SOCIAL-STRUCTURE AND MANAGERIAL AGENCY IN INDIA

In this paper, we argue the need to understand the relationship betwee n managerial agency and social structure within a broad societal conte xt. Managers are members of different social systems arising from both work and non-work related activities. These systems have various sets of rules and resources embedded within them which managers draw upon to create agency, which in turn can either reinforce or change social structure. Drawing upon sociological approaches to the study of human agency, we propose a framework to describe possible influences that so cial structure has on the shaping of managerial attitudes in India. We then use this framework to provide the lens through which a specific Indian-government-initiated, information-technology project is analyze d. We see the approach that has been illustrated in this paper to have implications for management studies in three areas: the management of cross-cultural projects; management practice in India; and future res earch on management in organizations.