ABSTRACT
This chapter describes several models of organizations; each represents an effort to identify what is most essential to an organization, hence where the problem lies and what kinds of changes are most useful. It examines the implications that can be drawn from each of these models for development work. The models are grouped into two broad clusters. The first group of explanations focuses on the organization as a system for making decisions and accomplishing goals. The second group of explanations emphasizes the extent to which organizations interact with their environment. The dominant trend in Western theory has been to view organizations as autonomous bodies and to examine how they can accomplish their goals most efficiently and rationally. Scientific management follows closely in the tradition of Max Weber, with his stress on rational organization and hierarchy. Sociological and political pressures within this environment have a profound influence on organizational procedures, decisions, and behavior.
