Handel Michael J
Northeastern University, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 500 Holmes Hall, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
Soc Sci Res. 2014 Mar;44:86-102. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2013.10.009. Epub 2013 Nov 7.
Debates within organization theory traditionally argued the relative merits of bureaucracy but today there is broad agreement across different perspectives that bureaucratic organization is inefficient and outmoded. Despite their differences, post-bureaucratic and neo-liberal theories argue that organizations with relatively flat hierarchies and low management overhead are better adapted to current market requirements. Post-bureaucratic theory also argues that employees, as well as firms, benefit from leaner management structures. This paper investigates trends in managerial leanness, proposed explanations for such trends, and the consequences of leanness for firms and employees. Although there is a trend toward flatter management hierarchies, there is only weak support for current claims regarding both the causes and consequences of lean management.
组织理论内部的争论传统上围绕官僚制的相对优点展开，但如今不同观点已达成广泛共识，即官僚组织效率低下且过时。尽管后官僚理论和新自由主义理论存在差异，但它们都认为层级相对扁平、管理成本较低的组织更能适应当前市场需求。后官僚理论还认为，员工和公司都能从更精简的管理结构中受益。本文研究了管理精简的趋势、对这些趋势的解释以及精简对公司和员工的影响。尽管管理层级有扁平化的趋势，但对于当前有关精益管理的原因和后果的说法，仅有微弱的支持。
