ORGANIZATION AND IDEOLOGY - KIBBUTZIM AND HIRED LABOR, 1951-1965

In this paper, we examine how conflicting ideologies affect organizati onal practice. We theorize that the basic relationship between ideolog y and organization is moderated by social pressures and economic incen tives that result from differences between the organization and its en vironment on issues of ideology. Using data from Israeli kibbutzim for 1951-1965, we examine how the ideology of a set of socialist organiza tions affects the practices they employ and how the influence of socia list ideology is moderated by an environment that is governed by capit alism. We assess the change in the extent to which kibbutzim employed hired labor, a practice that is incompatible with kibbutzim socialist- Zionist ideology. We find that ideological organizing principles are a ffected by resource dependence pressures, particularly from banks, and economic incentives for organizations to change their form. These ext ernal influences combined with internal influences, such as kibbutz si ze, age, and industrialization, to account for kibbutzim's transition to hired labor. The results indicate how interaction with the environm ent can lead to the forfeiture of ideological organizing principles.