An Interplay of Organizational Theories and Perspectives

Organization theory is a multifaceted, complex, and continually evolving study of the intricacies of organizational structure, choice, and environment, on both the large and small scale. An organization’s ability to develop and progress is ultimately the result of interplay at the micro and macro levels of institutional constructs, which include collective-action, natural selection, strategic choice, and structural/system mechanisms; these factors affecting the workings of organizations are semiautonomous, yet inter-dependent. The relationships between these mechanisms are important to the longevity of organizations, both international and domestic firms, in that each has influence over the other; nonetheless, organizational research has long examined these perspectives as if they were isolated from each other and in their reach. The subsequent articles underscore the principles associated with each perspective to provide an essential understanding of each line of reasoning.

“Globalization and the Changing Logic of Collective Action” by Philip Cerny

Cerny (1995) asserts that the institution of organizations, whether political or market organizations, is the direct result of the necessity to manage and direct the use and flow of materials among the population for the development of public or private goods. The structuring of societies revolves around the shared need for goods, thus political and market structures evolve to meet those needs. The advancement of these configurations are driven by actions undertaken by the collectivity; collective action (Cerny, 1995, p. 2). In particular, “different types of good or asset are said to be more or less efficiently provided through distinct sets of structural arrangements or institutions, rather than simply through abstract economic processes. Markets in the real world are institutions - not spontaneous, unorganized activities” (Cerny, 1995, p. 4) Thus, organizations and other institutions are the products of...