Multilevel approach in organization and management studies

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Abstract

During recent decades, researchers have attempted to understand individual and group level behavior, at micro levels while macro level researchers studied organizational and institutional level behavior. Yet few scholars have examined organizational effects on individual and group behavior and the effects of individual and group behavior on organization as a whole. Such a research can lead to a new vision in organization and management studies and make it easy to a better understanding of human organizations and communities. This article introduces multilevel approach which combines micro and macro approaches and establishes a more comprehensive knowledge of organizations. First, it reviews the problem of “level of analysis” in organizational and management theories. Then, the application of multilevel approach is shown by presenting an example. Finally the article discusses the barriers and benefits of this approach in the process of building and developing organization and management theories.

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