Preparation for Week 2

1
Preparation for Week 2

• Session 3
• Review Chapter 2
• University Art Museum Prepare a case attack
  sheet
• Session 4
• In-Basket Exercise -- No prep

2
Agenda for Todays Class

• Review Organizational Structural Variables
  Exhibit 1.2
• Apply Variables to HydroQuebec and Timberland
• More desirable employer Why?
• Video -- Timberland

3
Discussion Questions

• What is the definition of organization? Explain
  each part.
• An organization is a (1) social entity that is
  (2) goal directed, (3) deliberately structured
  activity system, with a link to the external
  environment.
• Social entity means that organizations consist of
  people the human being is the basic building
  block of organizations, which makes it different
  from other types of systems. Goal directed means
  that organizations exist for a purpose. They are
  created to achieve some end. Deliberately
  structured activity system means that
  organizations are intentionally subdivided into
  distinct sets of activities. These activities
  use knowledge and technology needed to do the
  work. The link to the external environment
  includes interactions with customers, suppliers...

4
Discussion Questions

• What is the difference between formalization,
  specialization and standardization? Would an
  organization high on one of these dimensions also
  be high on the other two? Formalization refers
  to the amount of written documentation used to
  direct the organization, including job
  descriptions, procedure and policy manuals.
  Specialization refers to the extent to which
  tasks are subdivided so that each employee
  performs only a narrow set of activities.
  Standardization refers to the extent to which
  work activities are performed in the same way
  across the organization. Generally, the three
  characteristics are associated. For example, as
  organizations grow, tasks become specialized,
  standardization is introduced to ensure
  consistency, and formalization of rules and
  procedures takes place.

5
Discussion Questions

• Discuss ways in which your own life has been or
  will be affected by the shift to the postmodern
  age?
• The environment in which organizations operate
  has become more complex and unstable
• Bureaucratic structures and autocratic management
  is increasingly less useful
• In your career, you will experience greater
  empowerment, teamwork, decision making based on
  consensus, facilitative leadership, and
  continuous training and professional development.
• You will likely work more hours, experience a
  blurring of work and non-work times, be more
  committed to your profession than your
  organization and change jobs more frequently

6
Discussion Questions

• What does contingency mean? What are the
  implications of contingency theories for
  managers?
• Contingency means that one thing depends upon
  another, and therefore for an organization to be
  effective there must be a good fit between its
  internal structure and its external environment.
• Contingency suggests that there are no universal
  rules that apply to every organization in every
  situation.
• Thus managers need to carefully understand their
  unique situation before deciding on the
  management approach to take.

7
Discussion Questions

• What levels of analysis are typically studied in
  organization theory?
• The levels of analysis relevant to organization
  theory are the larger group or department, the
  organization, and the environment. Greater
  emphasis is placed on the organizational level
  of analysis.
• The level of analysis studied in organizational
  behaviour is the individual and relationships
  within a small group.
• Organizational theory has roots in sociology,
  with its focus on the larger social environment
  and culture, and in political science with its
  focus processes in the political arena
  Organizational behaviour has its roots in
  personality and social psychology.

8
Discussion Questions

• Early management theorists believed that
  organizations should strive to be logical and
  rational, with a place for everything and
  everything in its place. Do you agree with that
  approach to the management of organizations?
• Early theorists (Max Weber) were attempting to
  achieve machine like efficiency in organizations.
  The external environment was more stable,
  technology was simpler, so that a very orderly
  organization made for efficiency. This approach
  , however, does not motivate and develop the
  talents that people possess.
• Such an approach is increasingly unsuitable.
  Organizations must continually adapt to the
  external environment, cope with differences in
  goals and commitment of employees, and survive
  and prosper in a complex global economy