Management and Business Administration

Questions: 1.Morgan (1997) has proposed that the way we think about organizations depends upon the mental images or metaphors we use. Using the article on Morgan's ideas, which of these images or metaphors applies to Factory system before the development of Scientific Management? 2.Based on your reading of Chapter 5 (pg. 56), what would you say are some of the obstacles to making the "best" decisions about ways to reach a goal or solve a problem? 3. Do you think the term used by Barnard -- "common moral purpose" is a good way to describe what happens in work organizations? 4.Organizations want to achieve both economies of scale and economies of scope; they want to specialize yet be flexible. What does each of these separate demands mean for organizing and managing? Answers: 1. Before the development of scientific management or what can be referred as Taylorism on the way we think or view organizations, there are a number of mental images or metaphors as described by Morgan 1997 that applies to factory system. The first one is Organizational culture. This is a metaphor or a mental picture that is guided by artifacts, espoused values and beliefs. Artifacts are visible ways of doing things like rituals, ways to address people, products and dress code that inform how people should be seen to be. If a certain group of people or an individual have solved a problem in an industrial system for example finding a way a producing certain product that the market have largely embraced, than the whole setup of an industry follows what the group or the individual did provided it is producing results. The organization doesnt find out why the product worked in the market. The most important think is that it is working and that is it. The norm is socially validated and passed on to other people as shared assumption. Psychic prisons is another metaphor which applies to factory systems before development of scientific management in that the initial policies which made organizations thrive when they begun are continually held on year in year out without changing. Thus creating mind sets that do not change and keep doing things same way. (O?rtenblad, Trehan and Putnam, 2017). Did it change after Taylor's ideas were adopted These views changed after Taylors ideas were adopted in that scientific management advocates for analysis and logic but not fixed ideologies that are not accompanied by reason. (O?rtenblad, Trehan and Putnam, 2017). 2. Rational bureaucratic organization face a number of challenges or obstacles in the process of making arriving at best conclusions or decisions. Since this organizations practices hierarchy of authority vital information about the outcomes/results or even the environment may not the top decision-making organ the way it was picked on the ground. Before the information gets to next level of authority it is subjected to the company rules so that the lower level doesnt appear to have contravened the organization rules and ways of conducting business. This perpetual distortion of information continues with every stage of authority before reaching the top level. The Filtering of information will result to a decision being taken which is not the best. These organizations are likely to emphasis on status-quo because they are too bureaucratic and anything outside the norm may not be adopted in a bid to maintain rules.(Olejniczak and Yasuyuki, 2014) Do some organizations have a more difficult time with this than others Yes. Some organizations have more difficult time with these obstacles than others. Organizations that deals with a dynamic market will struggle more with bureaucratic nature of their organization to adapt to dynamism of the market. What kinds of goals or problems do they deal with These organizations face problems that are more fluid or dynamic thus keeping up with these changes presents a challenge as the organizations needs to maintain set standards of rules without bending them to conform to formalization at the same time the environment (i.e. market) they are dealing with is more dynamic than others. (Olejniczak and Yasuyuki, 2014) 3. The term common moral purpose as used by Barnard is good way to describe what happens in work organizations. There are a number of reasons for this assertion. The organizations do not work in isolation. It is characterized by number components that individually make something work for the organizations. These components interrelate with one another to produce the end results expected by the organization. The organization has to strike a balance with both external environment and the employees. By external environment this means that the organization needs to conform with authority rules for example that is striking a balance or attaining the state of equilibrium. Without this work organization can not function effectively. (Schwab, 1975) The employees work organization equilibrium is also an aspect that describe the organizations. The employee has to get that sense of being valued and compensated well so as to provide best efforts towards achieving the common goal of the organization. Barnard also asserts that employees work best for the company when they are induced to do so. The inducement here means motivated by way of paying out bonus or increasing the employee earnings from the work organizations. Why or why not Yes. Work organizations do practice above assertions by Barnard in that they conform to the laws which as external environment by obtaining necessary permits and licenses and creating the equilibrium that is required for effective functioning of the work organizations. The organizations also motivate the employees by way of recognizing good performance and yearly bonuses to the workforce in a bid to induce or motivate them to put in maximum efforts at their work. Therefore this shows that Barnards common moral purpose is a good way to describe work organizations. (Schwab, 1975) 4. The transformation of organizations has lead to a number of paradoxes. The adoption of both economies of scale and economies of scope mean that the organization has to adapt in certain way with regard to organizing and managing the entity. Increasing the size of production for a certain product and increasing the number products to be produced calls for the management of the demand in the market and production level of each product to avoid over production. The products that get more market share needs to be produced to match the demand while those with low demand should corresponding production rate. Organizations want to specialize yet be flexible. For this the organization has to take into account factors that ensure the quality of the product is not compromised while at the same time it can be able to adapt to a new product as the situation or the out side environment demand. The production line in the case of a manufacturing organization should be flexible that can adapt to changes easily. Why they all are desired Both sets of paradoxes are important or are desired in that it helps the company to have sound financial standing thus improving the stability of the organization that can withstand various economic conditions and become more sustainable. (Belloc, 1967) How can they peacefully co-exist They can all peacefully co-exist if the organization can find equilibrium or balance so that the organization doesnt experience inefficiencies that will derail it due to over emphasis on one part (i.e. products) and under emphasis on the other. References Belloc, H. (1967). On. Freeport, N.Y.: Books for Libraries Press. Daft, R. (2016). Organization theory design. New York: Cengage Learning. This article explains how various organizations theories and design are likely to shape an organization depending the most dominant theory the organization practices. Hales, C. (2001). Organisational Futures: e-Cultures, N-forms, M-forms or Bureaucracies? Business Strategy Review, 12(3), pp.110 - 120. The books explore the features of an organization and how each feature affects success of the organization. Hauswirth, I. (2006). Effective and Efficient Organisations?. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag Heidelberg. The book explores ways at which an organization can be effective and efficient in its operation linking the certain features of an organization like culture and how the organization performs Olejniczak, T. and Yasuyuki, K. (2014). Bureaucracy and Culture: Toward Two-Factor Theory of Organizational Control. Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, 22(1), pp.70-87 This book by Olejniczak and Yasuyuki provide deep insights into the bureaucracy and culture relevant to the question in that it highlights challenges various organizations face in a bid to make best decisions. O?rtenblad, A., Trehan, K. and Putnam, L. (2017). Exploring Morgan's metaphors. Los Angeles: SAGE. This article explores the Morgans metaphors in abroad way that covers which metaphors were applicable before Taylors assertions in scientific management of organizations. Schwab, D. (1975). Book Review: Organizational Behavior: The Basic Barnard: An Introduction to Chester I. Barnard and His Theories of Organization and ManagementThe Basic Barnard: An Introduction to Chester I. Barnard and His Theories of Organization and Management. By WolfWilliam B., Ithaca: New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, 1974. viii, 140 pp. ILR Review, 29(1), pp.100-105. This book review highlights Barnards assertions in theories of organizations and management and whether the common moral purpose can be used to describe what happens in the organizations.