The Propositions of James D. Thompson（詹姆斯d·汤普森的命题）.pdf

The Propositions of James D. Thompson James D. Thompson’s 1967 book, Organizations in Action, subtitled Social Science Bases of Administra- tive Theory, ranks as one of the all-time classics regarding organizations. At the time, Thompson was Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Sociology at Indiana University. His book is note- worthy for the many propositions it sets forth about organizations. Those propositions are listed below along with an excerpt from the closing paragraphs in Chapter 1. Thompson’s propositions are worthy of study. Chapter 1 –Strategies for Studying Organizations Most of our beliefs about complex organizations follow from one or the other of two distinct strategies. The closed-system strategy seeks certainty by incorporating only those variables positively associated with goal achievement and subjecting them to a monolithic control network. The open-system strategy shifts attention from goal achievement to survival and incorporates uncertainty by recognizing organiza- tional interdependence with environment. A newer tradition enables us to conceive of the organization as an open system, indeterminate and faced with uncertainty, but subject to criteria of rationality and hence needing certainty. With this conception the central problem for complex organizations is one of coping with uncer- tainty. Chapter 2 – Rationality in Organizations 2.1: Under norms of rationality, organizations seek to seal off their core technologies from environ- mental influences. 2.2: Under norms of rationality, organizations seek to buffer environmental influences by surround- ing their technical cores with input and output components. 2.3: Under norms of rationality, organizations seek to smooth out input and output transactions. 2.4: Under norms of rationality, organizations seek to anticipate and adapt to environ