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: Meisinger Norman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Organizational Sociology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2024-0008
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author Meisinger Norman
author_facet Meisinger Norman
author_sort Meisinger Norman
collection DOAJ
description 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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spelling doaj-art-e49326dcd51a466b9e740425846f9b982025-08-20T03:20:14ZengDe GruyterJournal of Organizational Sociology2752-29972024-12-013110312610.1515/joso-2024-0008Orders of the Division of Labor: Self-reference in Organization StructuresMeisinger Norman0Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, 38869Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, GermanyAs 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.https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2024-0008division of labororganization designorganization structureorganization theorymanagement fashionself-reference
spellingShingle Meisinger Norman
Orders of the Division of Labor: Self-reference in Organization Structures
Journal of Organizational Sociology
division of labor
organization design
organization structure
organization theory
management fashion
self-reference
title Orders of the Division of Labor: Self-reference in Organization Structures
title_full Orders of the Division of Labor: Self-reference in Organization Structures
title_fullStr Orders of the Division of Labor: Self-reference in Organization Structures
title_full_unstemmed Orders of the Division of Labor: Self-reference in Organization Structures
title_short Orders of the Division of Labor: Self-reference in Organization Structures
title_sort orders of the division of labor self reference in organization structures
topic division of labor
organization design
organization structure
organization theory
management fashion
self-reference
url https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2024-0008
work_keys_str_mv AT meisingernorman ordersofthedivisionoflaborselfreferenceinorganizationstructures