Understanding Organizations

• Organizations are social entities with people, relationships, and interactions
• Organizations are goal-directed, having several goals of different types
• Organizations are deliberately structured and coordinated through planning and design
• Organizations are linked to the external environment, shaping and being shaped by it

Key Problems and Course Content

• Goal setting is related to mission, goals, and strategy
• Coordinating efforts is related to structure, decision-making, and power
• Deciding where to operate is related to the external environment
• Defining activities and participants is related to technology
• Ensuring proper actions is related to culture and control

Current Challenges

• Globalization poses significant challenges
• Ethics and social responsibility are key considerations
• Responsiveness to environmental changes and customer needs is crucial
• Supporting diversity within the organization is important

Organizational Structure and Design Definitions

• Joint ventures create formally independent organizations controlled partially by parent companies
• Top management sets goals, strategy, and design to guide organizational endeavors
• Personnel ratios are the proportions of administrative, clerical and professional support staff
• Strategy involves plans, decisions, and objectives to achieve organizational goals
• Processes are organized groups of tasks that transform inputs into outputs, creating value for customers
• Sectors are subdivisions of the external environment with similar elements

Structural Dimensions

• Formalization describes the extent of rules, procedures, and written documentation
• Specialization describes how tasks are divided into separate, narrow jobs
• Hierarchy of authority describes reporting structure and span of control
• Centralization refers to the level of hierarchy with decision-making authority
• Professionalism describes the level of formal education and training of employees
• Personnel ratios are the proportions of administrative, clerical and professional support staff

Contextual Dimensions

• Size impacts the organization's structure and processes
• Organizational technology influences workflow and operations
• The environment affects the organization's strategy and structure
• Goals and strategy shape organizational activities
• Culture influences behavior and decision-making

Stakeholders and Their Expectations

• Employees expect payment, job satisfaction, and good leadership
• Suppliers seek revenue and efficiency in transactions
• Customers desire quality, service, and value
• Creditors look for creditworthiness and fiscal responsibility
• Unions want good working conditions, payment levels, and benefits
• Government requires compliance with the law and fair competition
• Communities expect corporate citizenship and CSR

Contemporary Organizational Design

• Learning organizations continuously adapt and improve through innovation and knowledge sharing
• Traditional rigid structures are replaced by adaptive, decentralized models
• Organic structures are decentralized, flexible, and adaptive
• Mechanistic structures are rigid, hierarchical, and rule-based

Contingency

• Effectiveness measures focus on different organizational aspects
• An organization's situation dictates the management approach
• Contingency decision-making framework brings together problem consensus and technical knowledge dimensions

Contingency Decision-Making Framework Approaches

• The goal approach focuses on outputs and achieving desired levels
• The resource-based approach evaluates resource acquisition for high performance
• The internal process approach assesses effectiveness through internal activities & efficiency

Other definitions

• Merger is the unification of two or more organizations into a single unit
• Acquisition is the purchase of one organization by another
• Buffering roles are activities that absorb uncertainty from the environment
• Official goals are mission statement, desired outcomes, the organization is trying to achieve
• Mechanistic organization are systems marked by rules, procedures, a clear hierarchy of authority, and centralized decision-making.

Strategic Frameworks: Miles and Snow

• Defender strategy seeks stability rather than innovation
• Prospector strategy focuses on innovation and risk-taking
• Analyzer strategy balances stability with innovation

Strategic Frameworks: Porter's

• Differentiation is providing unique products or services
• Low-cost leadership is about increasing market share by emphasizing low cost
• Focus strategy concentrates on a specific market or buyer group

Competing Values Model

• Human relations emphasis prioritizes employee satisfaction and teamwork
• Open system emphasis values flexibility and external relations
• Internal process emphasis focuses on stability and internal efficiency
• Rational goal emphasis emphasizes productivity and profit

Mintzberg's 5 Parts of an Organization

• Technical core
• Top management
• Middle management
• Technical support
• Administrative support

