Organization - Environment Theory

The Hawthorne Studies

l  Study of worker efficiency at the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Co. during 1924-1932.

n  Worker productivity was measured at various levels of light illumination.

n  Researchers found that regardless of whether the light levels were raised or lowered, productivity rose.

Actually, it appears that the workers enjoyed the attention they received as part of the study and were more productive

Theory X and Y

l  Douglas McGregor proposed the two different sets of worker assumptions.

g  Theory X: Assumes the average worker is lazy, dislikes work and will do as little as possible.

u Managers must closely supervise and control through reward and punishment.

g  Theory Y: Assumes workers are not lazy, want to do a good job and the job itself will determine if the worker likes the work.

u Managers should allow the worker great latitude, and create an organization to stimulate the worker.

Theory Z

l  William Ouchi researched the cultural differences between Japan and USA.

n  USA culture emphasizes the individual, and managers tend to feel workers follow the Theory X model.

n  Japan culture expects worker committed to the organization first and thus behave differently than USA workers.

l  Theory Z combines parts of both the USA and Japan structure.

n  Managers stress long-term employment, work-group, and organizational focus.

Management Science

l  Uses rigorous quantitative techniques to maximize resources.

Quantitative management: utilizes linear programming, modeling, simulation systems.

Operations management: techniques to analyze all aspects of the production system.

Total Quality Management (TQM): focuses on improved quality.

Management Information Systems (MIS): provides information about the organization.

Organization-Environment Theory

l  Considers relationships inside and outside the organization.

n  The environment consists of forces, conditions, and influences outside the organization.

l  Systems theory considers the impact of stages:

Input: acquire external resources.

Conversion: inputs are processed into goods and services.

Output: finished goods are released into the environment.

Systems Considerations

l  An open system interacts with the environment. A closed system is self-contained.

n  Closed systems often undergo entropy and lose the ability to control itself, and fails.

l  Synergy: performance gains of the whole surpass the components.

Synergy is only possible in a coordinated system

The Organization as an Open System

Contingency Theory

l  Assumes there is no one best way to manage.

n  The environment impacts the organization and managers must be flexible to react to environmental changes.

n  The way the organization is designed, control systems selected, depend on the environment.

Technological environments change rapidly, so must managers

Structures

l  Mechanistic: Authority is centralized at the top. (Theory X)

n  Employees closely monitored and managed.

n  Very efficient in a stable environment.

l  Organic: Authority is decentralized throughout employees. (Theory Y)

n  Much looser control than mechanistic.

n  Managers can react quickly to changing environment.