Burrell and Morgan‘sBurrell and Morgan‘s

―Sociological Paradigms and ―Sociological Paradigms and

Organizational Analysis‖*Organizational Analysis‖*

*Heinemann, London, 1979

Main 4 debates in SociologyMain 4 debates in Sociology

Is reality given or is it a product of the Is reality given or is it a product of the

mind?mind?

Must one experience something to Must one experience something to

understand it?understand it?

Do humans have free will or are we Do humans have free will or are we

determined by our environment?determined by our environment?

Is understanding best achieved though the Is understanding best achieved though the

scientific method or direct experience?scientific method or direct experience?

Assumptions of the nature of social Assumptions of the nature of social

sciencescienceOntologicalOntological——is reality external from conscious or a is reality external from conscious or a product of individual consciousness?product of individual consciousness?

EpistemologicalEpistemological——how can knowledge be acquired and how can knowledge be acquired and how can the truth be found?how can the truth be found?

HumanHuman naturenature——are we products of our environments or are we products of our environments or do we create our environments?do we create our environments?

MethodologicalMethodological——what methods of inquiry are appropriate what methods of inquiry are appropriate for finding ‗truth‘? Objectivists search for universal laws for finding ‗truth‘? Objectivists search for universal laws to explain reality and relationships between elements. to explain reality and relationships between elements. Subjectivists focus on how individuals create, modify and Subjectivists focus on how individuals create, modify and interpret the world. They see nature as more relativisticinterpret the world. They see nature as more relativistic

AxiologicalAxiological——what is the role of values in research? Are what is the role of values in research? Are researchers valueresearchers value--free vs. valuefree vs. value--ladenladen

Ontology: Nominalism vs. RealismOntology: Nominalism vs. Realism

NominalismNominalism assumes that society is relative assumes that society is relative and the social world is names, concepts and and the social world is names, concepts and labels that make individual structure realitylabels that make individual structure reality

RealismRealism assumes that the real world has assumes that the real world has hard, intangible structures that exist hard, intangible structures that exist irrespective of our labels. The social world irrespective of our labels. The social world exists separate from the individual‘s exists separate from the individual‘s perception of it.perception of it.

Epistemology: Positivism vs. AntiEpistemology: Positivism vs. Anti--

PositivismPositivism

PositivismPositivism seeks to explain and predict what seeks to explain and predict what

happens in the social world by searching for happens in the social world by searching for

patterns and relationships. Hypotheses are patterns and relationships. Hypotheses are

developed and testeddeveloped and tested

AntiAnti--positivismpositivism rejects that observing rejects that observing

behavior can help people understand it. behavior can help people understand it.

Social science cannot create true objective Social science cannot create true objective

knowledge of any kind.knowledge of any kind.

Human Nature: Voluntarism vs. Human Nature: Voluntarism vs.

DeterminismDeterminism

DeterminismDeterminism sees man as being determined sees man as being determined

by the situation and environment he is inby the situation and environment he is in

VoluntarismVoluntarism sees man is completely sees man is completely

autonomous and possessing free willautonomous and possessing free will

Method: Ideographic vs. NomotheticMethod: Ideographic vs. Nomothetic

IdeographicIdeographic focuses on detailed observation focuses on detailed observation

of societyof society

NomotheticNomothetic involves hypotheses testing and involves hypotheses testing and

employs methods such as surveys and other employs methods such as surveys and other

standardized research toolsstandardized research tools

Axiological: Value free vs. Value Axiological: Value free vs. Value

ladenladen

ValueValue--freefree contends that researchers can contends that researchers can

conduct research without the imposition of conduct research without the imposition of

valuesvalues

ValueValue--ladenladen contends this is simply contends this is simply

impossibleimpossible

Assumptions about Society*Assumptions about Society*

Two theories about society: order and Two theories about society: order and

conflictconflict

–– OrderOrder or integrationist view sees society as or integrationist view sees society as

relatively stable and based on consensusrelatively stable and based on consensus

–– ConflictConflict or coercion view sees society as or coercion view sees society as

constantly changing and disintegratingconstantly changing and disintegrating

* Based on Dahrendorf’s (1959) sociological theory

The Emergence of ParadigmsThe Emergence of Paradigms

Kuhn defines paradigms as: ―universally recognized scientific Kuhn defines paradigms as: ―universally recognized scientific

achievements that for a time provide model problems and solutions to achievements that for a time provide model problems and solutions to

a community of practitioners‖ (Kuhn, 1970; p. viii) a community of practitioners‖ (Kuhn, 1970; p. viii)

Burrell and Morgan use the term as a: ―commonality of perspective Burrell and Morgan use the term as a: ―commonality of perspective

which binds the work of a group of theorists together‖ (Burrell and which binds the work of a group of theorists together‖ (Burrell and

Morgan, 1979; p. 23) Morgan, 1979; p. 23)

Burrell and Morgan define four paradigms: Burrell and Morgan define four paradigms: functionalism, functionalism,

interpretivism, radical structuralism interpretivism, radical structuralism andand radical humanismradical humanism. Others, . Others,

such as Chua (1986), prefer three primary alternatives: such as Chua (1986), prefer three primary alternatives: positivismpositivism (and (and

its various forms neofuncitonalism, postpostivism, etc.), its various forms neofuncitonalism, postpostivism, etc.), interpretivisminterpretivism

(hermeneutics, phenomenology, ethnomethodology, etc.), and (hermeneutics, phenomenology, ethnomethodology, etc.), and critical critical

(Marxism, Critical Social Theory, etc.)(Marxism, Critical Social Theory, etc.)

