ABSTRACT
When one asks the members of organizations how their companies, universities, churches, political parties, or public administrations function, the descriptions received are often surprisingly simple. One need only look at the PowerPoint presentations that the employees of insurance companies use to depict the goals or the structure of their organizations, or the brochures that government agencies distribute at career fairs to recruit the next generation of administrators, or the websites that Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Federation, or labor unions use to attract members. The organizations always appear to have adopted a clear set of goals which are meant to be pursued through as efficient a form of organization possible (generally structured along hierarchical lines) and, of course, implemented by a well-trained staff.
