Authors retain the copyright without restrictions for their published content in this journal. HSSR is a SHERPA ROMEO Green Journal.
Publishing License
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of
SOCIOLOGY OF ORGANIZATIONS: POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES
Corresponding Author(s) : Sandro Serpa
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews,
Vol. 7 No. 2 (2019): March
Abstract
Purpose of this study: Sociology of Organizations, as a specialization, has maintained an indefinite status, competing with other disciplinary areas regarding the study of organizations. This paper seeks to contribute to the reflection about the potential and challenges faced by the Sociology of Organizations.
Methodology: For this purpose, a bibliographical research was carried out on this topic, complemented by our experience as sociologists in teaching and research on the organizational theme in some databases, such as Web of Knowledge, DOAJ, SCIELO, and institutional repositories.
Findings: It is concluded that the Sociology of Organizations can provide tools for the heuristic apprehension of the organizational phenomenon, either by mobilizing instruments of a more general sociology or by fostering a certain interdisciplinarity with other disciplinary areas that deal with this phenomenon.
Implications: However, this potential is generally obscured by greater visibility because it is perceived as more directly linked to the managerial phenomenon and seems to provide more illusorily practical solutions and universal recipes. It is necessary to recognize the complexity of the organizational phenomenon to advance its scientific knowledge.
Keywords
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)BibTeX
- Cunha, M. P e (2002). Estudos organizacionais em Portugal: o caso da psicologia organizacional. In Cunha, M. P. e & Rodrigues, S. B. (Orgs). (2002). Manual de estudos organizacionais. Temas de psicologia, psicossociologia e sociologia das organizações [Handbook of organisational studies. Topics of psychology, psychosociology and sociology of organizations]. Lisboa: RH Editora. Pp. 3-21.
- Cunha, M. P. e & Rodrigues, S. B. (Orgs). (2002). Manual de estudos organizacionais. Temas de psicologia, psicossociologia e sociologia das organizações [Handbook of organisational studies. Topics of psychology, psychosociology and sociology of organizations]. Lisboa: RH Editora.
- Ferraz, J. (2018). Sociology’s Role in the Teaching of Organizational Behavior in Higher Education. The Case of Hospitality Management. Societies, 8(3), 51. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8030051 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8030051
- Ferreira, C., & Serpa, S. (2017). Challenges in the Teaching of Sociology in Higher Education. Contributions to a Discussion. Societies, 7(4), 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7040030 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7040030
- Ferreira, C. M., & Serpa, S. (2018). Society 5.0 and Social Development: Contributions to a Discussion. Management and Organizational Studies, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.5430/mos.v5n4p26 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/mos.v5n4p26
- Filleau, M-G., & Marques-Ripoull, C. (2002). Teorias da organização e da empresa: Das correntes fundadoras às práticas actuais [Organisation and company theories: From foundational currents to presente-day practices]. Oeiras: Celta Editora.
- Lammers, C. J. (1990). Sociology of Organizations Around the Globe. Similarities and Differences Between American, British, French, German and Dutch Brands. Organization Studies, 11(2), 179–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069001100202 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069001100202
- Laville, Jean-Louis, “Prefácioâ€, pp. xvii-xix in Pimentel, D. (2012). Sociologia da empresa e das organizações. Uma breve introdução a problemas e perspectivas [Sociology of de company and organisations. A brief introduction to problems and perspectives]. Lisboa: Escolar Editora.
- Lima, L. C. (Ed.). (2011). Perspectivas de análise organizacional das escolas. Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal: Fundação Manuel Leão.
- Mojić, D. (2017). To whom, what for and how far is the sociology of organization still needed? Socioloski Pregled, 51(1), 3–27. https://doi.org/10.5937/socpreg1701003m DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/socpreg1701003M
- Mutch, A., Delbridge, R., & Ventresca, M. (2006). Situating Organizational Action: The Relational Sociology of Organizations. Organization, 13(5), 607–625. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508406067006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508406067006
- Obradović, J. (1976). Sociology of Organization in Yugoslavia. Acta Sociologica, 19(1), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/000169937601900103 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/000169937601900103
- Petkova, I. (2014). Bureaucratic versus Non-bureaucratic Organization: Explaining Form, Function, and Change in New Forms of Organizing. Management and Organizational Studies, 2(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/mos.v2n1p33 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/mos.v2n1p33
- Pimentel, D. (2012). Sociologia da empresa e das organizações. Uma breve introdução a problemas e perspectivas [Sociology of de company and organisations. A brief introduction to problems and perspectives]. Lisboa: Escolar Editora.
