A SET-THEORETIC APPROACH TOORGANIZATIONAL CONFIGURATIONS

A SET-THEORETIC APPROACH TO ORGANIZATIONAL CONFIGURATIONS

 

PEER C. FISS University of Southern California

 

 

Abstract

I argue that research on organizational configurations has been limited by a mismatch between theory and methods and introduce set-theoretic methods as a viable alternative for overcoming this mismatch. I demonstrate the value of such methods for studying organizational configurations and discuss their applicability for examining equifinality and limited diversity among configurations, as well as their relevance to other research fields such as complementarities theory, complexity theory, and the resource-based view.

 

-> summary

problem 

: organizational configurations limited by a mismatch between theory and methods

solve

: set-theoretic methods as a viable alternative

keyword :

organizational configurations, set-theoretic methods

 

Intro

the study of organizational configuration: important and central role in organization theory and strategy research 

configurational approach: organization best! clusters of interconnected structures and practices

multidimensional nature -> configurational approach fit to strategic management

core theme: how firms can achieve a match among structures, activities, and the environment!!

 

configurational approach attractive 

but the progress of empirical research less satisfying

clustering algorithms, interaction effects, deviation score approaches (편)

but evidence between configurations and performance equivocal

 

previous studies

: meta-analysis of configurational studies

: inability reason is insufficient statistical power

: additional testing is necessary

 

-> so suggest that many of the problems of empirical research on organizational configurations derive from a mismatch between methods and theory

: configurational theory suggest clean break with the predominant linear paradigm

= complex causality, nonlinear relationships

+ tend to synergistic effect + traditional bivariate interaction effect

 

stress equifinality : 동등성

: two or more organizational configuration equally effectiv in high performance even if faced with same contigencies

: multiple paths to an outcome

<-> unifinality 단일성

: one optimal configuration

but, theoretical ideas not translated

<-> conventional methods of multivariate regression analysis 다변량 회귀 분석 방법

: single path for all cases under examination

 

 

primary purpose

: offer view of methodological issues by introducing set-theoretic methods for studying cases as configurations

-> Set-theoretic methods

: uniquely suitable for configurational theory since concepualize cases as combinations of attributes and emphasize that

: differ from conventional variable-based approaches

-> disaggregate cases into independent separate aspects <->  treat configuraion as different types of caes

 

set-theoretic methods

use Boolean algebra - 대수적 조작을 허용하는 표기 시스템

strength

1. better fit wit a configurational understanding of organization + sophisticated assessment of how different causes

2. combine to affect relevant outcomes - 복잡한 인과관계 표현 가능

3. contribute to theory building

prividing a rigorous way to combine verbal statment with logical relationships that differs from the conveional correlational view -> allow experssion of complex causal relation

 

focus fidld of organizational configurations!!

but other research areas (complemenatarities, complexity, human resource management, resource-based view)

 

정리를 해보자면?

motivation

organization configuration에서  mismatch between theory and methods 

이게 왜 중요한지?

cofiguration은 strategy 연구, organization 이론에서 중요한 역할임

cofiguration approach : cluster의 개념

 

단일한 case x 

complex causation임

 

Conclusion

set-theoretic method

to examine how different organizational elements combine 

 

voca 

equivocal: 모호하다

clean break: 완전히 단절

conventional method: 기존 방법

explicitly: 명시적으로

promis: 가능