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Dissertation Information for David Prensky

NAME:
- David Prensky
- (Alias) David Mark Prensky

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Sociology

SCHOOL:
- University of Chicago (USA) (1986)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Inspected

Title: INTERORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPATION IN A NATIONAL POLICY DOMAIN

Abstract: "I explore how a given organization's actions are influenced by the other organizations in its environment. The basic framework is the network perspective: one that emphasizes the network of relationships among the organizations as the significant factor affecting their actions. I propose a model of the interorganizational structure of a national policy domain that posits an underlying process of information brokerage. Because information is distributed unevenly through the domain, organizations must form interorganizational links to send and gather such information. Of course, organizations have interests in particular areas, and will only form links to exchange information with organizations that have a common area of interest.

Some organizations will be specialists, with a narrow range of interest areas. Other organizations will be generalists, organizations with a broad range of interests. Organizations will only obtain information from areas of no interest to them through generalists, who serve as brokers by processing the information from each of their interest areas in order to determine its relevance for their other interest areas. The evidence shows that there is a brokerage process in the case of organizations with overlapping interests, but not for organizations that do not have overlapping interests. Organizations gather information indirectly, through brokers, from other organizations with which they share interests, but do not gather information from organizations that do not share their interests.

The interorganizational network perspective is a powerful approach to the study of macro-organizational topics. This research offers several implications for the way that organizations are studied. First, it provides a framework for studying the way that organizations interact with their environments. Second, the network approach offers a valuable addition to the other ways of viewing the organization and its environment. By considering the network approach together with the more conventional structural and environmental theories of organizational behavior, we gain a complete picture of any specific organization. Finally, the research points out areas for further study; the brokerage process should be studied, as should the information gathering activities of the organization."

MPACT Scores for David Prensky

A = 0
C = 1
A+C = 1
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:03:06

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