300 A Management of Organizations

Recognize a characteristic of a matrixed organizations

A matrix organizational structure is a company structure in which the reporting relationships are set up as a grid, or matrix, rather than in the traditional hierarchy. In other words, employees have dual reporting relationships - generally to both a functional manager and a product manager

Identify differences between teams and work groups.

A work team has members who work interdependently on a specific, common goal to produce an end result for their business. A work group is two or more individuals who are interdependent in their accomplishments and may or may not work in the same department. Once again, the differences are subtle, but the main thread is a team works together and shares in the outcome, while a group is more independent of each other.

Accordingly to Lencioni, what ultimately DOESN'T happen when the FIVE team dysfunctions exist.

Achievement of collective results

Identify all the parts of the Conflict Continuum as discussed with Five Dysfunctions.

Artificial harmony as a terminus on a conflict continuum. At that end of the continuum, you see teams avoiding conflict. Team members do not surface issues so they continue to fester as people smile and "make nice." On the other end, you see the type of mean-spirited attacks during conflict that can truly damage a team. The ideal conflict point is in between those two extremes—where teams can engage in productive conflict and resolve issues.

Recognize a characteristic of a mechanistic structure of organizations

Hierarchical, bureaucratic, organizational-structure characterized by (1) centralization of authority, (2) formalization of procedures and practices, and (3) specialization of functions. Mechanistic organization are comparatively simpler and easy to organize, but find it difficult to cope with rapid change.

Recognize how companies act as closed systems

In a closed system, interactions only happen within the specific system, which means closed systems are shut off from the outside environment, and every interaction is transmitted inside that closed system. Workers in closed systems within an organization don't communicate with other departments about their activities, nor do they receive input from other departments. Closed systems have the advantage of being efficient because there are clear procedures that are not affected by outside influences.

The last part of the book (after the fable) included: (there are multiple answers)

Team assessment Overview of the model Ways to overcome the five dysfunctions

Who and what was involved in the Scientific Mgt. Theory and Gilbreths a little later. Relevancy of Taylorism.

The Gilbreths made use of scientific insights to develop a study method based on the analysis of work motions, consisting in part of filming the details of a worker's activities while recording the time it took to complete those activities. The films helped to create a visual record of how work was completed, and emphasized areas for improvement. Secondly, the films also served the purpose of training workers about the best way to perform their work. This method allowed the Gilbreths to build on the best elements of the work flows and create a standardized best practice. Time and motion studies are used together to achieve rational and reasonable results and find the best practice for implementing new work methods. While Taylor's work is often associated with that of the Gilbreths, there is often a clear philosophical divide between the two scientific-management theories. Taylor was focused on reducing process time, while the Gilbreths tried to make the overall process more efficient by reducing the motions involved. They saw their approach as more concerned with workers' welfare than Taylorism, in which workers were less relevant than profit. This difference led to a personal rift between Taylor and the Gilbreths, which, after Taylor's death, turned into a feud between the Gilbreths and Taylor's followers.

Henry Ford, inventions and historical setting for building his Model T's.

The Model T was Ford's first automobile mass-produced on moving assembly lines with completely interchangeable parts, marketed to the middle class.

Recognize evidence of the first four stages of Tuckman's team development.

The forming-storming-norming-performing model of group development was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965,[1] who said that these phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to grow, face up to challenges, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work, and deliver results.

Understand open systems and connection to unintended consequences

The open systems are systems that allow interactions between their internal elements and the environment. An open system is defined as a "system in exchange of matter with its environment, presenting import and export, building-up and breaking-down of its material components. A feature of an open system is negative entropy, where the open system continues to import energy, information and resources to function while becoming more heterogeneous and complex.

Recognizing organizational culture elements above and below the "iceberg"

The theory, which we also call the 'Theory of Omission' or 'Iceberg Model,' applies to systems and problems too. As with an iceberg, only its tip is visible, while the bulk of it is below the water's surface, i.e., invisible. Let's apply the Iceberg Principle to content marketing and imagine a giant iceberg floating in the ocean. What we see above the water is what the online audience sees. However, a lot is going on below the water's surface. Below the surface, the marketer is trying to understand customer needs and is gathering customer feedback data (if applicable). The marketer is also providing answers to questions and showing the value of the product or service. Look at the image below.

Recognize characteristics of bureaucratic organizations

Today a bureaucracy is a large administrative organization that handles the day-to-day business of a government or society. Here in America, the government's bureaucracy operates on national, state, and local levels. Bureaucracies have four key characteristics that make their resemblance to beehives all the more apparent. A clear hierarchy - Bureaucracies have a firm chain of command. Every worker has his or her own place in the chain, and everyone's work is overseen by someone on the next level up. Power flows down from the top of the hierarchy and diminishes as it approaches the bottom. Just think of the beehive. The queen bee stands at the top, and each worker bee or drone has its own place in the hive's chain of command. Specialization - Everyone in a bureaucracy has a specific job to do and often becomes an expert at it. Bees have specific jobs, too, collecting pollen, making honey, or populating the hive. A division of labor - In a bureaucracy, nearly every task is broken down into its component parts, and different people work on different parts of the task. Together they get the job done, just like bees in a hive who divide their labor for maximum efficiency. A set of formal rules - These so-called standard operating procedures are the clear, written instructions for each specialized job at every level of the hierarchy. Workers who follow them can be sure that they are on the same page as their colleagues and are doing their jobs properly. According to beekeepers, bees, too, have a sophisticated system of communication that keeps their hives running smoothly.

Recognize a characteristic of an organic design/structure of organizations

described by British theorists Tom Burns and George Stalker. According to Burns and Stalker, an organic organization is one that is very flexible and is able to adapt well to changes. Its structure is identified as having little job specialization, few layers of management, decentralized decision-making, and not much direct supervision. Organic and mechanistic types of organizations are defined by three general factors: complexity, formalization, and centralization