This shortform book presents an overview of theoretical and empirical
work in the field of organization theory. In doing so, it both provides
a critical analysis of the state of knowledge in the field and offers
recommendations for future directions.
It is about both thinking differently, and considering what is already
known within Organization Theory. With coverage of the foundations of
organisation studies, the importance of bureaucracy, and insights into
institutional approaches, the book also makes space to consider the key
role of alternatives in the development of the field. A panoply of modes
of organizing the modern economy and civil society have arisen wherein
it is often said that the platform has replaced the pyramid. Yet, in
2022, the pandemic underscores the state's responsibility to maintain
public health through centralized and coherent organization rather than
outsourcing, subcontracting and the gig economy. The book offers a new
direction for research focusing upon 'organizational camouflage', where
the unmasking of the large hierarchical corporation's enduring role in
governing our everyday lives would become Organization Theory's
revelatory task.
Organization Theory: A Research Overview will be of value to
researchers, scholars and students in the fields of business and
management, especially those interested in the intersection of politics
and organizations.
