Description: Hannan and Freeman examine the ecology of organizations by exploring the competition for resources and by trying to account for rates of entry and exit and for the diversity of organizational forms. They show that the destinies of organizations are determined more by impersonal forces than by the intervention of individuals.
Brief description: Michael T. Hannan is Professor of Sociology, Stanford University.
Review Quotes: Michael Hannan and John Freeman began one of organization theory's more acrimonious debates. Borrowing heavily from the biological literature on population ecology, Hannan and Freeman argue that macrosocial processes play a major role in determining organizational success or failure, more so than managerial action... If you are interested in the debate, and you wish to be able to argue intelligently about the underlying issues, this is a good book to read.--Raymond F. Zammuto "Journal of Management"