IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jomega/v24y1996i4p367-384.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Planning or organizing: The implications of theories of activity for management of operations

Author

Listed:
  • Johnston, R. B.
  • Brennan, M.

Abstract

In this paper we examine a dominant approach to management at the operations level which we refer to as management-as-planning. Our contention is that this approach to operations management rests on an implicit assumption of the plausibility of a particular theory of the nature of on-going, purposeful activity, the planning model of activity, which we describe in detail in order to draw out its underlying assumptions. We present three examples of the management-as-planning approach from the diverse settings of robotics, manufacturing production management and public sector policy formation and conclude that many of the assumptions of the planning model of activity cannot be satisfied in realistic environments. There is a need to found management at the operations level on a more realistic conception of the nature of purposeful activity which is currently being articulated in the fields of cognitive science and social theory. This change of view leads to a new approach to the nature operations management which we call management-as-organizing. The beginnnings of this new approach at work can be discerned in three examples of counter approaches in use in the same three areas studied.

Suggested Citation

  • Johnston, R. B. & Brennan, M., 1996. "Planning or organizing: The implications of theories of activity for management of operations," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 367-384, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:24:y:1996:i:4:p:367-384
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0305-0483(96)00016-3
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ang, J. S. K. & Sum, C. C. & Yang, K. K., 1994. "MRP II company profile and implementation problems: A Singapore experience," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 35-45, February.
    2. Hofstede, Geert, 1981. "Management control of public and not-for-profit activities," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 193-211, July.
    3. Sum, C-C & Yang, K-K, 1993. "A study on manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) practices in Singapore," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 187-197, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Magalhães, Rodrigo, 2011. "Infrastructure and Infrastructuring as a Bridge Between Information Systems Design and Organization Design," Spatial and Organizational Dynamics Discussion Papers 2011-6, CIEO-Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University of Algarve.
    2. Fernanda Saidelles Bataglin & Daniela Dietz Viana & Carlos Torres Formoso, 2022. "Design Principles and Prescriptions for Planning and Controlling Engineer-to-Order Industrialized Building Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-22, December.
    3. Ala-Risku, Timo & Karkkainen, Mikko, 2006. "Material delivery problems in construction projects: A possible solution," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(1), pages 19-29, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dixon, Keith, 2009. "Calculative practices in higher education: a retrospective analysis of curricular accounting about learning," MPRA Paper 18295, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Cäker, Mikael & Siverbo, Sven, 2018. "Effects of performance measurement system inconsistency on managers’ role clarity and well-being," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 256-266.
    3. Julien Batac & Olivier de La Villarmois, 2003. "Les Interactions Controle / Apprentissage Organisationnel : Proposition D'Une Grille D'Analyse," Post-Print halshs-00582732, HAL.
    4. Bellò, Benedetta & Spano, Alessandro, 2015. "Governing the purple zone: How politicians influence public managers," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 354-365.
    5. Sylvie Rascol-Boutard & Ariel Eggrickx, 2007. "Une Approche Cognitive De La Performance D'Un Reseau : Le Cas D'Un Plan Local D'Insertion Par L'Economique," Post-Print halshs-00543097, HAL.
    6. Peterson, R.R. & Smits, M.T. & Spanjers, R., 2000. "Exploring IT enabled network organisations in health care : Emerging practices and phases of development," Other publications TiSEM 653fa598-2f90-4da6-b4fc-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Olivier de La Villarmois & Hubert Tondeur, 1999. "Une Analyse Des Finalités Des Systèmes De Contrôle," Post-Print halshs-00587790, HAL.
    8. Ben Khaled, Wafa & Gérard, Benoît & Farjaudon, Anne-Laure, 2022. "Analysis of the political and identity dynamics of a dominant mode of control: The case of business ethics control and its legalization," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    9. Nicolas Petit & Gulliver Lux, 2020. "Uses of Management Control Tools in the Public Healthcare Sector," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 459-475, September.
    10. Rob Gray & Jan Bebbington & David Collison, 2006. "NGOs, civil society and accountability: making the people accountable to capital," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 19(3), pages 319-348, April.
    11. Rosanas, Josep M., 1999. "Sistemas de control de gestión "apretados" y "sueltos": Un análisis dinámico," IESE Research Papers D/390, IESE Business School.
    12. Shandana Shoaib & Bahaudin G. Mujtaba & Hassan Mustafa Awan, 2019. "Overload Stress Perceptions of Public Sector Employees in Pakistan: a Study of Gender, Age, and Education in South Asia," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 311-324, September.
    13. Christophe Germain, 2001. "Le Pilotage De La Performance Dans Les Petites Et Moyennes Entreprises Les Resultats D'Une Recherche Empirique," Post-Print halshs-00584629, HAL.
    14. Rémi Jardat & Jérôme Méric & Flora Sfez, 2018. "Understanding expert practices in order to control expert activities: The case of trading," Post-Print hal-01692242, HAL.
    15. Julien Kleszczowski, 2016. "La place des parties prenantes dans l’évaluation de l’impact social des organisations non lucratives: étude empirique au sein d’une organisation française," Post-Print hal-01901230, HAL.
    16. Olivier de Lavillarmois & F. Firmanzah & Christophe Benavent, 2005. "Contrôle et production de connaissance - Le cas des entreprises mondialisées," Post-Print halshs-00581218, HAL.
    17. Louise Kl00t, 2006. "Budget Reporting in Local Government: Problem or Solution?," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 16(40), pages 72-81, November.
    18. Bogt, H.J. ter, 2000. "Politicians, output-budgets and performance evaluation : case research in three Dutch municipalities," Research Report 00A11, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    19. Davide Giacomini & Mariafrancesca Sicilia & Ileana Steccolini, 2016. "Contextualizing politicians’ uses of accounting information: reassurance and ammunition," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(7), pages 483-490, November.
    20. Moez Essid & Nicolas Berland, 2010. "Les indicateurs de la RSE dans les entreprises françaises : "l'usine à gaz responsable"," Post-Print hal-01661694, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:24:y:1996:i:4:p:367-384. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/375/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.