why did the chicken …

Thanks to the orgtheory team for inviting me to post some food for thought in the coming days–I really enjoy the sense of community this site fosters.

Rather than starting with something heavy, let me celebrate that community by opening with a request: please join me in using the old “Why did the chicken cross the road?” joke to reflect on what organization theory is.

If you have a moment, comment to this post by giving the theory that is supplying the punchline and the answer itself.

Drawing on the two theories I find myself using most often, here are some examples to get us started:

Institutional theory:
(Whining just a bit) “But all the other chickens are doing it, mom.”
-OR-
(Winking) “I don’t really cross it, I just pretend like I’m going to until nobody is looking.”

Organizational ecology:
(Dryly) “Cross the road? I think of it more as exiting the population, really.”

I’m sure these could be done in other ways, and better, so I’d like to hear from others on both these theories and other perspectives such as a network perspective, social movements, TCE, and so forth.

OK, but why?

Mostly for fun, of course, but also to warm up to one of the topics that interests me most, which is how org theorists can embrace their diversity and yet find the coherence needed to be relevant, both in the academy and beyond.

Thanks for playing!

(In case my examples don’t make this perfectly clear, there is absolutely no requirement that these quips by either really funny or even entirely fair.)