Training Program at Stanford under the auspices of the National Institute of Mental Health, and was the founding director of the Stanford Center for Organizations Research, 1988-1996.
He is the author or co-author of over one hundred scholarly articles and book chapters and has written or co-written about a dozen books and edited or co-edited another dozen. His most recent books include Institutional Change and Healthcare Organizations ( 2000) with Martin Ruef, Peter Mendel and Carol Caronna, and Institutions and Organizations, Second Edition (2001) . He has served on the editorial board of many professional journals and was the editor of the Annual Review of Sociology from 1986-1991.
He has also been active in policy circles at the national level, serving on study sections for the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Center for Health Service Research. He was elected a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science in 1975, and he served as a member of the governing board of the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (CBASSE) of the National Research Council from 1990-1996.
Scott is a past fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. In 1988, he received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Management and Organization Theory Division of the Academy of Management; and in 1996, he was selected for the Richard D. Irwin Award for Scholarly Contributions to Management from the Academy of Management. In 2000, the W. Richard Scott Award for Distinguished Scholarship was created by the Organizations, Occupations, and Work Section of the American Sociological Association, to annually recognize an outstanding article-length contribution to the field. He has received honorary degrees from the Copenhagen Business School ( 2000) and from the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration (2001) .
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 19, 2011
Terrible title that totally betrays the clarity and interest level of this book! Read ch. 2-4. Wordy but meaty content. I used to be so into organizations, and this kind of reminded me why.
May 5, 2011
This book covers a lot of ground, and it does so fairly well. Clearly written, but definitely dense. If you're serious about studying organizations, this would be a good place to start.
July 30, 2021
If you're serious about studying organisations, I very much think this is an essential reference. I, however, took above two weeks to finish it--I have good foundations in organisations though. It is lengthy, dense, difficult sometimes, and covers a lot of materials, schools of thought, and critiques. But, again, it is one of the most beautifully researched books in the field. I hope there will be an update.
April 5, 2008
Brilliant compilation of the major academic research into social and business organizational patterns. Applicable to almost any discipline.
April 4, 2011
This book is so poorly edited and organized (ironic!) as to be virtually unreadable.
July 24, 2011
READ JUNE 2008
Good foundational piece explaining the wide range of theories for organizational development and design.
Good foundational piece explaining the wide range of theories for organizational development and design.
October 22, 2013
Very useful for understanding today's organizations.
February 10, 2017
the book with approximately one thousand references is worthy of praise and read.
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February 15, 2025How we view our roles, from simply performing and completing tasks to serving others, enables us to achieve the goals we want. Willing participants and contributors to the growth of others while keeping off in obscurity so others can enjoy the moment.
This can be a difficult ask, especially with time constraints and competing demands. Building great relationships with our peers is the foundation of a great employee experience. Any social order reflects the underlying consensus among people, which is a good indicator that people behave cooperatively and have shared norms and values, says Scott and Davis (p. 30). This is a great place to start to bring organizational stability and continuity. People are fulfilled and accomplished when their work is supported and has a meaning which is vital for any initiative.
This can be a difficult ask, especially with time constraints and competing demands. Building great relationships with our peers is the foundation of a great employee experience. Any social order reflects the underlying consensus among people, which is a good indicator that people behave cooperatively and have shared norms and values, says Scott and Davis (p. 30). This is a great place to start to bring organizational stability and continuity. People are fulfilled and accomplished when their work is supported and has a meaning which is vital for any initiative.
May 15, 2021
Thoroughly researched material but poorly written. There are large sections and chapters that almost begs to not be understood. It also definitely needs an update.
January 24, 2026
Solid introduction to the organizational sociology literature. My own focus was somewhat selective, of course, and unfortunately organizational sociology tends to spend a lot of energy on corporations rather than the organizations I'm most interested in (government agencies and insurgencies), but this isn't the author's fault.
October 17, 2013
Tons of information; hard to read.
December 6, 2007
Super-titanic book!!
July 4, 2008
See my review of Morgan: again, a tough read, but its' all there...
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews