Power and Organization Life Cycles

This paper derives a model of organization life cycles in three steps: (1) by considering relationships of power distribution inside an organization with that around it, a typology of six configurations of organization power is produced; (2) by considering intrinsic forces that work within each of these configurations to destroy it, the likely transitions between these configurations are identified; and (3) by stringing these transitions together in sequences over time as organizations survive and develop, the model is developed.Some implications of such a model in a society of large organizations are addressed briefly in conclusion.