So, a new edition of Organizations:Rational, Natural, and Open Systems by W. Richard Scott is out. Its co-authored by Gerry Davis (Who was a student of Scott’s at Stanford, apparently) and has a newer, more active title (stamp out nouns!). This book was an absolute classic for me doing my PhD at IESE. It also helped me bridge sociology and management. So, like the priests we are, it is good to turn back to the canon and see what is there.
Organizations and Organizing: rational, natural, and open systems perspectives.
I wanted to see if it is worth reading/buying the new version. A quick comparison of the two tables of contents reveals that some major changes were made. After Break for table.
| Fifth Edition (With Davis) |
Fourth Edition |
| Chapter 1: The Subject is Organizations; The Verb is Organizing |
1. The Subject Is Organization. |
| Chapter 2: Organizations as Rational Systems |
2. Organizations as Rational Systems. |
| Chapter 3: Organizations as Natural Systems |
3. Organizations as Natural Systems. |
| Chapter 4: Organizations as Open Systems |
4. Organizations as Open Systems. |
| Chapter 5: Combining Perspectives, Expanding Levels |
5. Combining the Perspectives. |
| Chapter 6: Technology and Structure |
6. Conceptions of Environments. |
| Chapter 7: Labor and Structure |
7. Creating Organizations. |
| Chapter 8: Goals, Power, and Control |
8. Boundary Setting and Boundary Spanning. |
| Chapter 9: The Dyadic Environment of the Organization |
9. Sources of Structural Complexity: The Technical Core. |
| Chapter 10: Organization of the Environment |
10. Sources of Structural Complexity: The Peripheral Components. |
| Chapter 11: Networks In and Around Organizations |
11. Goals, Power, and Control. |
| Chapter 12: Strategy, Structure, and Performance: The Sociology of Organizational Strategy |
12. Organizational Pathologies. |
| Chapter 13: The Rise and Transformation of the Corporate Form |
13. Organizational Effectiveness. |
| Chapter 14: Changing Contours of Organizations and Organization Theory |
Thanks google docs for easy table converter.





Know I am gearing up to teach Org Theory to undergrads. And I have decided to use this book.
Maybe I will use the blog to keep my own running notes on how to use it.