It’s important to understand that metaphors of organization are not theories.

It’s important to understand that metaphors of organization are not theories. In this course, the various metaphors are used as a lens to examine how organizations operate. A point of focus is functional integration. How do organizations integrate their various units in an efficient and effective way? To begin, it’s important to understand the basics. Heugens and Scherer (2010) explain the three current, scholarly perspectives in organizational theory: modern, symbolic, and postmodern.

After reviewing the weekly readings, answer the following questions in four separate, short paragraphs. Use references where appropriate.

What is your understanding of a metaphor and how it relates to theory?

In a sentence or two, how would you describe the study of organizational theory to someone who knows nothing about management theory?

Compare and contrast the basic beliefs of the modern, symbolic and postmodern perspectives of organizational theory.

How might each of these perspectives influence a scholar’s thinking about functional integration?

REFERENCE

Heugens, P. R., & Scherer, A. G. (2010). When organization theory met business ethics: Toward further symbioses. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20(4), 643–672

Purugganan, M., & Hewitt, J. (2004). How to read a scientific article. http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj/courses/HowTo…