Description
Book Synopsis* Acts as a sequel to Marcha s earlier Decisions and Orgainzations. * Brings together the writings of one of the leading figures in the field of decision making and organizational theory. * Reflects the shift in Marcha s thinking and organizational theory generally. .
Trade Review"The March collection is superb."
Hans Pennings, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.
Table of Contents1. Introduction 1
Part I Decisions In Organizations 11 2. Understanding How Decisions Happen in Organizations 13
3. Continuity and Change in Theories of Organizational Action 39
4. Institutional Perspectives on Political Institutions (with Johan P. Olsen) 52
Part II Learning In Organizations 73
5. Organizational Learning (with Barbara Levitt) 75
6. The Evolution of Evolution 100
7. Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning 114
8. Learning from Samples of One or Fewer (with Lee S. Sproull, and Michal Tamuz) 137
9. Adaptive Co-ordination of a Learning Team (with Pertti H. Lounamma) 156
10. The Future, Disposable Organizations, and the Rigidities of Imagination 179
11. The Myopia of Learning (with Daniel A. Levinthal) 193
Part III Risk Taking In Organizations 223
12. Wild Ideas: The Catechism of Heresy 225
13. Variable Risk Preferences and Adaptive Aspirations 229
14. Variable Risk Preferences and the Focus of Attention (with Zur Shapira) 251
15. Learning to Be Risk Averse 279
Part IV The Giving and Taking of Advice 305
16. Model Bias in Social Action 307
17. Organizational Consultants and Organizational Research 325
18. Organizational Performance as a Dependent Variable (with Robert I. Sutton) 338
19. Science, Politics, and Mrs. Gruenberg 355
20. Education and the Pursuit of Optimism 363
21. A Scholar's Quest 376
Index 380
