Understanding Industrial Organizations critically reviews the approaches developed by industrial sociologists to analyze industrial organizations. It outlines four general perspectives on organizations - systems thinking, contingency approach, the action approach and labour process for a more adequate sociology of organizations. The book provides a clear, relevant and important contribution to the sociology of organizations.

Richard Brown is Professor of Sociology, University of Durham.

Chapter 1 Introduction - sociologists and industry; Chapter 2 Systems thinking; Chapter 3 Context, contingency and choice; Chapter 4 Orientation and action; Chapter 5 Labour power and the labour process; Chapter 6 Conclusion;