ABSTRACT
Ever since the fifties, management research has shown a growing interest in explaining differences in organizational structure. The idea that there was more than one method of organizing has been widely held since the day and age of authors such as Burns and Stalker (1961) and Dill (195 8). It was believed that organizations may be either decentralized or centralized in their decision-making processes, structured in highly formal or more informal ways, or chaotic while still exhibiting a high degree of effectiveness. Consequently, it was held that several organizational forms might accomplish the same goals, that is, there were several ways of making organizations “tick” as effectively as possible. However, views stating that certain organizational types were superior to others remained prevalent. Nevertheless, normative views had firmly established themselves.
