Contingency approach seeks to analyze a problem, and then
develop the best managerial or organizational solution to it.
Buchanan & Huczynski, Organizational Behaviour (1997)
The idea of
contingency approach is above all a
reaction to
the
One Best Way approach of
Taylorism. Essentially, this way
of thinking holds that the appropriate solution depends on, ie.
is
contingent on the
circumstances of the problem
at the time.
There are two main lines of thought within the contigency approach school:
The determinists assert a single variable such as
technology, environment or company mission determines the form
of an organization. Notable thinkers include:
Then there are the strategic choice thinkers, who assert that structure is
wholly a management decision, and variables like technology
and the products the company produces are based on this structure;
most notable is the idea of environmental strategic choice, which
holds that instead of passively responding the environment changes
as in environmental determinism, managers seek to change or enact
their environments. When McDonalds wanted to open restaurants in
Russia and found the food supply chain lacking, it didn't passively
accept this; instead it built the largest food processing plant in the
world to adapt the environment to its needs.
back to organizational behavior
References
Buchanan, David and Andrzej Huczynski. Organizational Behaviour,
3rd ed.