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Organizational Analysis - Coggle Diagram

- - - - in size that some are huge and others are small
      - in sector Some organizations emerge in the private sector; others emerge in the public or not for profit sector
      - in structure Some are hierarchical, some are centralized dictatorships, Other organizations have a flat governance structure, While yet others are horizontally differentiated into many different divisions and relatively autonomous units
      - in environmental context They vary by temporal context or era.
  - - - Participants
        
        These are the social actors within the organization
        
        Participants can also be organizational actors, like firms in a field
      - Social Structure
        
        This refers to the relationships and patterns of interaction between participants within the organization.
        
        Social structures are more than just recurring behavioral patterns, they're also cultural systems that entail normative principals and cognitive beliefs.
      - Goal: desired ends that they aim to achieve through their activities.
      - Technology: This refers to the means by which organizations accomplish their work and transform inputs into outputs.
      - Environment: Organizations are embedded within a physical, technological, cultural, and social context
    - - Rational
        
        Organizations are viewed as rational systems that are oriented towards specific goals.
        
        Administrative units and rational decision-making are emphasized to optimize and solve problems.
      - Natural
        
        The theories related an organization as a collectivity whose participants pursued multiple interests that were forged in conflict and consensus
        
        The value of perpetuating the organization as an important resource
        
        It is regarded as an organization, as an adaptive organism
      - Open
        
        Organizations are viewed as conjunctures of intermittent flows and activities.
        
        They are embedded in wider material resource and institutional environments.
        
        The focus is on the environment and how it influences the organization.
  - - - Some argue that for an organization to be considered distinct, there must be goal alignment across units, while others believe that multiple organizations can exist within a larger organization, such as a conglomerate.
      - The discussion highlights the importance of differentiation and coordination in determining whether a department is considered an organization or part of a single organization
      - Ultimately, the coordination across units is what keeps an organization together, and once that coordination no longer exists, it becomes an independent entity. The chat also acknowledges the vibrant forum community and the valuable conversations happening among students.
    - - Temporary Organizations: Massive protests, and social movements can be seen as temporary organizing efforts.they may lack clear objectives and consensus on goals.
      - Unclear Goals: Movements like Occupy Wall Street have been credited with starting conversations about economic inequality, but they struggled to develop a clear message or defined objectives.
      - Resemblances to Organizations: Massive protests and social movements often exhibit behaviors that resemble organizations.
      - Temporary Coalitions: Social movements can be seen as temporary coalitions, where participants come together, reach a consensus, and take action. However, these coalitions may not be sustained over time.
      - Organized Events: Massive protests are often seen as organized events rather than organizations.
      - Process of Organizing: The focus of the course is on the process of organizing rather than the perfect definition of an organization. Understanding the processes of organizing and their reproduction can lead to the development of more ideal forms of organizations.
    - - Even in organizations without a formal leader, there may still be individuals who fill the role informally
      - The importance of different types of authority is also considered, with charismatic leaders being more impactful in certain organizations compared to rational legal authority.
      - The role of public institutions and their reliance on traditional authority is also discussed, with differing opinions on their ability to innovate
      - The concept of decentralized versus centralized structures is introduced, highlighting the potential for decentralized organizations to function well even without a clear leader.
    - - Fear of the unknown and uncertainty is a common factor, as changes disrupt established structures and coordination rules.
      - The fear of job loss or changes in goals and social structures.
      - The comfort zone individuals have and the potential disconcerting effects of altering culture, informal relationships, technology, or the environment.
      - Changes that are forced top-down without buy-in from the organization
      - Too much change can be overwhelming, change too quickly may not survive in the long term
      - The amount and nature of change implemented can determine the level of resistance.
    - - Open organizations are characterized by open access, voluntary participation, and a flat communication structure
      - The open system view of organizations emphasizes the impact of the environment on organizational behavior.
      - The importance of resource dependencies, coordination across firms, and the need for legitimacy in the wider cultural environment.
- - - - Concerned with choices and instrumental efforts, entails means and rational action
      - Rational Actor Approach
        
        Knowing alternatives 'What are the options?'
        
        Knowing the consequences of these alternatives 'What happens if I take each option'
        
        Ordered preferences or ranked goals and objectives in terms of greater or lesser value
        
        Using a decision rule or choice process
        
        Ideally Rational Person: clarity and knowing and consistency of preferences and objectives
        
        Boundedly Rational Person: ambiguity and uncertainty in knowing incomplete information and inconsistencies in their preferences and objectives.
        
        Bounded Rationality in Action
        
        Satisficing: a decision-making strategy that attempts to meet an acceptablity threshold (a minimum requirement or standard)
        
        Why?
        
        Lack the time to consider every alternative
        
        Lack cognitive capacity to optimize (ambiguity, lack of precision, unreliable perception,etc)
        
        In reality, individuals often make decisions based on limited information and uncertain outcomes.
        
        The decision process involves a sequential search of options, stopping when a satisfactory choice is found.
    - - Concerned with rule following and interpretive activity
      - Entails value rationality, or duty driven behavior
      - Value rationality contents that regardless of the cost, or without attention to them We often make decisions out of duty to a rule, a principle or a particular identity.
      - 3 factors
        
        Decisions are classified in the categories associated with rules and identities
        
        What kind of problem is this?
        
        Who usually addresses it?
        
        How has it been addressed in the past?
        
        Decision makers have official identities and roles that are evoked in a particular situation.
        
        Who usually addresses this kind of stuff?
        
        Who's the appropriate person for this problem?
        
        Decision makers also match rules to what they see as appropriate to their role in the classified situation
      - This model focuses less on consequences and more on following traditions, cultural norms, and standard operating procedures.
    - - Decision-making within organizations involves multiple actors with conflicting preferences and identities.
      - The theory of coalitions and the negotiation process come into play when individuals with different preferences interact.
      - Decision-making often involves a two-stage process
        
        Stage one is the process of bargaining and coming to consensus
        
        Stage two the decision is actually, and the understandings people share, is finally executed
        
        The setup of a system and its implementation are often intertwined.
        
        The world of alliances is not one of precision and formality but one of informal loose understandings and expectations.
      - The implementation of decisions is often intertwined with the setup of the system, leading to informal understandings and expectations.
      - Decision-making can also be influenced by organizational culture and the need for meaning-making.