Richard Brown is Professor of Sociology, University of Durham.
Understanding Industrial Organizations critically reviews the approaches developed by industrial sociologists to analyze industrial organizations. It outlines four general perspectives on organizations - systems thinking, contingency approach, the action approach and labour process for a more adequate sociology of organizations. The book provides a clear, relevant and important contribution to the sociology of organizations.
Chapter 1 Introduction – sociologists and industry; Chapter 2 Systems thinking; Chapter 3 Context, contingency and choice; Chapter 4 Orientation and action; Chapter 5 Labour power and the labour process; Chapter 6 Conclusion;
Outlines four organisational forms - systems thinking, contingency theory, the action approach and labour process theories - and evaluates their strengths and weaknesses.
