A new book explores the history, function, and discipline of all sorts of organizations.
The Problem
Organizations are a vital part of human existence and define the foundational and institutional ways we work together and collaborate with one another. We interact with government organizations, religious organizations, social organizations, sports organizations, and different groups that collectively represent nearly every aspect of life.
If we want to have a meaningful impact on the world, we need to understand how organizations work, how they operate, and how they can be used to advance a shared vision of the future.
Professor Heather A. Haveman discusses this in her newest book The Power of Organizations: A New Approach to Organizational Theory—exploring the history, function, and academic discipline of organizations and how it has changed.
“To understand our world, we must understand organizations. The Power of Organizations defines the features of organizations, examines how they operate, traces their rise over the course of a millennium, and explains how research on organizations has evolved from the mid-nineteenth century to today,” says the publisher.
Backing up a Bit
Haveman has over four decades of experience studying Organizational theory, sociology, and economics. She is a professor of business and sociology at the University of California Berkley.
“I study how organizations, the fields in which they are embedded, and the careers of their members and employees evolve. I investigate questions that relate to organizational stability and change: How do new kinds of organizations emerge and how do new industries develop? How strong are the forces that impel or inhibit change in existing organizations’ structures, strategies, and actions? What are the consequences of organizational change for organizations themselves and for their employees? How does industry evolution affect social structures?” she says.
Possible Solutions
Her newest book explores the current research on Organization Theory and divides it into three perspectives—“demographic, relational, and cultural.” Given the changes taking place in the world due to digital technology, inequality, climate change, and other issues, Havemen shows how organizational structure and changes can impact the way the world faces these challenges.
“Haveman’s fresh take on the literature, organized around demographic, relational, and cultural perspectives … It directs our attention to the importance of organizations in addressing critical problems in society and offers insightful future directions for the field,” says USC professor Christine M. Beckman.
The Power of Organizations: A New Approach to Organizational Theory was published on December 13, 2022, by Princeton University Press.
