Comments by subie

  • In organizational sociology, rational can also mean rule-based or top-down, as opposed to personal or idiosyncratic. This usage derives from Max Weber's definition of rational-legal authority in bureaucracy; this notion is often expressed with the shorthand "rational bureaucracy" or "rational systems".

    See for example Meyer and Rowan 1977: http://www.wisecampus.com/uploads/notescans/Institutionalized_Organizations.pdf

    "In conventional theories of organization, rational formal structure is assumed to be the most effective way to coordinate and control the complex relational networks involved in modern technical or work activities." (342)

    "As rationalized institutional rules are given in domains of work activity, formal organizations form and expand by incorporating these rules as structural elements." (345)

    January 31, 2010

  • A definition of logical or ("A or B" is true if A and/or B is true) vs. exclusive or ("A or B" is true if A is true and B is not, or if B is true and A is not, but false if both are true) would be useful. I was wondering which one was logical or, but I found the answer on wikipedia.

    January 31, 2010