Orders of the Division of Labor: Self-reference in Organization Structures
As a consequence of a variety of dynamics that firms have to deal with, their structures are continually evolving. Some of the resulting patterns and structural properties, however, only become visible at a greater distance from the object of analysis. Thus, this paper analyzes organization structur...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
De Gruyter
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Organizational Sociology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2024-0008 |
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| Summary: | As a consequence of a variety of dynamics that firms have to deal with, their structures are continually evolving. Some of the resulting patterns and structural properties, however, only become visible at a greater distance from the object of analysis. Thus, this paper analyzes organization structures – conceptualized as the way in which firms divide and institutionalize labor – in their long-term development and shapes the phenomenon of aggregating structural self-reference. This self-reference is decomposed into a taxonomy based on three orders of the division of labor (DoL), each with a corresponding division logic (efficiency, effectivity, and viability) and structural implementation method (specialization, contextualization, and reflection) that firms apply to cope with steadily-changing environmental conditions. Each of the three orders reflects a response to a distinct period of change conceptualized as different bundles of stimuli (the Taylorian, Schumpeterian, and VUCA ‘zeitgeist’) through which new orders of the division of labor emerged. |
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| ISSN: | 2752-2997 |