Chapter 4: Definitions

• Full-time integrator: A permanent position within an organization responsible for coordinating activities and ensuring collaboration across different departments
• Task force: A temporary committee composed of representatives from each organizational unit affected by a problem
• Emphasis on control: Focus on specialized tasks, hierarchy, rules, regulations, formal reporting system, few teams, and centralized decision-making.
• Emphasis on learning: Focus on shared tasks, a relaxed hierarchy, few rules, face-to-face communication, many teams, informal processes, and decentralized decision-making
• Simple structures: Develops in newly founded organizations.
• No form reporting relationship or chain of command
• Coordination based on friendship and high motivation

Functional Groupings

• Structures based on function (HR, Marketing, etc.)
• Concentrates employees with similar knowledge and expertise

Divisional Structures

• Groups activities according to specific output divisions
• Groupings can be based on products, services, projects, or divisions

Matrix Structures

• Hybrid structure, combining two structures
• Emphasizes horizontal linkages and dual authority structures
• Is suitable when resources need to be shared, pressure exists to develop new knowledge, and the organization operates in a complex, unstable environment

Horizontal Structure

• The structure is created around the cross-functional process
• Self-directed teams are the basis of organization design and performance
• Process owners are responsible for the entire process end-to-end
• People on the team are given authority for decisions

Virtual Structure

• Extends the concept of horizontal coordination and collaboration beyond the boundaries of the organization
• Most common strategy is outsourcing by contracting out certain tasks/functions

Chapter 5: Definitions

• Formal strategic alliance: A strategic alliance is a close and collaborative relationship between two or more entities that share assets, strengths, risk, rewards, and control
• Cooptation occurs when leaders from important sectors in the environment become part of an organization
• Alliance building is the process of selecting the most effective members for the team and bringing those members together
• Task environment is a part of the organizational environment, includes those sectors that the organization interacts directly and that have a direct effect on the organization’s ability to achieve its goals.

Definitions for External and Organizational Environments

• General environment includes sectors that do not directly affect the daily operations of a firm but indirectly influence it
• Organizational domain is the spectrum of products and services organizations can provide, also includes stakeholders and customers

Classic VS Boundary-spanning approach

• Classic approach focuses on internal efficiency, hierarchy, and structure
• Boundary-spanning approach links and coordinates an organization with key elements in the external environment
• Organic organization system is marked by free-flowing, adaptive processes, and decentralized decision making
• Resource dependence is when organizations depend on the environment and strive to acquire control over resources to minimize their dependence
• Resource interdependence occurs when group members combine resources for a task

Internal Process and Decision Making Definitions

• Internal integration is a state in which organization members develop a collective identity and know how to work together effectively
• Business intelligence is high-tech analysis of internal and external data to identify patterns
• Executive recruitment is the use of a personnel firm to locate candidates
• Programmed decisions are repetitive and well-defined procedures

Chapter 8: Technology Definitions

• Technology includes the tools, techniques and actions used to transform organizational inputs into outputs.
• Core technology is the work process that is directly related to the organization's mission
• Non-core technologies are the work processes that support the organization's main mission but are not directly involved in producing its primary outputs

Woodward

• The model assesses a specific aspect of the manufacturing process of firms, and assess technical complexity
• High mechanization- automated, standardized, capital-intensive, centralized control
• Low mechanization- labor-intensive, flexible, customized, a skilled workforce-dependent

Group 1 - Small Batch and Unit Production

• Small orders to meet specific requirements
• Relies heavily on the human operator, not highly mechanized
• Plane, handyman

Group 2 - Large Batch and Mass Production

• Characterized by long production runs of standardized parts
• Output often goes into inventory since customers do not have special needs is TV

Group 3 - Contiguous Process Production

• The entire process is mechanized is beer

Technological Uncertainty

• Non-routine technology high uncertainty, unique problem-solving, little reliance on standard procedures
• Craft technology low task variety, skilled expertise, reliance on experience-based judgment
• Routine technology little task variety and the use of objective, computational procedures

Other types of technology

• Engineering technology complex and varied tasks, follows established routines, formulas and analytical methods and requires expertise.

