The primary objective of this study was to define how human beings are viewed in the light of organization theories, by focusing on human beings in the context of an organization. The secondary objective was to seek a new understanding of human being...
The primary objective of this study was to define how human beings are viewed in the light of organization theories, by focusing on human beings in the context of an organization. The secondary objective was to seek a new understanding of human beings, and to investigate how educational goals can be influenced by applying the various organization theories, and their views of human beings, to educational organizations.
An organization is established in the historical and structural environment of the time upon which imposes on people a particular point of view on human beings. Researchers who study educational phenomena have made major efforts to examine not only the behavior of the organization but also the person working for the organization. This is because the organizations actual strategy of operation, and views of all the other component attributes of the organizational scheme are determined by the way in which the human essence of an organization-participant is understood. Therefore the views of human beings in the organization can be considered to provide us with a sort of basic assumption for comprehensively explaining organizational phenomena. Likewise the distinctive views regarding human beings lead to the distinctive educational views regarding education, upon which the direction of education is dependent.
In order to serve the purpose of this study, the contents are specified as follows:
First, how were the organization theories established, and how have they developed to accommodate the changing times, and the changing historical and structural environments? What are the distinctive features of the organization theories as projected through the respective paradigms of organization theories? Second, how do they define human beings in accordance with the development of organization? Third, what educational implications do we observe in the divergent views on human beings which are premised in various organization theories?; When they are applied to education organizations, what educational phenomena appear?
The conclusion of this study is summarized as follows:
In Classical Organization Theories, an individual is compelled to agree with or obey the organization authorities; he or she is defined as a“machine model,” the“home economicus”who is supposed to satisfy economic motivations, and who is hypothesized as a person of function complying with the rationale in order to enhance the legitimacy and efficiency of the organization. Consequently, in Classical Organization Theories, a person-who is emotional, irrational, and socio-psychic-appears to be a non-individualized impersonality which is treated simply as an inhuman, and reasonable mechanic tool; and by minimizing an individual’s freedom and spontaneity, the human alienation of inhumanity has been invited. The Classical Organization Theories are represented by the Scientific Management Theory and the Theory of Bureaucracy.
What the Scientific Management Theory suggests is considered significant in that productivity is enhanced through scientific management, and educational innovations are made possible by scientifically carrying out the educational tasks; yet its applicability in a school organization could arouse quite a few controversies due to the view of human beings it has premised.
In terms of the Theory of Bureaucracy a person of idiosyncrasy cannot be nurtured, and the achievement of educational purpose is likely to be impeded; therefore its enforcement of inhumanity is opposed to the characteristics of school organizations. This is because the ideal of a bureaucratic scheme may be attributable to the results of both pro and anti-functions, regarding efficiency or rationality.
In terms of the Organization Theory of Human Relations, people have more interests in an informal organization, complying with the“logic of affection -”rather than with the“logic of efficiency”, and puts emphasis on individual socialization or group dynamism, base on the socio-psychological human relationships induced by socio-psychological motivation. In this theory, a person’s human value is regarded as more important. In an educational organization, the educational administrator ignited the teachers and the staffs’ motivations by perceiving human essences; and by underlining human relationships, he or she provides principles of educational management, and triggers an efficient education organization management.
Many Modern Organization Theories are still in the process of evolving. A lot of concepts still remain undefined, and it is not an easy task to explain an organizational structure or the view of human beings in a word. Yet, in Modern Organization Theories, a person and his/her work are properly harmonized, and the 『work』and 『person』 are both regarded as important; by comprehensively understanding the ambivalence of pursing rationality by reason, and irrationality by emotion, the researchers attempt to integrated a rational formal organization with an irrational informal organization. In Modern Organization Theories, a person is hypothesized as an independent being of distinctive personality who makes decisions, and who is an open and autonomous system. Furthermore, he/she is perceived as a future-oriented integrated personality complex, yet dynamic and active in adapting him/herself favorably to his/her inexperienced environments. The three representatives of the Modern Organization Theories are Behavio ral-Science Theory, System Theory and Contingency theory.
The researchers of Behavioral-Science Theory attempt to integrate a person with organization, concentrating on human behavioral or functional aspects, while the System Theory researchers attempt the same, placing the focus on the rational or structural aspects. The Behavioral-Science Theroy researchers have systematized education theories, and added an ideal antecedent which facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to education.
In dealing with the problems of all organizations including those in education, the System Theory researchers perceive every question form the standpoint of the entire organization; for them a systematic account has been made possible by openly attempting to work out the problems in the interactions of the divergent factors concerned; thus the creative characteristic of System Theory made it possible to understand accurately the structural organization of a school as a social system.
Contingency Theory is a dynamic one which deals with the organizational problem of adaptability in the interactions between organization and the external environment; its educational application represents the openness of a school system, defines the effective leadership of a teacher or a school administrator, and alters or extends the conceptions of education and the educational administrations.
As mentioned above, the organization theories appear to have been continuously evolving, and expanding their scope; likewise, the view of human beings rendered in the theories is observed to have undergone a complex and divergent transition beyond our expectations. Although none of the aforementioned theories is sufficient in itself for our understanding of every viewpoint of human beings, none of them should be completely rejected, because each particular explanation is persuasive. Thus we eventually reach this conclusion: while all the theories keep on independently growing, it is till required that they complement each other.
Many organizations including the educational ones have incessantly been changing along with the scientific developments of high technology in this pluralistic environment; and with the organizations, individuals are also growing and changing; hence, it is inevitable to deal comprehensively with the problems of harmony and conflict between individual and organization, between individual and environment, and between one individual and another, That is, the problems need to be projected from a theoretical standpoint which enables us to perceive and understand a person as a dynamic integrated whole instead of a part. For the teachers and the educational administrators or theorists who are committed to education, such a view or standpoint is even more urgent, for the direct impact of the view or standpoint in the actual practice of education is not only significant, but in fact determines the direction of education.