David J. Hickson facts for kids

David John Hickson (born April 20, 1931 – died June 22, 2016) was a smart British professor. He studied how groups and companies are organized. He was known for his work in a field called organisational development (OD). This field helps organizations improve and grow. Professor Hickson taught at the Bradford University School of Management.

David Hickson's Life and Work

His Early Career and Studies

David Hickson started his career in money management in the 1950s. He even became an Assistant Secretary at the Bristol Stock Exchange. While working, he went to college and earned his master's degree from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. A professor named Reg Revans saw his talent for research. Later, he received a special honorary Ph.D. from the University of Umea in Sweden.

Joining the Aston Group

In the late 1950s, after finishing his studies, David Hickson became a research assistant. He worked at what is now Aston University. In the 1960s, he joined a famous group of researchers called the Aston Group. This group studied how organizations work. They were led by Derek S. Pugh. Working with scientists from Canada, they developed an idea called the "contingency approach." This idea suggests that there's no single best way to organize a company. Instead, the best way depends on different situations and factors.

Leading in Organizational Studies

In the 1970s, David Hickson helped start an important group called the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS). This group brings together researchers from across Europe to study organizations. He became a professor at Bradford School of Management in England. He also taught as a visiting professor in Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands. Professor Hickson was also the first editor of Organization Studies, a major international research journal.

What David Hickson Studied

David Hickson was very interested in how different cultures around the world affect how managers make decisions. He also studied what makes big decisions successful in companies. His research looked at how managers make choices, how power works inside organizations, and how companies become more structured and rule-based (this is called bureaucratization).

Selected Publications

• Hickson, David J., and Derek Salman Pugh. Management worldwide: The impact of societal culture on organizations around the globe. London: Penguin Books, 1995.

Articles, a selection

• Pugh, D. S., Hickson, D. J., Hinings, C. R., Macdonald, K. M., Turner, C., & Lupton, T. (1963). "A conceptual scheme for organizational analysis." Administrative Science Quarterly, 289-315.
• Pugh, D. S., Hickson, D. J., Hinings, C. R., & Turner, C. (1968). "Dimensions of organization structure." Administrative science quarterly, 65-105.
• Pugh, D. S., Hickson, D. J., Hinings, C. R., & Turner, C. (1969). "The context of organization structures." Administrative Science Quarterly, 91-114.
• Hickson, D. J., Hinings, C. R., Lee, C. A., Schneck, R. E., & Pennings, J. M. (1971). "A strategic contingencies' theory of intraorganizational power." Administrative Science Quarterly, 216-229.