“The domain of organization theory is coming to resemble more of a weed patch than a well-tended garden.”

— Jeffrey Pfeffer

Organizations and organization theory, 1982
Context: The domain of organization theory is coming to resemble more of a weed patch than a well-tended garden. Theories of the middle range (Merton, 1968; Pinder and Moore, 1979) proliferate, along with measures, terms, concepts, and research paradigms. It is often difficult to discern in what direction knowledge of organizations is progressing — or if, it is progressing at all. Researchers, students of organization theory, and those who look to such theory for some guidance about issues of management and administration confront an almost bewildering array of variables, perspectives, and inferred prescriptions.

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Jeffrey Pfeffer 9

American academic 1946

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“The domain of organization theory is coming to resemble more of a weed patch than a well-tended garden.”

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