International Organizational Anarchy

International organizations take part in the international scene. The importance of studying every organization as a distinct social construct means to study it by its history and environment, by its members and the power struggles they engage in, by the accidents and vicissitudes that every organization must face to deal with uncertainty in the achievement of its goals and the use of its resources. This is what Organization Theory does. All these elements are necessary for understanding IOs. It also serves to link individuals to their essential particularity--that of being a member of the global community. The development of the field of IOs research seems to depend on connecting IR and OT, but this effort is proving to be more and more challenging to fill.

This book seeks to close that gap by suggesting several critical subjects where OT and IR could interact. The overall paradigm of the book is to observe IOs by first thoroughly analyzing organization theories. The authors present a coherent and accessible synthesis of organizational theories, which scholars of international relations may find useful in advancing the study of IOs. It will also be helpful for OT professionals who want to improve their understanding of these organizing beings.

Laura Zamudio-Gonzalez gained her Ph.D. in Social Sciences from Universidad Iberoamericana (2006). She has served as Chair of the International Relations Department at the same university, where she is currently a full professor.

David Arellano-Gault gained his Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver (1998). He is a Professor at the Public Administration Department at CIDE (Center for Research and Teaching in Economics) in Mexico City, has served in different academic journals as Coeditor and now Senior Editor (Organization Studies) or in editorial boards (American Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Theory and Practice, Organization Theory, among others).