Public Organization Theory

It is a generally accepted maxim that the realm of organization theory --- public and private---is a very fluid one, one which is at times quite disorderly. This is due to the fact that the theory presented must deal with human behavior in highly complex situations, in which both individual and group motivations and needs are at play. It is not a precise field, in other words, and no single theory can make the realm of organizations clear and understandable.

Morgan immediately makes the preceding points clear in his book. He notes first that "Effective managers and professionals in all walks of life, whether they be business executives, public administrators, organizational consultants, politicians, or trade unionists, have to become skilled in the art of 'reading' the situations that they are attempting to organize or manage" (p. 11).

Morgan writes that this process usually involves the exercise of the manager's intuition, which in turn involves processes in the subconscious mind.

It is all well and good that the manager use his or her intuition, but is it enough to trust in the subconscious mind as the guide in managing organizations and dealing effectively with the people in that organization?

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nelike organization designed to achieve specific goals can simultaneously be: a species of organization that is able to survive in certain environments but not others; an information-processing system that is skilled in certain kinds of learning but not in others; a cultural milieu characterized by distinctive values, beliefs, and social practices; a political system where people jostle to further their own ends; an arena where various subconscious or ideological struggles take place; an artifact or manifestation of a deeper process of social change; an instrument used by one group of people to exploit and dominate others, and so on" (pp. 321-322). The point here is that the organization should be realistically seen and accepted as a multi-faceted entity operating on many levels and for many purposes and goals at once. Morgan does not try to squeeze the complexities of the organization --- public or private---into a narrow theory which oversimplifies for the sake of some illusory understanding. Morgan, to the contrary, accepts the organization as he finds it and tries to portray each facet honestly and comprehensively. Morgan also utilizes the situational approach to management of the organization. He believes that it is im
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1435
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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