image: Hierarchical modularity of nested bow-ties inward metabolic networks, Jing Zhao, Hong Yu, Jian-Hua Luo, Zhi-Wei Cao and Yi-Xue ...
image: Hierarchical modularity of nested bow-ties inward metabolic networks, Jing Zhao, Hong Yu, Jian-Hua Luo, Zhi-Wei Cao and Yi-Xue Li (link)
Neil Fligstein as well as Doug McAdam render a sum exposition of their theory of strategic activity fields inward post, this theory presents an innovative means of thinking nearly the composition of the social.
The basic stance is that the telephone commutation construction of social life is "agents behaving strategically inside a plain of resources as well as other agents." Here is a preliminary description of strategic activity fields.
H5N1 strategic activity plain is a constructed mesolevel social fellowship inward which actors (who tin live on private or collective) are attuned to as well as interact amongst 1 some other on the footing of shared (which is non to tell consensual) understandings nearly the purposes of the field, relationships to others inward the plain (including who has might as well as why), as well as the rules governing legitimate activity inward the field. H5N1 stable plain is 1 inward which the original actors are able to reproduce themselves as well as the plain over a fairly long menstruum of time. (1)Fligstein as well as McAdam make non hand telephone commutation ontological condition to structures or organizations, as well as they make non presuppose a dichotomy betwixt agents as well as structures. Instead, organizations as well as institutions are ensembles of agents-in-fields, at a arrive at of levels. Here is what they accept to tell nearly firms, which tin live on extended to organizations to a greater extent than generally:
Firms are nested strategic activity fields inward which at that spot are hierarchical theme relationships betwixt the ingredient fields. Each flora as well as business office is a strategic activity plain inward its ain right. Typically firms are organized into larger divisions inward which management controls resources resource allotment as well as hiring. (59)This theory possesses microfoundations; this is the thrust of the minute chapter inward the book. Their concern human relationship is largely organized some the stance of social science at the aeroplane of the actor. What I desire to explore here, though, is the "macro-sociology" of the theory. In particular, how make our concepts of meso-level social structures similar institutions as well as organizations instruct parsed when nosotros utilization the linguistic communication of strategic activity fields? And substantively, how tin nosotros concern human relationship for the relative aeroplane of stability that organizations as well as institutions possess, if they are exactly composites of strategically motivated actors? This description suggests a high score of fluidity, every bit strategies as well as coalitions shift. But instead, nosotros notice a high aeroplane of stability inward organizations much of the time, persisting over multiple generations of actors.
The response seems to derive from the stance that F&M innovate of "internal governance units."
In add-on to incumbents as well as challengers, many strategic activity fields accept internal governance units that are charged amongst overseeing compliance amongst plain rules and, inward general, facilitating the overall smoothen functioning as well as reproduction of the system. (13)Organizations are configured some incumbents who are assigned roles as well as powers that hand them both an involvement as well as an might to hold the workings of the organization. So stability is non a primitive character of an organization; instead, it is a outcome of the specific interlocking assignments of interests as well as powers inside the diverse networks of agents that brand upwards the organization. Stability is a dynamic characteristic of the organization, reproduced past times the actions of incumbents. And modify inward the organisation occurs when at that spot is pregnant alteration inward those interests as well as powers.
Field stability is mostly achieved inward 1 of 2 ways: the imposition of hierarchical might past times a unmarried dominant grouping or the creation of some form of political coalition based on the cooperation of a publish of groups. (14)On this approach, then, stability is a outcome of the configuration of a given scheme of strategic fields, rather than an axiomatic holding of the organization.
There is a cracking bargain of consonance betwixt this theory as well as the ideas nearly organizations as well as actors lay forwards past times Crozier as well as Friedberg some 40 years agone inward post on their work. Crozier as well as Friedberg likewise looked at organizations every bit arenas of strategic as well as opportunistic activity past times agents. They likewise emphasized the role of cooperation as well as alliances inside organizations. And they likewise looked at organizations every bit solutions to problems of collective action. There is no indication that Fligstein as well as McAdam were straight influenced past times Crozier, as well as indeed the query communities including both are fairly distinct. So this looks similar a representative of independent uncovering of a novel stance rather than sequential evolution of this idea. It looks to a greater extent than similar the representative of Wallace as well as Darwin inward the uncovering of natural selection, than Darwin as well as Huxley inward the evolution of that idea.
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