Configurational approaches to organizational analysis
Academy of Management journal, 1993•journals.aom.org
The 1993 Special Research Forum on Configurations is dedicated to the proposition that
configurational theory and research can significantly advance understanding of people,
groups, and organizations. In this introductory essay, we define configurational approaches
to organizational analysis, trace the history of configurational thinking, distinguish the
contingency approach from the configurational approach, and highlight key contributions of
the five empirical articles that make up the special research forum. Most of these articles …
configurational theory and research can significantly advance understanding of people,
groups, and organizations. In this introductory essay, we define configurational approaches
to organizational analysis, trace the history of configurational thinking, distinguish the
contingency approach from the configurational approach, and highlight key contributions of
the five empirical articles that make up the special research forum. Most of these articles …
The 1993 Special Research Forum on Configurations is dedicated to the proposition that configurational theory and research can significantly advance understanding of people, groups, and organizations. In this introductory essay, we define configurational approaches to organizational analysis, trace the history of configurational thinking, distinguish the contingency approach from the configurational approach, and highlight key contributions of the five empirical articles that make up the special research forum. Most of these articles report research conducted at the organizational level of analysis, but we argue that the configurational perspective has unrealized potential at other levels as well and suggest some configurational approaches to revitalizing theory and research at the individual and group levels.