Organizing & Organizations: An Introduction

Citation

Bryce, J. (2003), "Organizing & Organizations: An Introduction", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 240-240. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2003.24.4.240.1

The new edition of organizing and organizations is primarily a text for students, but also has relevance for those involved in designing staff training. It provides a well‐written and comprehensive introduction to studying organizations. Its style is informal and effectively explains the key concepts in this area. Each chapter discusses an issue within organizational behaviour in a coherent manner. Importantly, it combines theoretical perspectives with reflexive and experiential material to communicate the reality of working within an organization. This approach, together with the examples provided, encourages readers to draw on their own experience of working in organizations to develop their understanding further.

Of particular interest is the chapter on working and living. It is consistent with the theme of the interlinking of private and public which is a persistent theme throughout the book. The case study included in this chapter raises interesting issues relating to the gender dynamics of the private/public distinction. It examines the value assigned to, and gendering of, particular jobs. The fact that the person in the case study is male and faces the kind of work‐family conflict commonly reported by females, encourages the reader to think about the gendered dimensions and assumptions underlying the work‐life relationship. The chapter also considers the relationship between work and identity. It provides an excellent examination of the historical and cultural construction of attitudes towards work and the “work ethic”, as well as the influence of class. Despite the broad scope of issues covered in this chapter, they are presented in a concise and easily understandable format. This provides the reader with a framework for further reading to enable the development of an understanding of the complex issues surrounding the relationship between working and living. This, together with the chapters on organizational humour, morality and the environment, provides a well‐conceived expansion of the concepts usually covered in introductory textbooks in this area, and provides an important point for locating organizational behaviour and experiences in the context of wider social contexts and issues.

The second edition also contains three new chapters: “Organizations and the environment”, “Management of differences”, and the “Relation between production and consumption”. These are important additions to the content of the book. The new edition also reflects the development of the authors’ ideas and experiences since the first edition was completed. The thesaurus is extremely useful as it provides the reader with a quick reference point for defining various concepts within organisational behaviour, as well as providing cross‐referencing information and suggestions for further reading. Overall this provides an excellent introductory text for students as it provides a concise and well‐written coverage of the main concepts in organizational behaviour. The combination of case studies and discussion of theoretical issues is well structured and provides the reader with a good framework for further reading.