Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T21:41:48.193Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Conceptualising Organizational Restructuring in the 1990s

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2015

Craig R. Littler  and
Thomas Bramble
Craig R. Littler
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba Q 4350, Tel: 076 31 2441, Fax: 076 31 2811, Email: littler@usq.edu.au
Thomas Bramble
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Management, University of Queensland, Brisbane Q 4072, Tel: 07 365 6233, Fax: 07 365 6988, Email: t.bramble@gsm.uq.oz.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Organizational restructuring in Western economies has proceeded along different trajectories during the latter part of the 1980s and early 1990s. Traditional theories of organizational restructuring have inherent limitations associated with a ‘growth bias’. Various new concepts have been put forward, both prescriptively in order to shape organizational change, and analytically in order to capture the nature of those changes. By contrast, these concepts are premised on organizational workforce reduction. This article considers four widely diffused concepts of organisational restructuring - downsizing, delayering, lean production and re-engineering - and argues that the trajectories of change require a broader understanding than has been provided by existing concepts. Towards this end, an integrated model is put forward.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 45 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abell, P (1975) Organisations as Bargaining and Influence Systems London: HeinemannGoogle Scholar
Adler, P (1985) “Managing Flexibility: A Selective Review of the Challenges of Managing the New Production Technologies' Potential for Flexibility” A Report to the OECD Paris07Google Scholar
Adler, P (1986) “New Technologies, New Skills” California Management Review XXIX(1) pp 9–28CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Applebaum, E & Batt, R (1994) The New American Workplace: Transforming Work Systems in the United States New York: ILR PressGoogle Scholar
Cameron, KSFreeman, SJ & Mishra, AK (1993) “Downsizing and Redesigning Organizations” in Huber, G and Glick, W (eds) Organizational Change and Redesign New York: Oxford University PressGoogle Scholar
Cappelli, P (1992) “The Impact of Managerial Layoffs” Chief Executive Issue 77 pp 58–60Google Scholar
Cascio, WF (1993) “Downsizing: What Do We Know? What Have We Learned?” Academy of Management Executive 7(1) pp 95–104Google Scholar
Cascio, WF (1994) Measuring the Dollar Impact of Human Resource Practices Australian Human Resources Institute (mimeo)Google Scholar
Chandler, AD (1963) Strategy and Structure New York: DoubledayGoogle Scholar
Child, J (1977) Organization: A Guide to Problems and Practice London: Paul ChapmamGoogle Scholar
Donaldson, L (1995) American Anti-Management Theories of Organization: A Critique of Paradigm Proliferation Cambridge: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
Dunford, R & Heiler, K (1994) “Human Resource Management and Downsizing: Managing the Tensions” Paper presented to the 4th Conference on International Human Resource Management Gold Coast AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Greiner, L (1972) “Evolution and Revolution as Organisations Grow” Harvard Business Review Vol 49 pp 37–46Google Scholar
Grint, K (1994) “Reengineering History: Social Resonances and Business Process Reengineering” Organization 1(1) pp 179–201CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hammer, M & Champy, J (1993) Re-engineering the Corporation New York: Harper CollinsGoogle Scholar
Katz, D & Kahn, RL (1978) The Social Psychology of Organisation New York: WileyGoogle Scholar
Keuning, D & Opheij, W (1994) Delayering Organizations London: PitmanGoogle Scholar
Leavitt, HJ & Whisler, TL (1958) “Management in the 1980s” Harvard Business Review 11-Dec pp 41–48Google Scholar
Littler, C (1990) “The Labour Process Debate: A Theoretical Review” in Knights, D and Willmott, H (eds) Labour Process Theory London: Macmillan pp 46–94CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Littler, CBramble, T & McDonald, J (1994) Organisational Restructuring: Downsizing, Delayering and Managing Change at Work Industrial Relations Research Series Department of Industrial Relations Canberra: AGPSGoogle Scholar
McKinley, WSanchez, C & Schick, A (1994) “Or-ganizational Downsizing: Constraining, Cloning and Learning” Academy of Management Executive forthcomingGoogle Scholar
Miles, RE & Snow, DD (1986) “Organisations: New Concepts for New Forms” California Management Review 28(3) pp 62–73CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, JO & Longair, RJ (1985) New Directions in Middle Management - A Dilemma? Melbourne: Australian Institute of ManagementGoogle Scholar
Mills, C Wright (1951) White Collar New York: Oxford University PressGoogle Scholar
Obeng, E & Crainer, S (1994) Making Re-Engineering Happen London: PitmanGoogle Scholar
Ostroff, F & Smith, D (1992) “The Horizontal Organisation” McKinsey Quarterly pp 148–168Google Scholar
Perrow, C (1970) Organizational Analysis London: TavistockGoogle Scholar
Peters, T (1992) Liberation Management: Necessary Disorganization for the Nanosecond Nineties London: MacmillanGoogle Scholar
Robbins, SP & Barnwell, N (1994) Organisation Theory in Australia (2nd Ed) Sydney: Prentice HallGoogle Scholar
Thompson, JD (1967) Organizations in Action New York: McGraw HillGoogle Scholar
Trecarten, LE (1990) “Lindex: An Organisational Layering Index” Optimum 21(1) pp 52–63Google Scholar
Utton, MA (1972) “Some Features of the Early Merger Movements in British Manufacturing Industry” Business History 14 pp 51–60CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheatley, M (1992) The Future of Middle Management Corby, Northants: British Institute of ManagementGoogle Scholar
Williams, KHaslam, CWilliams, J & Cutler, T with Adcroft, A & Johal, S (1992) “Against Lean Production” Economy & Society 21(3) pp 321–354CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, KCutler, TWilliams, J & Haslam, C (1987) “The End of Mass Poduction?” Economy and Society 16 (3) pp 405–440Google Scholar
Womack, JRoos, D & Jones, D (1990) The Machine That Changed the World New York: MacmillanGoogle Scholar
Womack, J & Jones, D (1994) “From Lean Production to the Lean Enterprise” Harvard Business Review 03/Apr pp 93–103Google Scholar