An Examination of Alternative Forms of Fit in Contingency Theory.

Abstract

Contingency theories dominate scholarly studies of organization behavior, performance, planning, and management strategy. While varying widely in subject matter, they have at their core the common preposition that organizational performance results from the fit of context with design. 'Fit' is the key concept in any contingency theory. This paper presents three concepts of fit: selection, interaction and systems approaches. These approaches are empirically compared using a contingency theory of work unit design. Implications for using multiple types of fit in contingency studies in general and for work level studies in particular are presented. Keywords include: Contingency theory, Organization structure, Organization performance, Work unit design.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1984
Accession Number
ADA152602

Entities

People

  • A. H. Van De Van
  • R. Drazin

Organizations

  • University of Minnesota

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Databases
  • Employment
  • Information Processing
  • Management Personnel
  • Manpower
  • Military Research
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Standards
  • Students
  • Systems Approach
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Methods

Readers

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