Examining Organic and Mechanistic Structures: Do We Know as Much as We Thought?

Burns and Stalker's theory of organic/mechanistic structures (1961, The Management of Innovation . London: Tavistock) has been widely used. However, review of the empirical literature revealed inconsistencies in how the concepts have been operationalized. These inconsistencies may interfere with the ability to consolidate knowledge. This paper reviews the various ways in which researchers have operationalized the concepts, and summarizes the...