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Perspectives on Organization Theory: Modernist, Symbolic Interpretive and Postmodern. Discuss similarities and differences

Introduction

This assignment examines the different perspectives with which organization theory is discussed in the literature. It focuses on the case of the Modernist, Symbolic-Interpretive and Postmodern approaches. The assignment argues that organization theory has received growing attention in the recent years and in an effort to identify with different paradigms that can explain how and why organizational phenomena occur. This essay identifies that the main similarities between the different theoretical paradigms are founded in the making of key assumptions which are developed over periods of years and eventually came to shape thought. However, the different perspectives represent different eras of thought and action which are not static but remain dynamic and changing. The assignment is divided into two parts. The first part offers an overview of each of the theoretical paradigms. The second part discusses their similarities and differences focusing on the development of tensions for how order and structure develops within organizations.

Organization Theory

Organization theory is defined as the theory that seeks to explain how social phenomena are organized and how their function of their organizational structure and order change. Organization theory is concerned with the interaction between tasks, process and people (Hatch and Cunliffe, 2013). Its aim is to examine how order and structure are maintained within social institutions (Watson, 2001). Organization represent a prime social system where organizational members need to work together for the accomplishment of a specific goal (Hassard, 1991). The coordination between people and processes remains vital for how structure and order is maintained between members. For example, a lack of understanding on the goals that members need to achieve can have series repercussions to their commitment to the organization (Morgan, 1997). For this reason it is suggested that the deployment of collective commitment depends on the clarity with which tasks and responsibilities are allocated between members and management (Burrell and Morgan, 1979). Following a growing interest in the development of propositions that can explain how work processes and members are organized into a single social system attention has turned to organization theory. According to Hatch and Cunliffe (2013) it is suggested that organization theory has developed out of three main sociological paradigms that developed over time. These are the (a) modernist, (b) the symbolic-interpretivist and (c) the postmodern perspective (Hatch, 2013). The following discussion reviews each of these perspectives before moving to examine similarities and differences between them in greater detail.

Modernist

According to Hatch and Cunliffe (2013) the earliest attempts made in discussing how a social system is organized is situated within a modernist perspective. The word modernism is used to describe the economic and technological growth that enabled society to transform through the advancements in communication and transportation. The transition of an agriculture oriented society to an organized and manufacturing system took place through a series of different economic and social development (Child, 2015). A modernist way of thinking describes an overarching attitude towards society based on the discovery of knowledge and the advancement of new methods for processing products (Knights, 1997). The use of rational structure remains a key theme in the development of the modernist way of thinking. This is because people were believed to be able to identify the way the natural environment and society was organized through the application of natural laws that focused on the deployment of reason. A modernist way of thinking places considerable emphasis on the exercise of control and the management of tasks (Child, 2015). A clear separation between management and employees take place in order to divide groups in light of their position. However, a division of labour is also argued to stem from the need for maximising the opportunities associated with economic exploitation (Alvesson and Willmott, 2003). In particular, the land owners wanted to maximise the possible economic returns by using labour in their advantage (Lado et al., 2006). Hence, a combination between rational methods for analysing processes and as influenced by science was used in order to develop methods for exploiting opportunities. This is supported from Hatch and Cunliffe (2013:p.26) in making the following statement.

Taylor’s belief in the powers of objective measurement and the discovery of laws governing worker efficiency carried over into the modern perspective where scientific management techniques justify all manner of rationalization schemes

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