The influence of contemporary theories

Organisational theories change, not only because of the dynamics of debates between authors, but also because organisations are forever changing throughout the 20th century.

Companies have witnessed the arrival of management specialists, the spread of taylorism and production chains, the separation between company ownership and management (public limited companies), the grouping together of companies within gigantic and multinational firms and mass production. Since 1920, organisations have been giving the impression that they can be moulded in the hands of managers, to the point where we forget that they develop within and with a society which is perhaps stronger than might appear at first sight: solidity of the ancestral social order, the classes, the worker movement, the role allocated to employers, etc. Then, in the second half of the 20^th century, companies begin to compete on the quality, variety and innovation of their products and services. Throughout this period, they oscillate between rationalisation, standardisation, flexibilisation and autonomisation movements. In the 70's, authors began to hail the new situation as post-industrial with the influence of communication technologies, knowledge management, integrated software packages, project-based organisation and process-based organisation.

Table 2

Labour characteristics in industrial and post-industrial situations

Industrial labour	Post-industrial labour
Division of labour and task specialisation -> splitting	Work performed in semi-autonomous and multi-functional teams
De-qualification of labour	Competency logic and learning
Routine and monotony	Versatility, frequent changes of methods, responsiveness and flexibility
Confinement	Sub-contracting and mobile labour

Table 3

Characteristics of the social structure in industrial and post-industrial situations

Industrial social structure	Post-industrial social structure
Extensive hierarchy	Small hierarchy and delegation of managerial responsibilities; networks and virtual organisation
Vertical communication	Transverse communication
Control logic	Self-control; ideological control
Bureaucracy: impersonal rules dictated by specialists; functional breakdown	Local formalisation by the people concerned (Quality); unclear borders and organisation based on transverse processes

Table 4

Characteristics of industrial and post-industrial cultures

Industrial culture	Post-industrial culture
Compliance with tradition and customs Values based on progress, growth, standardisation, efficiency, compliance with rules and the authority of science	Culture based on responsiveness, flexibility and uncertainty Values based on customer satisfaction, quality, service, innovation, learning, local production of knowledge and formalisation of these values

Of course, a century of transformation - which is still ongoing -, is bound to develop creativity with respect to the analysis of what is going on in organisations. The analysis models have therefore been substantially changed and revised. The reference metaphors have been transformed. While the machine could be seen as the reference at the start of the 20th century, this has now been replaced by the network and transversality, the virtual company and strategic alliance.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 760

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Chester Barnard (1886-1961)	\|	The school of human relations

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