Philip Selznick Quotes

Philip Selznick was professor of sociology and law at the University of California, Berkeley. A noted author in organizational theory, sociology of law and public administration, Selznick's work was groundbreaking in several fields in such books as The Moral Commonwealth, TVA and the Grass Roots, and Leadership in Administration. Wikipedia  

✵ 8. January 1919 – 12. June 2010   •   Other names 賽茲尼克
Philip Selznick: 20   quotes 0   likes

Famous Philip Selznick Quotes

“[Formal structures of formal organizations] never succeed in conquering the non-rational dimensions of organizational behavior.”

Source: "Foundations of the Theory of Organization," 1948, p. 25

“The term “leadership” connotes critical experience rather than routine practice.”

Source: Leadership in Administration: A Sociological Interpretation, 1957, p. 48

“[Even if established procedures exist for replacing leaders, ] they are relatively harmless to the entrenched leaders (because functionless) so long as the ranks fear the consequences of using them”

Source: "An Approach to a Theory of Bureaucracy," 1943, p. 52; As cited in: Howard E. Aldrich (2008), Organizations and Environments. p. 209

“Leadership, pure and simple, is the assumption of responsibility for the pursuit of excellence in group life.”

Attributed to Selznick in: Kobi Yamada, ‎Dan Zadra, ‎Steve Potter (2003), Everyone Leads,

Philip Selznick Quotes

“The most important thing about organizations is that, though they are tools, each nevertheless has a life of its own.”

Source: TVA and the grass roots : a study in the sociology of formal organization, 1949, p. 10

“It has been well said that the effective leader must know the meaning and master the techniques of the educator.”

Source: Leadership in Administration: A Sociological Interpretation, 1957, p. 127

“The institutional leader, then, is primarily an expert in the promotion and protection of values.”

Source: Leadership in Administration: A Sociological Interpretation, 1957, p. 28

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