Intellectual, Ideological, and Political Obstacles to the Advancement of Organizational Science

This article contends that scientific inquiry is the proper vehicle for examining organizational dynamics and promoting organizational effectiveness. However there are two sets of obstacles that hinder the development of a science of organizations. One set involves the influence of academic ideologies such as behaviorism, humanistic psychology, and postmodernist deconstruction. The other set reflects the reluctance of organizations to alter their practices based on the results of empirical research. We conclude the article with an example of a successful organizational intervention that exemplifies the main themes of the article.