The article approaches organizational theory, as existing in the 1960's as an expression of weberian instrumental rationality.Utilizing Amitai Etzioni ideas it tries to fathom the gap between western and non western societies. The core of the argument states that western societies, by their own historical formation ended by exhibiting conditions by ar more congenial and adequa te for the nurturing, development and operation of formal organizations as an expression of instrumental rationality. Thus formal organizational requirements would be of a society displaying ability to subordina te individual to social interests, adoption of a pragmatic epistemological posture, a behaviour based upon emotional neutrality and capacity of objectification through organized action. Non western societies do not have yet, due to their own history and formative process, the same conditions.Thus a greater difficulty, in nurturing and developing formal organizations what end sup in the vicious circle of low organizational density.
Formal organization; instrumental rationality; functional and structural analysis; western societies