F. J. Roethlisberger and the Elusive Phenomena of Organizational Behavior

Abstract

In 1961, Fritz Roethlisberger, coauthor of the landmark Hawthorne studies, wrote a memorandum sketching his understanding of the nascent field of organizational behavior. The memo's purpose was to discuss the relationships of theory and practice in the field, identifying in particular some of the tensions and contradictions that the field poses for the relations of theory and practice. This article reprints Roethlisberger's memo in its entirety and comments point for point on the contemporary relevance of his assertions about the relations of theory and practice. Roethlisberger's observations are even more relevant today than they were in 1961, given the growth of academic theory and research in organizational behavior and the explosion in organizations of ever more complex and intractable problems of managerial leadership. The article will be of interest to anyone interested in the relations of theory and practice and particularly to younger scholars who are shaping their research programs and teaching philosophies. © 2007, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.