Organizational theory and structure: An analysis of three perspectives

This article examines three contemporary organizational theories as they relate to organization structure. The three approaches selected are: social systems delimitation, organization learning, and organizational theory as metaphors. Each view represents a different approach to issues concerning the direction of organization theory and design. It will be argued that, in many respects, the future development of organizational theory will, to a large extent, build upon these approaches and the issues they pose for organization design.