Module 2: Sociological Lens in Organisational Theorising Flashcards
What is epistemology?
It is the paradigmism and fragmentation in social and organisation theory.
It is also the philosophical study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge, which is derived from the greek term, “knowledgeable reason.”
What is organisational theorising?
The process of developing, analysing, and refining theoretical framework/s on explaining how organisations function and evolve.
What is the relevance of sociological lenses in studying organisations, organisational behaviour, and organisational theorising?
It provides critical perspectives for understanding the underlying layers and context of organisations such as their social structure, power relations, and cultural influences (i.e. company hierarchy, office politics, etc.). Because of this, it tremendously impacts organisational behaviour.
How does artificial intelligence challenge the way we do theorising in organisation studies?
It is reshaping organisational theorising by introducing new forms of agency, decision-making, and power structures. In the traditional sense, organisations were analysed as human-centered entities where decision making, leadership, and interactions were primarily human activities.
What is functionalism?
It emphasises the consensus and order that exist in society, mainly focusing on social stability.
However, there are criticisms that mention how it overlooks the dysfunctional elements of social differentiation among individuals in an organisation.
What is the sociology of sociology?
“Plotting paradigm schemes for social scienece to and to predict trends in theory development.”
Structural-functionalism (From the decline of functionalism) (Gouldner, 1970).
This theory must be stressed with voluntarism and situational analysis in replacing static notions of social structure to “action classes” and “social kaleidoscopes” (Atkinson, 1972)
The structure of sociology has a multiple paradigm science (social kaleidoscope) (Friedrichs, 1970).
What is the weakness of functionalsim?
It stems from the failure of the consensus-based equilibrium (which explains the rise in political activism and social tension between government and citizens).
Did not provide answers to nuanced social conflicts.
TRUE OR FALSE: It is argued that change can’t be enacted if the demands of the environment and from organisations themselves are not processed.
True. Change stems from two sets of processes— from the demands of the environment and from within systems (or organisations) themselves.
What is the second-order paradigm?
It is concerned with the image they held of the subject-matter.
What is the first-order paradigm?
It refers to the images sociologists held of themselves as academics and scientists
“Priestly” and “Prophetic”
The ‘sociologist-as-priest’ is committed to value-free analysis of social phenomena, whereas the ‘sociologist-as-prophet’ sees him- or herself as a social critic and agent of social change. For the former, the primary role of the sociologist is the scientific development of the discipline. For the latter it is the resolution of social problems.
TRUE OR FALSE: The natural response of a system or organisation to exogenous and endogenous tension is to be rigid rather than moving to a new form of stability.
False. The natural response of a system or organisation to exogenous and endogenous tension is to adapt by moving toward a new form of stability.
What is the Parsonian assumption on organisational change?
Social functionalism —> organisations must take action to enact change.
How does Parsons portray an organisation as an open system?
He defines it and the environment as two distinct and given domains.
What are some of the major weaknesses of functionalism?
As a substantive sociological paradigm, functionalism, therefore, is found wanting. It overstresses the normative aspects of social life, undervalues the importance of social conflict at the expense of social harmony, and fails to accommodate social change, and indeed treats this as abnormal.
Has functionalism been evaluated into a socio-political ideology? How?
Yes, it has. It possesses an inherent conservative bias, which is often attributed to the influence of Durkheim’s theory of social stratification. In emphasizing the harmonious relations between system parts, functionalism appears to treat each system as a positive social state.
To fulfil a society’s functional requirements it is necessary that the more talented be attracted to roles that employ their skills optimally, such roles as a consequence receiving higher material and prestige rewards and the possibility of the exercise of greater power. Eventually the possession of greater wealth, prestige and power differentiates certain members of society as a class
What is purposive rationality according to Gouldner?
A prime force in the maintenance and development of organizations.
How is the natural-systems model problematic according to Gouldner?
Its unreflective acceptance of the functionalist theory of differentiation, especially in taking for granted the organic reproduction of divisions of labour, professional elites and rational bureaucratic structures.
