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complex organizations  

Definition

  • Complex organizations is a phrase that (1) captures the early work of organizational sociologists; (2) chronicles the complex evolution of complex organizations from tightly coupled firms, to moderately coupled bureaucracies, to loosely coupled networks; (3) provides a context in which subtle organizational processes can be studied in more detail through a diverse set of organization theories; and (4) creates an opening for emerging research on high-reliability organizations and complexity theory. Conceptual Overview Sociological Roots of Complex Organizations When the Ford and Carnegie reports in the 1960s encouraged U.S. business schools to incorporate sociologists and psychologists into their faculties, the sociologists brought an expertise in complex organizations and the psychologists brought an expertise in industrial/organizational psychology into the emerging fields of management, organizational behavior, and strategy. [Source: International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies; Complex Organizations]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/complex_organizations

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