- Scholten, M., & Skov, J. (2002). A história inacabada de David e Golias; o comportamento humano e económico. In Cunha, M. P. e & Rodrigues, S. B. (Orgs). (2002). Manual de estudos organizacionais. Temas de psicologia, psicossociologia e sociologia das organizações [Handbook of organisational studies. Topics of psychology, psychosociology and sociology of organizations]. Lisboa: RH Editora. Pp. 331-353.
- Serpa, S., Ferreira, C. M., & Santos, A. I. (2017). Fostering Interdisciplinarity: Implications for Social Sciences. International Journal of Social Science Studies, 5(12), 44. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v5i12.2775 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v5i12.2775
- Serpa, S. & Ferreira, C. M. (2018). Sociological Problem and Social Problem: Contributions to a Discussion. Sociology and Anthropology, 6(11), 840-844. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2018.061104 DOI: https://doi.org/10.13189/sa.2018.061104
- Serpa, S. (2016). Organization as an Analytical Level for Investigation Organizational Culture. The Social Sciences. 11(13), 3257-3263. doi: 10.3923/sscience.2016.3257.3263. (Indexed: Agro Asia; World Agri. Database; MedLit; Scopus; ASCI-ACR). URL: http://medwelljournals.com/abstract/?doi=sscience.2016.3257.3263 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM90076G
- Serpa, S., & Ferreira, C. M. (2019). The Concept of Bureaucracy by Max Weber. International Journal of Social Science Studies, 7(2), 12. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v7i2.3979 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v7i2.3979
- Silva, D. V. e. (2007). Escola e lógicas de acção organizacional: contributos teóricos para uma análise sociológica da organização educativa. [School and organizational actions logics : theorise contributions for a sociology analyse of educative organizations], Avaliação e PolÃticas Públicas Em Educação 15(54), 103–126. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0104-40362007000100007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-40362007000100007
- Urteaga, E. (2013). La sociologÃa de las organizaciones: perspectivas alternativas. Revista Internacional de Organizaciones, 0(8), 151. https://doi.org/10.17345/rio8.151-176 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17345/rio8.151-176
- Thoenig, J.-C. (1998). How Far is a Sociology of Organizations Still Needed? Organization Studies, 19(2), 307–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069801900207 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069801900207
References
Cunha, M. P e (2002). Estudos organizacionais em Portugal: o caso da psicologia organizacional. In Cunha, M. P. e & Rodrigues, S. B. (Orgs). (2002). Manual de estudos organizacionais. Temas de psicologia, psicossociologia e sociologia das organizações [Handbook of organisational studies. Topics of psychology, psychosociology and sociology of organizations]. Lisboa: RH Editora. Pp. 3-21.
Cunha, M. P. e & Rodrigues, S. B. (Orgs). (2002). Manual de estudos organizacionais. Temas de psicologia, psicossociologia e sociologia das organizações [Handbook of organisational studies. Topics of psychology, psychosociology and sociology of organizations]. Lisboa: RH Editora.
Ferraz, J. (2018). Sociology’s Role in the Teaching of Organizational Behavior in Higher Education. The Case of Hospitality Management. Societies, 8(3), 51. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8030051 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8030051
Ferreira, C., & Serpa, S. (2017). Challenges in the Teaching of Sociology in Higher Education. Contributions to a Discussion. Societies, 7(4), 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7040030 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7040030
Ferreira, C. M., & Serpa, S. (2018). Society 5.0 and Social Development: Contributions to a Discussion. Management and Organizational Studies, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.5430/mos.v5n4p26 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/mos.v5n4p26
Filleau, M-G., & Marques-Ripoull, C. (2002). Teorias da organização e da empresa: Das correntes fundadoras às práticas actuais [Organisation and company theories: From foundational currents to presente-day practices]. Oeiras: Celta Editora.
