ABSTRACT
The various approaches described in this book may be regarded as different windows through which we might view the business organization. The aspects of organization examined by the various approaches are often very different for the problems with which they are concerned are different. Hence the seeming antagonism between members of various schools, for what is relevant to one problem may be irrelevant to another and hence seem trivial or misconceived. Thus the classical (bureaucratic) model directs attention to (say) jurisdictional factors; human relations to support factors for whatever is proposed while systems and the various contingency theories focus more on the stresses arising from deficiencies in information. Yet since the primary focus of all is on organization effectiveness in meeting objectives, the various approaches should often complement and reinforce each other rather than always negate the work of the other. This is the theme of this book. There is no suggestion in this book as we move from classical to contingency theories that this was a movement from error to truth. We have found inadequacies in all but uselessness in none.
