Paradigm Wars in Organization Theory: Strategic Analysis Report

This report delves into the paradigm wars within organization theory, focusing on strategic adaptation and the explanatory power of different theoretical frameworks. It examines how organizations respond to internal and external pressures, analyzing the evolution of strategic content over time. The research employs a qualitative, descriptive, and analytical approach, utilizing secondary data to explore theories like resource dependency theory, population ecology, and institutional theory. The report highlights the complementary nature of these theories in understanding organizational strategic adaptation, emphasizing the importance of a longitudinal perspective. It further discusses strategic management, outlining the 'what, who, why, and how' of business activities, and categorizing strategies as corporate, competitive, and functional. The report provides examples of organizational strategies, such as local labor training, capitalization, and vertical integration, and explains these strategies through the lens of the discussed theories. The conclusion emphasizes the value of multiple theoretical perspectives in analyzing strategic adaptation and highlights the power of contingency, institutional, and resource dependency theories in explaining various organizational strategies. This report is a valuable resource for students seeking to understand the complexities of organizational behavior and strategic decision-making.

RUNNING HEAD: PARADIGM WARS IN ORGANISATION THEORY 1
PARADIGM WARS IN ORGANISATION THEORY
Student Name
Institute Name

PARADIGM WARS IN ORGANISATION THEORY 2
Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
Reference....................................................................................................................................9

PARADIGM WARS IN ORGANISATION THEORY 3
Introduction
The overall study of strategic development in terms of organizational adaption are associated
with the growth as well as execution of the explanatory and descriptive theories of varied
strategic based options along with the overall degree of the potential level companies’
mobilization as an outcome to external as well as internal components which are influential
and also based on strategic decision making. The main aim of the research was to evaluate
the personal as well as combined explanatory power of the organizational strategic adaptation
based theories. It is also based on the transformation in the strategic level content of a huge
organization for so many years in the past. Methodically, the process is qualitative as well as
descriptive and also analytical based study by nature (Lander and Heugens, 2017). There are
many secondary data as well which is collected in the books associated with the current
corporate history and also related with the data present in the official based media associated
with the company. Then there is secondary data which is collected in the studies based on the
corporate history as well as data present in the official documents associated with the
company. The outcomes also show the complementary features that exist between the
theories used to demonstrate the organizational strategic adaption based phenomenon.
Among the important findings and studies, it also seems that the clarity of the organization
strategic adaption based process is longitudinal approach is an element based requirements
which are evaluated through multiple theoretical lenses. In addition, it also results from the
communication between the external as well as internal elements of the company (Malatesta
and Smith, 2014).
Discussion
Following is the detailed discussion of the theories: -

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Resource dependency theory: this theory mainly aims on the power as well as the dependency
and the relationship that exists within the inter-organizational terms. As per the RDT
assumptions, company must reduce the dependence on environmental resources specifically
those that are scarce as well as critical by nature to the organizational level operations. There
are number of strategies like partnership, vertical integration, multiple level of supply based
association and alliances with the competitions are some of the instances of actions that
favour organizational level survival which is also adverse environmental situation based on
resources (Kenworthy and Verbeke, 2015).
Population ecology of the organization: the theory mainly assumes that an admittedly
positioning which is deterministic by nature basically aims on the patterns of the success as
well as failure of the companies that are competing for the similar set of resources. The
theory also assumes that the concepts of variation, retaining the workforces and recruitment
or selection from evolution level theory. As per the theory, for instance, adaptation is an
operation of environmental based selection. The companies that survive thus are only those
that best adapted to the requirement of environment under specific environmental situations.
Institutional level of theory is a theory which is much deeper and based on more resilient kind
of features based on the social structure (Scott and Davis, 2015). It further considers the
procedure by which the structure consisting the schemes or rules or norms and even the daily
routines become settled as authoritative supervision based norms for the social behaviour.
There are different and distinct elements of institutional based theory which can explain how
every element can be developed, diffused, adapted over time and space. This also covers how
it fall into disuse as well as decline.
The theories discussed above are based on many assumptions associated with the different
dimensions based on relationship that exist between organization strategy environment. It can