Lammers, C. J. (1990). Sociology of Organizations Around the Globe. Similarities and Differences Between American, British, French, German and Dutch Brands. Organization Studies, 11(2), 179–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069001100202 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069001100202
Laville, Jean-Louis, “Prefácioâ€, pp. xvii-xix in Pimentel, D. (2012). Sociologia da empresa e das organizações. Uma breve introdução a problemas e perspectivas [Sociology of de company and organisations. A brief introduction to problems and perspectives]. Lisboa: Escolar Editora.
Lima, L. C. (Ed.). (2011). Perspectivas de análise organizacional das escolas. Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal: Fundação Manuel Leão.
Mojić, D. (2017). To whom, what for and how far is the sociology of organization still needed? Socioloski Pregled, 51(1), 3–27. https://doi.org/10.5937/socpreg1701003m DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/socpreg1701003M
Mutch, A., Delbridge, R., & Ventresca, M. (2006). Situating Organizational Action: The Relational Sociology of Organizations. Organization, 13(5), 607–625. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508406067006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508406067006
Obradović, J. (1976). Sociology of Organization in Yugoslavia. Acta Sociologica, 19(1), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/000169937601900103 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/000169937601900103
Petkova, I. (2014). Bureaucratic versus Non-bureaucratic Organization: Explaining Form, Function, and Change in New Forms of Organizing. Management and Organizational Studies, 2(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/mos.v2n1p33 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/mos.v2n1p33
Pimentel, D. (2012). Sociologia da empresa e das organizações. Uma breve introdução a problemas e perspectivas [Sociology of de company and organisations. A brief introduction to problems and perspectives]. Lisboa: Escolar Editora.
Scholten, M., & Skov, J. (2002). A história inacabada de David e Golias; o comportamento humano e económico. In Cunha, M. P. e & Rodrigues, S. B. (Orgs). (2002). Manual de estudos organizacionais. Temas de psicologia, psicossociologia e sociologia das organizações [Handbook of organisational studies. Topics of psychology, psychosociology and sociology of organizations]. Lisboa: RH Editora. Pp. 331-353.
Serpa, S., Ferreira, C. M., & Santos, A. I. (2017). Fostering Interdisciplinarity: Implications for Social Sciences. International Journal of Social Science Studies, 5(12), 44. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v5i12.2775 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v5i12.2775
Serpa, S. & Ferreira, C. M. (2018). Sociological Problem and Social Problem: Contributions to a Discussion. Sociology and Anthropology, 6(11), 840-844. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2018.061104 DOI: https://doi.org/10.13189/sa.2018.061104
Serpa, S. (2016). Organization as an Analytical Level for Investigation Organizational Culture. The Social Sciences. 11(13), 3257-3263. doi: 10.3923/sscience.2016.3257.3263. (Indexed: Agro Asia; World Agri. Database; MedLit; Scopus; ASCI-ACR). URL: http://medwelljournals.com/abstract/?doi=sscience.2016.3257.3263 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SM90076G
Serpa, S., & Ferreira, C. M. (2019). The Concept of Bureaucracy by Max Weber. International Journal of Social Science Studies, 7(2), 12. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v7i2.3979 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v7i2.3979
Silva, D. V. e. (2007). Escola e lógicas de acção organizacional: contributos teóricos para uma análise sociológica da organização educativa. [School and organizational actions logics : theorise contributions for a sociology analyse of educative organizations], Avaliação e PolÃticas Públicas Em Educação 15(54), 103–126. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0104-40362007000100007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-40362007000100007
Urteaga, E. (2013). La sociologÃa de las organizaciones: perspectivas alternativas. Revista Internacional de Organizaciones, 0(8), 151. https://doi.org/10.17345/rio8.151-176 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17345/rio8.151-176
Thoenig, J.-C. (1998). How Far is a Sociology of Organizations Still Needed? Organization Studies, 19(2), 307–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069801900207 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069801900207