Organizational Strategies and Interorganizational Networks

In: Human relations: towards the integration of the social sciences, Band 29, Heft 4, S. 327-343

Abstract

The organization set is a basic concept for analyzing the relations between an organization and its environment. This article pro vides a theoretical basis for using it to study the way that organizations adapt their environments to their own needs, rather than responding to situational demands. First, the network of interorganizational relations is conceptualized in terms of dimensions of social integration. Subsequently, organizational strategies appropriate for dealing with problematical aspects of organization set integration are identified. The character-defining consequences of the combination of strategies an organization uses are illustrated from an empirical study of the National Economic Development Office.