1.

Resource-based theory contends that the possession of strategic resources provides an

organization with a golden opportunity to develop competitive advantages over its rivals (Figure
4.2 “Resource-Based Theory: The Basics”) (Barney, 1991).

2. Organizational life cycle (OLC) theory is a model that proposes that businesses, over time,
progress through a fairly predictable sequence of developmental stages. This model is linked to
the study of organizational growth and development. It is based on a biological metaphor of
living organisms, which have a regular pattern of development: birth, growth, maturity, decline,
and death. Likewise, the OLC of businesses has been conceived of as generally having four or
five stages of development: start-up, growth, maturity, and decline, with diversification
sometimes considered to be an additional stage coming between maturity and decline.

3. Strategic Contingency Theory - The theory is based on two concepts i.e. ‘Contingency’ and
‘Strategic’ aspect of contingency.
A Contingency is a need for different tasks of a subunit in an organization on which tasks of
other subunits create an effect. This contingency becomes strategic once other subunit starts
controlling more contingencies and becomes powerful in an organization.
As per the Strategic contingency theory, a leader becomes a central part of an organization due
to his/her unique skills to solve issues or problems which others are unable to solve. Too much
dependency lies on a leader so he/she is not easily replaceable.

4. In sociology and organizational studies, institutional theory is a theory on the deeper and
more resilient aspects of social structure. It considers the processes by which structures,
including schemes, rules, norms, and routines, become established as authoritative guidelines
for social behavior.[1] Different components of institutional theory explain how these elements
are created, diffused, adopted, and adapted over space and time; and how they fall into decline
and disuse.

5. Transaction cost theory (Williamson 1979, 1986) posits that the optimum organizational
structure is one that achieves economic efficiency by minimizing the costs of exchange. The
theory suggests that each type of transaction produces coordination costs of monitoring,
controlling, and managing transactions.
6. General system theory describes “ how to break whole things into parts and then to learn how
the parts work together in systems”. General system theory is known by different names -
systems theory, theory of open systems, systems model, and family systems theory.

7. The human capital theory posits that human beings can increase their productive capacity
through greater education and skills training. Critics of the theory argue that it is flawed, overly
simplistic, and confounds labor with capital.

8. Agency theory is a principle that is used to explain and resolve issues in the relationship
between business principals and their agents. Most commonly, that relationship is the one
between shareholders, as principals, and company executives, as agents.

9. The AMO theory suggests that there are three independent work system components that
shape employee characteristics and contribute to the success of the organization. According to
the theory, organizational interests are best served by a system that attends to the employees
ability, motivation, and opportunity (AMO).

10. The two-factor theory (also known as Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory) argues that job
satisfaction and dissatisfaction exist on two different continua, each with its own set of
factors. ... Motivation factors increase job satisfaction while the presence of hygiene factors
prevent job dissatisfaction.