Organizations as Paradigms

Paradigmatic theorists conceptualize organizations as paradigms or shared systems of meaning. They are concerned with understanding the way existing socially constructed systems of meaning affect and constrain thought and action in organizations. From this perspective, an organizational paradigm is a system of beliefs about cause-effect relations and standards of practice and behavior. Regardless of whether these paradigms are true, they guide and justify action by consolidating disorder into an image of orderliness (Brown, 1978; Clark, 1972). From this perspective, organizational change requires a paradigm shift, which is difficult because the paradigm self-justifies itself by distorting new information so it is seen as consistent with the prevailing view. Nevertheless, when sufficient anomalies build up to undermine the prevailing paradigm, a new one emerges and action proceeds again under the guidance of the new organizing framework (Golding, 1980; Jonsson &Lundin, 1977).40