Universität HildesheimSommersemester 2003

Seminar: Communication in OrganizationsProf. Dr. Jürgen Beneke

Topic: History and Development of Organizations

Doreen Ludwig, Vanessa MöllerDienstag, 29. April 2003

Structure1. Introduction2. Definitions3. Characteristics of Organisations4. Importance of Organisations5. Industrialization6. Rationalization of Bureaucracy7. Taylorism8. Change Factors9. Organizations as Systems10. Structural and Contextual Dimensions11. Cox‘s Models12. Conclusion13. Literature

What are organizations and how do they affect us?

Source: Banner, D.K./ Gagné, Elaine,T. (1995): Designing Effective Organizations: Traditional and TransformationalViews. Page 1

„Our society is an organizational society. We are born in organizations, educated by organizations and most of us spend most of our lives working for organizations. We spend much of our leisure time paying, playing and praying in organizations. Most of us will die in an organization and when the time comes for burial, the largest organization of all – the state – must grant official permission.”

Etzioni, 1970

Source: Morgan, Glenn (1992): Organizations in Society. Page 1

Definition Max Weber

An organization is a system of legitimate interaction patterns among organizational members as they engage in activities in the pursuit of goals.

Source: Banner, D.K./ Gagné, Elaine,T. (1995):

Designing Effective Organizations: Traditional and Transformational Views. Page 5Source: BpB (1996): Informationen

zur politischen Bildung: Interessenverbände, Page 41

Definition Richard ScottOrganizations are defined as collectives… that have been established for the pursuit of relatively specific objectives on a more or less continuous basis. It should be clear… however, that organizations have distinctive features other than goal specificity and continuity. These (features) include relatively fixed boundaries, a normative order, authority ranks, a communication system and an incentive system which enables various types of participants to work together in the pursuit of common goals (of the organization).

Source: Banner, D.K./ Gagné, Elaine,T. (1995): Designing Effective Organizations: Traditional and Transformational Views. Page 5

Definition Richard Hall

An organization is a collectivity with a relatively identifiable boundary, a normative order, ranks of authority, communications systems, and member coordinating systems; this collectivity exists on a relatively continuous basis in an environment and engages in activities that are usually related to a goal or a set of goals.

Source: Banner, D.K./ Gagné, Elaine,T. (1995): Designing Effective Organizations: Traditional and Transformational Views. Page 6

Characteristics of Organizations

Goal Direction

Identifiable Boundary

Social Interaction

Structured Acitivity System

Culture

Importance of Organizations

coordination of resources, working to attain certain goals efficient production of goods and services looking for innovations accommodate to and influence a changing environment use new technology create value owners, customers, and employees consider changes of ethics, career pattern, and motivation and coordiantion of employees

IndustrializationBefore: no use of the word organization traditional craft

After: development of bigger companies division of labour

Automation, Computerization – second and third industrialization???

Max Weber: Rationalization of Bureaucracy I

Born 1864 in Erfurt, died 1920 in Munich, studied law, social scientist.

Rationalization of bureaucracy: increasing predictability

and control of problems through science, technologyand organisation.

Fixed Salary Contract Qualification Full-time Job

Max Weber: Rationalization of Bureaucracy II

fixed times at fixed places, e.g. the office no ownership of the property of the company similar discipline and control job descriptions are general and independent

of persons = members are replaceable division of labour no creativity

= The efficiency of the bureaucracy is founded on its kind of machinery.

Frederick W. Taylor: Taylorism

Born 1856, died 1915 in the U.S.A., worker in asteel-company, engineer, consulting engineer,scientist, founder of the ‚scientific management‘.

Separation in brainwork and manual work Workload and bonus Selection and adaptation of the work-force Abolition of conflicts between employees and

employer

Efficiency craze

Change Factors

Factors from within the organizations: Organization‘s Technical Production

System Organization‘s Political Processes Organization‘s Culture

Factors from outside the organization: Immediate Environment General Environment

Organizations as Systems I

Source. Daft, Richard L. (1997): Organization Theory and Design. Page 13

Organizations as Systems IIClosed System: in reality cannot exist no interaction with the environment

Open System: linked to the environment consumption of resources and exportation

of resources or products to the environment

adaptation to the environment

Organizations as Systems IIISubsystems:

organization has several subsystems Boundary spanning - responsible for input and

output transaction Production - of the product and services

outputs Maintenance - upkeep of the organization Adaptation - change of the organization Management - direction and coordination of the

other subsystems

Structural and Contextual Dimensions of Organizations

Source: Daft, Richard L. (1997): Organization Theory and Design. Page 16

Cox‘s Models Monolithic Organization ‚Old‘ type of organizations? Plural Organization Internationality becomes more and

more important Multicultural Organization Model of the future?

Conclusion

Source: Banner, D.K./ Gagné, Elaine,T. (1995): Designing Effective Organizations:Traditional and TransformationalViews. Page 8

LiteratureBanner, David K.; Gagné, Elaine T. (1995): Designing Effective Organizations: Traditional and Transformational Views. Sage Publications, London/New Dehli.

Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (BpB) (1996): Informationen zur politischen Bildung: Interessenverbände. Bruckmann, München.

Daft, Richard L. (1997): Organization Theory and Design. South-Western College Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Francesco, Anne Marie; Gold Barry Allen (1998): International Organizational Behavior: Text, Readings, Cases, and Skills. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Kieser, Alfred (Hrsg.) (1993): Organisationstheorien. W. Kohlhammer GmbH, Stuttgart.

Morgan, Glenn (1992): Organizations in Society. The Macmillan Press Ltd., London.