Most of us recognize that organizations are everywhere You meet them on every street corner in the form of families & shops study in them work for them buy from them pay taxes to them But have you given much thought to where they came from what they are today & what they might become in the future? How & why do they have so much influence over us & what influences them? How do they contribute to & detract from the meaningfulness of lives & how might we improve them so they better serve our needs & desires? This Very Short Introductions addresses all of these questions & considers many more Mary Jo Hatch introduces the concept of organizations by presenting definitions & ideas drawn from the a variety of subject areas including the physical sciences economics sociology psychology anthropology literature & the visual & performing arts Drawing on examples from prehistory & everyday life from the animal kingdom as well as from business government & other formal organizations Hatch provides a lively & thought provoking introduction to the process of organization ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable