This title was first published in 2000: A collection of the thoughts of many great writers on organizations. These writers are from a variety of different backgrounds. Some draw upon their expertise as practising managers, some on their knowledge of rational and local government administration, and some on the findings of their research work. All have attempted to draw together information and distil theories about how organizations function and how they should be managed. The volume seeks to provide a general overview of the field, and does not provide critical analysis of the views provided.

This volume contrasts the life and problems of organizations in many parts of the world and highlights the differences between those societies as reflected in their different institutional sectors such as manufacturing, commerce, social services and government administration. In so doing, the book contributes to the theoretical foundations of the sociology of organizations by revealing previously unseen relationships between societies and institutions, offering an original synthesis of available research.

This volume contrasts the life and problems of organizations in many parts of the world and highlights the differences between those societies as reflected in their different institutional sectors such as manufacturing, commerce, social services and government administration. In so doing, the book contributes to the theoretical foundations of the sociology of organizations by revealing previously unseen relationships between societies and institutions, offering an original synthesis of available research.