This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Dunford, R. Articles by Crawford, J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Coexistence of ‘old’ and ‘new’ organizational practices: Transitory phenomenon or enduring feature?

Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

Ian Palmer

Jodie Benveniste

John Crawford

University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

The new organizational forms literature argues that in a dynamic business environment, ‘new’ ways of organizing are required to ensure speed, flexibility and innovation. Originally it was asserted that the ‘new’ organizational practices, after a period of transition, would replace the ‘old’ practices, such as formalization and centralization. An alternative view has emerged recently which argues that ‘old’ and ‘new’ practices are compatible and can co-exist. The focus of this study was to test the emerging compatibility view by surveying Australian human resource managers. We found that organizations utilize new organizational practices but that traditional practices such as formalization and centralization remain important features of organizational design. Comparing our findings to an earlier study by Palmer and Dunford (2002) provides longitudinal support in favour of the compatibility argument. The key to understanding the use of new organizational forms may lie in the interaction between ‘old’ and ‘new’ practices: their co-existence appears to be an enduring rather than a transitory feature of Australian organizational design.

Key Words: new forms • organization • formalization • centralization

Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 45, No. 1, 24-43 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1038411107073597


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Palmer, J. Benveniste, and R. Dunford New Organizational Forms: Towards a Generative Dialogue Organization Studies, December 1, 2007; 28(12): 1829 - 1847. [Abstract] [PDF]