Abstract

A comparative model of organizations as interpretation systems is proposed. The model describes four interpretation modes: enacting, discovering, undirected viewing, and conditioned viewing. Each mode is determined by (1) management's beliefs about the environment and (2) organizational intrusiveness. Interpretation modes are hypothesized to be associated with organizational differences in environmental scanning, equivocality reduction, strategy, and decision making.

Keywords

Interpretation (philosophy)Organizational behaviorSociologyManagementPublic relationsBusinessPolitical scienceComputer scienceEconomics

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Publication Info

Year
1984
Type
article
Volume
9
Issue
2
Pages
284-295
Citations
4301
Access
Closed

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Richard L. Daft, Karl E. Weick (1984). Toward a Model of Organizations as Interpretation Systems. Academy of Management Review , 9 (2) , 284-295. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1984.4277657

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DOI
10.5465/amr.1984.4277657