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further be inferred, thus, the usefulness to the clarity of complementary level of
environmental, individual components with potential level of intervention on the strategic
adaptation part. For instance, theories like population ecology theory also takes a
deterministic based position associated with the option of survival and organizational level
success. Institutional theory points out the possibility of the strategic level choices as a
method to adapt the company to perceived level environment. It is also obvious that any kind
of attempt can be classified the theories within the determinism and voluntarism level
continuum that can be criticized from time to time (Fumasoli and Huisman, 2013). But, the
discussed theories also serve as the motive of the work to the level that it can seek to clear the
explanatory conjunct potential of the theories when implemented to the study of strategic
level organizational adjustment in longitudinal approach. The strategic management also
studies and focus on the four key doubts about varied business activities. It asks all the
relevant questions like what, who, why and how. The initial two primarily related to the
strategic level content, while other are based on the strategic process. Strategic content is
associated therefore with the overall scope of the company regarding the market where the
company can compete and its mode of competition in individual markets. Generally, the
strategies level content can be classified as corporate, competitive or operational or
functional. There are number of corporate strategies that mainly comes from organization
level scope along with constituting based decision that can be taken by the senior level
management. There are number of corporate strategies that consist of so many answers to
some key and important questions like what will be the market or what product or service
will be offered or kind of structure of organization which is more rightly make sure the main
motive. It is also important to understand that the methods in which people can relate with the
stakeholders along with the outcomes that people want to or looking to accomplish. There are
many examples of corporate strategies consisting diversification, internalization, acquisition

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and mergers and many more (Scott and Davis, 2015). The competitive level strategies are
aimed on particular business and are aiming to decide the best kind of competitive level
position in the market. Business based strategies consist of many answer to questions like
how it competes in the market and kind of competitive positioning and what can be
accomplished with the desired competitive advantages. For instances there are competitive
level strategies focussing on the combination of various elements like cost leadership,
differentiation and the aim. In the end, functional level strategies are further deployed from
competitive based strategies to corporate one. They can also be constituted by the operational
level functions conducted at functional areas required to accomplish the higher level strategic
objectives. There are number of functional strategies that can answer many questions like the
functional sectors aligned with competitive and corporate level strategies. Kind of distinct
skills which are required to grow certain kind of capabilities. It also covers face based
competitor level capabilities (Adegbite et al., 2018). There can be many examples of
functional level strategies consisting functions like marketing, finance, operations and many
more.
The discussion below describes various strategies taken up by the organizations in the light of
organizational strategic adaption based theories. The discussed strategies are further
presented in a chronological manner based on the order in which events actually occurs.
Local labour: the concept of training the local staff comes up as a main requirement in the
operations of the organization. The theory of resource dependency theory can also be
explained here as the movement which took place at the time since there is a shortage of
trained level labour and the critical resources to organization based operations and intended
level outcomes. With the help of performing training level initiative, first intrinsically and
further externally, company further decreases its dependency on the overall resources and