Sociology of regulation

Sociology of radical change

Subjective Objective

Radical Humanism Radical Structuralism

Interpretivism Functionalism

French existentialismFrench existentialismAnarchistic individualismAnarchistic individualismCritical theoryCritical theory

Contemporary Mediterranean MarxismContemporary Mediterranean MarxismRussian Social TheoryRussian Social TheoryCritical theoryCritical theory

PhenomenologyPhenomenologyHermeneuticsHermeneuticsPhenomenological sociologyPhenomenological sociologyInterpretive sociologyInterpretive sociology

Integrative theoryIntegrative theorySocial system theorySocial system theoryObjectivismObjectivismInteractionism and social action theoryInteractionism and social action theoryFunctionalist sociologyFunctionalist sociology

The Burrell and Morgan Framework (1979)

The 4 paradigms of social scienceThe 4 paradigms of social science

Functionalist paradigmFunctionalist paradigm——objective/regulationobjective/regulation

Interpretive paradigmInterpretive paradigm——subjective/regulationsubjective/regulation

Radical humanist paradigmRadical humanist paradigm——subjective / subjective /

radical changeradical change

Radical structuralist paradigmRadical structuralist paradigm——objective / objective /

radical changeradical change

Functionalist paradigmFunctionalist paradigm

Primary paradigm for organizational studyPrimary paradigm for organizational study

Assumes rational human action and believes Assumes rational human action and believes

one can understand behavior through one can understand behavior through

hypothesis testinghypothesis testing

Interpretive paradigmInterpretive paradigm

Seeks to explain the stability of behavior Seeks to explain the stability of behavior

from the individual's viewpointfrom the individual's viewpoint

Researchers attempt to observe ―onResearchers attempt to observe ―on--going going

processes‖ to better understand individual processes‖ to better understand individual

behavior and the ―spiritual nature of the behavior and the ―spiritual nature of the

world‖world‖

Radical humanist paradigmRadical humanist paradigm

Concerned with releasing social constraints Concerned with releasing social constraints

that limit human potentialthat limit human potential

They see the current dominant ideologies as They see the current dominant ideologies as

separating people from their ―true selves‖separating people from their ―true selves‖

This paradigm is used to justify radical This paradigm is used to justify radical

changechange

It is antiIt is anti--organizational in scopeorganizational in scope

Radical structuralist paradigmRadical structuralist paradigm

Theorists see inherent structural conflicts Theorists see inherent structural conflicts

within society that generate constant change within society that generate constant change

through political and economic crisisthrough political and economic crisis

This is the fundamental paradigm of Marx, This is the fundamental paradigm of Marx,

Engles and LeninEngles and Lenin

Sociological Positivism vs. German Sociological Positivism vs. German

IdealismIdealism

Sociological positivism applies models and Sociological positivism applies models and

methods from the natural sciences to the methods from the natural sciences to the

social sciencessocial sciences

German idealism sees reality in the ―spirit‖ German idealism sees reality in the ―spirit‖

or ―idea‖ and rejects the scientific method or ―idea‖ and rejects the scientific method

to understanding behaviorto understanding behavior

Classification Criteria Positivist Interpretivist Critical

Beliefs about physical

and social reality

There is a single, tangible, fragment-

able phenomenon of interest and there

is a unique best description of any

aspect of that phenomenon.

(Orlikowski & Baroudi, 1991)

Social world is not ‗given‘. It is produced

and reinforced through human actions and

interactions. Interpretations of reality

change with time, circumstances, objectives

and constituencies.

Humans become

alienated from their

potential by prevailing

economic, political and

cultural authority. Social

reality is produced by

humans, but also exists

objectively and

dominates human

experience.

Beliefs about the

notion of knowledge

Deductive logic to discover unilateral,

causal generalized relationships,

predict patterns of behavior across

situations (Orlikowski & Baroudi,

1991).

Involves getting inside the world of those

generating the social process. The models

are not unidirectional, but are circular or

reciprocally interacting models of causality.

No a priori researcher-imposed

formulations of structure, function and

attribution are assumed.

‗What it has been, what

it is becoming and what

it is not‘ (Chua, 1986).

Interpretation of social

world is not enough.

Objective analysis of

circumstances is

possible through the

lenses of theoretical

framework.

Beliefs about the

relationship between

knowledge and

empirical world

If the appropriate general laws are

known and the relevant initial

conditions can be manipulated, we can

produce a desired state of affairs,

natural or social. (McCarthy, 1978)

Research is value free.

Knowledge is never value-free. Weak

constructionist view, the researcher merely

describes the phenomenon in words of the

actors. In the strong view, the researcher‘s

interpretations intervene with the actual

meaning of the world, thus the researcher is

in part, enacting the social reality of the

actors.

Can transform both the

actor and the researcher.

Role of theory is to

initiate change in social

relations eliminating

domination.

Paradigm Classification Criteria adapted from Orlikowski and Baroudi (1991)