The Oxford Handbook of Organization Theory

Introduction: The Need for Meta-theoretical Reflection in Organization Theory; PART I: ORGANIZATION THEORY AS SCIENCE; 1. Organizational Theory as a Positive Science; 2. Organization Theory as an Interpretive Science; 3. Organization Theory as a Critical Science: Forms of analysis and 'new organizational' forms; 4. Organization Theory as a Postmodern Science; PART II: THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANIZATION THEORY; 5. The Origins of Organization Theory; 6. The Historical and Epistemological Foundations of Organization Theory: Fusing sociological theory with engineering discourse; 7. Feminist Theory and Organization Theory: A dialogue on new bases; 8. The Styles and the Stylists of Organization Theory; 9. Pluralism, Scientific Progress, and the Structure of Organization Theory; PART III: META-THEORETICAL CONTROVERSIES IN ORGANIZATION THEORY; 10. The Agency/Structure Dilemma in Organization Theory: Open doors and brick walls; 11. Modes of Explanation in Organization Theory; 12. Micro and Macro Perspectives in Organization Theory: A tale of incommensurability; 13. Economic Versus Sociological Approaches to Organization Theory; 14. Meta-theoretical Controversies in Studying Organizational Culture; PART IV: ORGANIZATION THEORY AS A POLICY SCIENCE; 15. Actionable Knowledge; 16. Theory and Practice in the Real World; 17. Organization Theory and Ethics: Varieties and dynamics of constrained optimization; 18. Character and Virtue in an Era of Turbulent Capitalism; PART V: THE FUTURE OF ORGANIZATION THEORY; 19. The Future of Organization Theory: Prospects and limitations; 20. Managing Organization Futures in a Changing World of Power/Knowledge; 21. The Future of Organization Theory: Beyond the selection-adaptation debate; 22. At Home from Mars to Somalia: Recounting organization theory; 23. New Times, Fresh Challenges: Reflections on the past and the future of organization theory

Christian Knudsen is a Research Fellow at Copenhagen University and Århus Business School, Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School, Visiting Professor at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, and Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Stanford University.

...brings together an extraordinary and erudite range of conributions to which I expect to refer for many years to come. There is not a single chapter from which I did not learn something, and from many I learnt a great deal. Organization, Vol 12 (6) Imagine a restaraunt where all your favourite dishes are prepared, each by a master chef, and unknown delights also await your pleasure. You do not have to go anywhere to get to this restaraunt, it is right in your own kitchen. You can even take it to the office with you. Without too much exaggeration, this is the rough equivalent of what is offered to the student of organization theory in The Oxford Handbook of Organization Theory Management Learning The Oxford Handbook [of Organization Theory] can be returned to many times to reflect on assumptions held on what organizations are, on what good science is, and on who should be the end customer for ones scientific activities ... This is the big tent depiction of organizational studies as a civilized community building an increasingly relevant narrative on organizations pertinent to more and more people. It is hip. It is current. It is self-consciously aware of the forces that shape as it grows. Organization Studies