Question

ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS COMPLETELY WITH DETAILS AS ASKED! DO NOT COPY FROM OTHER POSTS AND GIVE ORIGINAL AND NEW ANSWERS OR ELSE I WILL REPORT YOU TO THE CHEGG ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU.

PURPOSE: To confirm your understanding of some baseline course concepts and then apply these concepts in taking positions on why something may be so, as well as discussing pros and cons.

PROCESS: Completely answer the following four prompts:

1. What is the definition of an organization? Briefly explain each part of the definition.
2. A handful of companies on the Fortune 500 list are more than 100 years old, which is rare. What organizational characteristics do you think might explain 100-year long longevity?
3. What are the primary differences between an organic and a mechanistic organizational design? What type of an organization do you think would be easier to manage? Please discuss.
4. Early management theorists believed that organizations should strive to be logical and rational, with a place for everything and everything in its place. Please discuss the pros and cons of this approach for today's organizations.

PRODUCT: APA citations. When a prompt asks you to "explain" or "discuss," this means there should at least be three complete sentences of your thoughts.

Answer 1

Part 1

Definition of an organization:

An organization refers to the relationship between the various factors of production to accomplish a given objective. It is accomplished by groups of people who are cooperative under a leadership structure for achieving a common goal with a linkage to the external environment.

Explanation:

1. A structure of relationship: All businesses need resources in order to operate. There are four basic factors of production (inputs) – land, labor, machinery and human resource. Organization takes the combined output from these factors to fulfill desired objective.

2. Based on objectives: Whether it is an entire organization or the departments of it, it is influenced by objectives. Objectives give direction to the firm which is followed by authority and responsibility relationship of human resource management.

3. A leadership structure: The structure is created by mainly top level management. It can be formal or informal. An organization includes a structure in order to maintain a flow of information and guidelines which further helps controlling the efforts timely.

4. A common goal: The organization should build around a common goal. That will help various departments to fulfill their st of expectations. The goal varies firm to firm. For example increase in profits, capture bigger market segment, reduce carbon emission, sustainable development, better customer service, serving specific society needs etc.

5. External environment linkage: No organization can work without external environmental linkage. Some common examples are suppliers, customers, government policies, technical factors, financiers etc. These factors in many ways support or affect the performance and goal achievement of an organization.

Part 2

A handful of companies on the Fortune 500 list are more than 100 years.A few of them are J.P Morgan Chase, Colgate – Palmolive, Cigna & more.

1. The first & foremost characteristic of a long longevity of an organization is its people. An organization can be understood mainly by understanding people who make it and are running it. It is the people who bring maximum efficiency to a desired objective of an organization. For example Top level management’s priority is to make sure that the organization is designed correctly and the vision is set and explained properly. It is the managers who conduct efforts to channelize that design and vision statement in short term goals. And the lower level management acts properly to accomplish given set of guidelines to contribute their efforts in a right channel. Factors as in proper communication, training and motivation also play a crucial role in building the foundation of a firm.
2. Customer focus: Customer is the king. As the customer needs are different and they keep changing, continual research must be done to ensure the customer needs are fulfilled in a proper way. The business should keep innovating and maintain its performance in accordance to the changing needs of the customers.
3. A balance with external business environment: An organization can’t operate without the linkage with external micro and macro factors. A proper balance with these factors is crucial. You can’t walk alone in a race. Example controlling carbon emission for the sake of societal safety, following code of conduct in accordance with legal framework of government, customer focus, sustainable development along with suppliers, adopting new technology to cope up with current demand etc.

Some other factors are:

4. Predicting long term goals i.e compliance with future
5. Balance with the community and society
6. Following business ethics

Part 3

Primary differences between an organic and a mechanistic organizational design:

Mechanistic Organizational Design	Organic Organizational Design
According to Black's Law Dictionary mechanistic organization is “the organization is hierarchical and bureaucratic. Means these types of organizations follow a proper system and hierarchy designed mainly by top level management.	According to Burns and Stalker, an organic organization is one that is very flexible and is able to adapt well to changes. These types of organizations generally focuses on flexible span of control.
These structures are highly centralized in nature. Orders and instructions are determined and passed on to be followed by lower levels management.	These organizational structures follow decentralization of authority. No much supervision is implied.
These organizations follow the official chain of command which can’t be changed.	There are no fixed pattern of communication
It emphasizes on narrow span of control. That is vertical flow of information.	It emphasizes on wide span of control. The horizontal, diagonal and vertical flow to information exists.
These organizations reflect technical aspects of the organization; Members are expected to behave as per rules and regulations. Violation leads to consequences	Organic organizational style reflects human aspect. It is based on attitudes, likes and thinking of individuals. There are no rigid rules and their consequences.

The suitability of a structure depends on many factors. In terms of stability, mechanistic organizational style is suitable. But in case of longevity and human resourse retention, organic style is suitable.

Technical organizations should follow mechanistic style. Service based and flexible organizations would be suited with organic style.

Conclusion is: In today’s environment, organic style is much more suitable than mechanistic one. As employees would be able to make creative and individual decision on the bases of their rationale and would contribute to the firm in a better way.

PART 4

Early management theorists believed that organizations should strive to be logical and rational, with a place for everything and everything in its place.

Early management theorist basically followed formal or mechanist style. The This approach to management will not work today. Organizations must adapt to the external environment, cope with differences in goals and commitment of employees, survive in a chaotic world, and try to cope with the enormous complexity of social systems. Managers can try to increase the logic, rationality, and efficiency of organizations, but they will not achieve a system of perfect order, and should not feel that they are failures when they cannot do so.