Carolina QuotesA niche is created by the intersection of resource constraints— an abstract resource space consisting of a unique combination of resources (information, access to materials, customers, and so on) that could permit a form to survive there. Forms thus either take advantage of a niche resource space" or fail.
Howard E. Aldrich Connected to the Carolinas
Source
p. 40; cited in: Frank Marutollo (1990). Organizational Behavior in the Marine Corps. p. 33
- work
- Organizations and Environments, 1979
- year
- 1979
- locator
- p. 40
Cite this record
“A niche is created by the intersection of resource constrain…” Howard E. Aldrich. Carolina Quotes, record CQ-B0F8AC2BD0. https://carolinaquotes.com/quote/b0f8ac2bd0
More from Howard E. Aldrich
Organizations are goal-directed, boundary-maintaining, activity systems.
Organizational forms — specific configurations of goals, boundaries, and activities — are the elements selected by environmental criteria, and change may occur either through new forms eliminating old ones or through the modification of existing forms. Environmental niches are distinct in combination of resources and other constraints that are sufficient to support organizational form. Organizational forms, then, are organized activity systems oriented toward exploiting the resources within a niche. Selection pressures may favour or eliminate entire groups of organizations, such as industries, and the changing population distribution of organizations in a society reflects the operation of such selection pressures.
In general, growth is an intrinsic source of change with potentially unintended effects and some subunits are better positioned than others to protect themselves against such effects. Oligarchical tendencies are present in almost all membership-based organizations, such as unions and voluntary associations, and if unchecked, can lead to transformations. Organizations with diffuse goals or innovative leadership are sometimes able to survive the crisis of complementing their original mission by moving onto other goals.