• A well-established and highly regarded text written by a trusted expert in the field.
• The only textbook to explain core concepts from the three dominant perspectives in organization theory, providing a distinctive approach that encourages thought, critique, and discussion.
• Clear, comprehensive coverage of the key topics is delivered through the author's characteristically engaging style to immerse students and stimulate active engagement with the subject.
• Case studies, student activities, and relevant diagrams make complex ideas accessible and engaging.

New to this Edition:

• Thoroughly restructured and revised to reflect the most recent developments in organization theory.
• A more applied approach is delivered via new 'Theory to Practice' boxes and case studies, which ask students to evaluate the practical uses of organizational theory in a range of settings.
• New 'Think like a Theorist' and 'Exercise those Perspectives' boxes bring theorizing to life by encouraging students to approach situations and organizations as a theorist and from multiple perspectives, thus developing crucial critical thinking skills.
• A new chapter exploring organizational identity and other key concepts through the author's extensive research at the Carlsberg Group demonstrates the practical application of organization theory and shows how research findings are used constructively by a company.
• Chapter 1 is fully revised with a new emphasis on how and why organizational theory is an essential subject to study for anyone looking to progress in a business environment.
• Additional diagrams, images, and colour make this edition more accessible and engaging than ever before.

 
Organization Theory offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to the study of organizations and organizing processes. Through the unique three-perspective approach, students are challenged to explain, explore, and evaluate organizational theory, drawing on their own experiences as well as the book's diverse practical examples.

The fourth edition includes a host of new learning features, which examine the practicality of theorizing and encourage students to broaden their intellectual reach. 'Theory to Practice' boxes and case studies highlight organizing processes in a range of settings, either through real-life, business examples or through exercises that encourage students to apply the theory to organizations they know or organizing experiences of their own. 'Think like a Theorist' and 'Exercise Those Perspectives' boxes then encourage students to actively theorize and evaluate, developing essential critical thinking skills and a greater understanding of the complex knowledge with which organization theorists grapple. By taking theory off the page, students can learn through doing and adopt a reflexive stance to the world around them.

Mary Jo Hatch draws on her extensive experience in the field to produce a trusted and accessible introduction to the subject that provides academic depth, engaging pedagogy, and a practical focus.

 
REVIEWS:

"The most useful introductory text on organization theory there is." - Ian Storer, Sheffield Hallam University

"A text that will genuinely help a student be an organization theorist." - Gemma Donnelly-Cox, Trinity College Dublin

"The comprehensiveness of the approach is beyond question." - Dr Sandra Pereira, University of Warwick

"This is an excellent textbook." - Dr Marco Berti, University of Technology, Sydney

"Very good, very accessible, very relevant." - Dr Beryl Bellman, California State University Los Angeles