ABSTRACT
The term organization as used in this book refers to groups of people in relationships with each other who have common interests or shared purposes, rather than to fixed structures or organizational charts. Even though the term organization most commonly engenders images such as hierarchies and structures, my interest is in the organizing—that is, the ongoing interactions between and among people doing the work. Through their work and conversations, people in organizations create structures, hierarchies, procedures, rules, customs, and norms, all of which encourage some behaviors and discourage others.
