Modern organization theory: A psychological and sociological study

Organization theory is the study of the structure and functioning of organizations and the behavior of groups and individuals within them. It is an emerging interdisciplinary quasi-independent science, drawing primarily on psychology and sociology but also on economics and, to a lesser extent, on production engineering. The main lines of development affecting its conceptualization can be traced under 6 headings: (1) management theorists (from Henri Fayol to Wilfred Brown), (2) structural theorists (from Max Weber to Tom Burns), (3) group theorists (from Elton Mayo and Kurt Lewin to Rensis Likert), (4) individual theorists (from the Industrial Fatigue Research Board to March and Simon), (5) technology theorists (F. W. Taylor, Eric Trist, Joan Woodward), and (6) economic theorists (from Alfred Marshall to Robin Marris). Current work is surveyed and certain lessons drawn. (2 p. ref.)