When Formality Works: Authority and Abstraction in Law and Organizations

by Arthur L. Stinchcombe

Book Overview

In this innovative exploration of the concept of formality, or governing by abstraction, Arthur Stinchcombe breathes new life into an idea that scholars have all but ignored in recent years.

We have come to assume that governing our social activities by advance planning--by creating abstract descriptions of what ought to happen and adjusting these descriptions as situations change--is not as efficient and responsive as dealing directly with...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226774961
• ISBN13: 9780226774961
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.6" x 9.1"