How do the three perspectives (Modern, Symbolic-Interpretive, and Essay

How do the three perspectives (Modern, Symbolic-Interpretive, and Post-modern) contribute to different ways to think about organisations - Essay Example Modern perspectives on organizational theory began through the 1950’s, 1960’s to the end of 1970’s. However it’s the latter period and writers associated with that period that had a real impact on the subsequent developments of the modern perspectives on organizational theory. Emery and Trist (1960) and Woodward (1965) for example stand out in their efforts to develop a theoretical and conceptual framework for analysis. This period was followed by what’s known as the Symbolic-interpretive perspective in organizational theory. Starting from the pioneering work of Schutz (1932) it culminated in the path-breaking work of Clifford and Marcus (1986) on evolutionary anthropology. However, many other writers contributed to this evolutionary process though. Finally the Post-modern perspective on organizational theory began to be developed by such writers as Bell (1973) and the tradition continued to evolve with various writers and researchers contributing to its many faceted perspectives till Baudrillard (1988) wrote his masterpiece on Post-modernism with articulate emphasis on the organization as a post-modern phenomenon that required a more analytical approach than was hitherto practiced. Modern perspective about the business organization is basically determined by objective reality, i.e. there is an objective external environment which exists beyond the reach of humans’ knowledge and therefore the organization exists as a separate entity form this objective external environment. However there is an element of positivism in human’s ability to learn the real nature of this external environment by developing concepts that enable them to progress by accumulating intelligence. When this is applied to the modern business organization and its environment it’s imperative in the first instance for it to operate in its environment with a set of rules or norms, standards and procedures. Its organizational behavior is determined