The Debate Between Traditional Management Theory and Organizational Economics: Substantive Differences or Intergroup Conflict?

Donaldson's (1990) critique of organizational economics suggests four attributes of this model that make intellectual discourse and theoretical integration with traditional management theory difficult: the assumption of opportunism, different levels of analysis, the theory of motivation, and the prescriptive character of organizational economics. It is suggested that these differences are not a sufficient explanation of the response of some traditional management theorists to organizational economics. Rather than being based on these substantive differences, it is argued that the relationship between these two models has many of the attributes of an intergroup conflict. Possible responses to this intergroup conflict and the implications that these responses may have for understanding organizational phenomena are explored.

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