A classic text in sociology, Complex Organizations provides a succinct overview of the principal schools of thought of organizational theories, placing each into critical, historical, and cultural context. Vividly written, with many specific, student-oriented examples, Complex Organizations offers a critical perspective on organizations, analyzing their impact on individuals, groups, and society as a whole.

Includes bibliography (p. 279-295) and index.

1. Why bureaucracy? -- 2. Managerial ideologies and the origins of the human relations movement -- 3. The human relations model -- 4. The neo-Weberian model : decision making, conflict, and technology -- 5. The institutional school -- 6. The environment -- 7. Economic theories of organization -- 8. Power in organizational analysis.