Characteristics of service technology

• Intangible output
• Simultaneous production and consumption
• Labour- and knowledge intensive
• Customer interaction generally high
• Human element very important
• Quality is perceived and difficult to measure
• Rapid response time is usually necessary
• Site of facility is extremely important

Characteristics of manufacturing technology

• Tangible products
• Products can be inventoried for later consumption
• Capital asset intensive
• Little direct customer interaction
• Human element may be less important
• Quality is directly measured
• Longer response time is acceptable
• Site of facility is moderately important

Other Definitions

• Job enlargement involves expanding job tasks.
• Job enrichment involves increasing responsibility and recognition.
• Job rotation involves moving employees between jobs.
• Job simplification involves reducing task difficulty.
• Joint optimization aligning social and technical systems effectively.
• Sociotechnical systems approach is a balance of people and technical efficiency.
• Lean manufacturing uses trained employees for continuous improvement.
• Analyzability is the degree to which work can be reduced to mechanical steps.

Chapter 10: Size Definitions

• Large organizations have economies of scale and global reach
• Small organizations are responsive and flexible and have local reach

Bureaucracy Characteristics

• The most formally rational system for organizing
• Way to remove nepotism and arbitrariness
• A threat to pluralism and other values

Other Definitions

• Organizational cycle Life-cycle approach impact all stages of product.
• Incident command system maintains efficiency prevents slow response to crisis.

Chapter 11: other

• Organizational social interactions among people, trust is important to reach goals
• Whistle-blowing is Employee disclosure of illegal, immoral practices
• Values-based has strong leader follower relationships
• Symbolic leadership focuses meanings values and interpretation

Culture type definitions

• Code of ethics
• Code of conduct
• Adaptability culture(external, flexibility)
• Mission culture ( external, stability)
• Clan culture( internal flexibility)
• Bureaucratic culture( internal, stability)

Chapter 13: Other Definitions

• Organizational there decrease substantial resource base
• Organizational atrophy when inefficient overly bureaucratized, success deteriorates
• Vulnerability reflects strategic inability

Organizational Decline Definitions

• Blinded stage
• Inaction stage
• Faulty action stage
• Crisis stage
• Dissolution stage

Problem Solving Definitions

• Identification stage: the problem is recognized
• Solution stage: action to resolve problems

other Definitions

• Problem consensus is agreement among managers and pursue outcomes
• Problemistic search around and resolve problem quickly
• Programmed decisions repetitive, well defined procedures Intuitive decision experience and judgment use solving problems
• Incremental decision describing structure activities discovery

Chapter 14: Decision Making Definitions

• Management science - organizational decision rational individuals
• Garbage car describes the pattern within an organization

Organizations Definitions

• Organized anarchy organic character highly uncertain conditions
• Escalating commitment persisting action is fallen
• High velocity rate is competitive extreme

Other Definitions

• Bounded decisions made numbers affect decision
• Carnegie satisficing optimization
• Satisficing accept satisfactory rather maximize performance

Rational Approach Definitions

• Monitor decision environment
• Define the problem issue
• Develop alternative solutions
• Choose the best alternative
• Implement the chosen
• Intergroup conflict behavior organizational
• Goal incompatibility.
• Differentiation.
• Task interdependence
• Limited resources

Collaboration Definitions

• techniques such integrations confronts
• Intergroup consultation shared missions
• The ability influence produce

Vertical powers Definitions

• Vertical powers control information
• Formal position
• Referent leader must be respected

Other power definitions

• Expertise has knowledge
• Legitimate formal power authority to given
• Reward influence incentives
• Coercive threating consequence
• Authority relies acceptance subordination
• Politics serving in exercise