Two Perspectives of Organization Theory

Organization theory is the body of knowledge related to the examination and analysis of both the internal workings of organizations and their interactions with their external environments. This knowledge is generated either through practical experience or through scientific inquiry. Organization theory is also concerned with applying this knowledge to designing and managing organizations. Contrary to what the term “organization theory” might suggest, the literature of this field of study teems with a variety of organization theories. Each theory offers a perspective for understanding organizations. The wealth of perspectives in organization theory stems from the diverse, complex, and dynamic nature of organizations and the wide range of academic disciplines underlying the field of organization theory. For any field of study as diverse as organization theory, controversies are bound to occur. Such a clash of perspectives occurred when Herbert Simon published “The Proverbs of Public Administration”---a biting criticism of classical organization theory as exemplified by the work of Luther Gulick. I shall first summarize Gulick’s and Simon’s central ideas about organizations, laying the ground to compare and contrast their approaches. Then I will consider Simon’s critique of Gulick, and to be fair to Gulick, we shall also examine arguments from an article written in Gulick’s defense by Thomas Hammond. In the course of the discussion of the Gulick-Simon debate, I will take the liberty to interpose my comments on the arguments put forth. My global comments on this debate are collected toward the end of this think piece.

Let us first consider Gulick’s perspective on organizations. Gulick’s work on organization theory belongs t...

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...e possibility for cross-fertilization between the existing paradigms exists. Perhaps, the best that can be done is to establish frameworks in which multiple paradigms provide different viewpoints from which to examine the complexities of organizations.

Works Cited

Gulick, Luther H. 1937. “Notes on the Theory of Organization” in Luther Gulick and Lyndall

Urwick (eds.), Papers on the Science of Administration, 1–45. New York: Institute of

Public Administration, Columbia University.

Simon, Herbert A. 1946. “The proverbs of Administration,” Public Administration Review 6,

53–67.

Simon, Herbert A. 1947. Administrative Behavior. Fourth edition 1997. New York: The Free

Press.

Hammond, Thomas H. 1990. “In Defence of Luther Gulick’s ‘Notes on the Theory of

Organization.’” Public Administration 68, 143–173.