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further become part to the economic and social level changes of the regional environment
(Müller and Kunisch, 2017).
Capitalization: the theory of contingency is also there which helps in the gaining the clarity
on the movement of the capitalization process made by the organizations and it also explains
the pursuit of organizational level adaption in the face of environmental complexities causing
as a result of most evolving productive level technical standards that impacts the competitive
industry level dynamics. Then there is resource based dependency theory which can be
explained as the capitalization of the organization in that served to reduce or sometimes
overcome the organizational dependency on both scarce as well as critical finance or
technological level resources, required to survive in the initial stage of organizational
development and throughout the history (Pfeffer and SALANCIK, 2015).
Vertical integration: the process of vertical integration based events like opening of the
commercial level subsidiaries and the getting hold of the trading partners abroad were mainly
engaged in the market based coverage and the strengthening of the association of the
organization with its consumers. theories like contingency theory can serve as a base of
explanation for these kinds of events since it aims on the association that exist between the
organizational structure and the environment. Organization structure based adaptation was
primarily performed to accomplish product standards needed by its served as well as potential
market. There is other vertical integration based events as well like casting, wire drawing,
tooling and acquiring of the suppliers that have taken to decrease or control level cost that
make sure that quality standards are met and attend to the technical level specification of the
products or meet the much-needed operational deadline (Biermann and Harsch, 2017). There
are other aspects as well like legislation based agility and the compliance that are also present
in some kind verticalization based events. These events are usually associated with the
questions of scarce and critically of resources as discussed by the resource dependency

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theory. It is important to understand that resources alone were not very rare by nature in the
market. But they are highly critical associated with the cost, deadline achievement and the
quality. From another perspective, transactional level cost based theory also assist in
explaining such events of verticalization which is also based on the requirement to reduce the
dependency of the company associated with its supplies primarily due the intention of the
organization in keeping much needed control on operational level matters (Biermann and
Harsch, 2017).
Conclusion
In the end, longitudinal level of analysis of strategic organization based adaptation is
important as a process which need support from so many theoretical lenses. The overall
analysis of the organizational history is based on the main and crucial events that allow
comparative level observation of some theories which are explanatory based capacity
individual and when considered at one place. With the help of population ecology based
exception, these theories had high as well as moderate explanatory level of power based on
studied elements (Bamberger et al., 2014). The theory like contingency theory also assist in
explaining strategies of different levels along with highlighting the components structure and
opinion as crucial element to be considered in the study of organizational based strategies in
the face of varied environmental context. Institutional theory helps in explaining the
strategies of many level which can highlight the rise in the amount as well as intensity of
environmental pressure which is faced by the organizations because of the development. The
resource dependency theory explains many strategies of different level by focussing on the
centrality of many resources in the history of the organization.

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Reference
Adegbite, O.E., Simintiras, A.C., Dwivedi, Y.K. and Ifie, K., 2018. Organisational Concepts
and Theories of Adaptation. In Organisational Adaptations (pp. 27-48). Springer, Cham.
Bamberger, P.A., Biron, M. and Meshoulam, I., 2014. Human resource strategy:
Formulation, implementation, and impact. Routledge.
Biermann, R. and Harsch, M., 2017. Resource Dependence Theory. In Palgrave Handbook
of Inter-Organizational Relations in World Politics (pp. 135-155). Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Fumasoli, T. and Huisman, J., 2013. Strategic agency and system diversity: Conceptualizing
institutional positioning in higher education. Minerva, 51(2), pp.155-169.
Kenworthy, T.P. and Verbeke, A., 2015. The future of strategic management research:
Assessing the quality of theory borrowing. European Management Journal, 33(3), pp.179-
190.
Lander, M.W. and Heugens, P.P., 2017. Better Together: Using Meta-Analysis to Explore
Complementarities between Ecological and Institutional Theories of
Organization. Organization Studies, p.0170840616677629.
Malatesta, D. and Smith, C.R., 2014. Lessons from resource dependence theory for
contemporary public and nonprofit management. Public Administration Review, 74(1), pp.14-
25.
Müller, J. and Kunisch, S., 2017. Central perspectives and debates in strategic change
research. International Journal of Management Reviews.
Pfeffer, J. and SALANCIK, G., 2015. EXTERNAL CONTROL OF ORGANIZATIONS—
RESOURCE DEPENDENCE PERSPECTIVE. Organizational Behavior 2: Essential
Theories of Process and Structure, 2, p.355.

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Scott, W.R. and Davis, G.F., 2015. Organizations and organizing: Rational, natural and
open systems perspectives. Routledge.