Graded Homework

What type of organization do you prefer? Organic or
Mechanistic? Complete the self-assessment to determine which type you prefer:

Organic versus Mechanistic Organizations Self-assessment
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Based on the results of the self-assessment, answer the
following questions in a short essay:

What type of organization do you prefer?

Think about your previous jobs, what types of organizations
did your employers run?

How was your performance in these various organizations?

Organic
versus Mechanistic Organizations

One factor to consider when designing an organization is
to decide whether it will be rigid, with a well defined hierarchy , or whether
it will be a flexible network. The mechanistic organization has a top down approach
with strict rules and narrowly defined tasks. An example in the text book, page
517, of a mechanistic organization is McDonalds where each task is broken down
to as few as possible steps. This is essential to stay competitive and provide
a quality product. On the other hand, an organic organization is a series of
flexible networks with highly talented employees who do a multiple number of
tasks.

Most
organizations are neither a pure mechanistic or organic organization, but
rather a mix of the two types. The hierarchy of an organization may be
mechanistic, but it could have a department that operates like an organic
organization.

Which structure would you
prefer?

Select five out of the ten
statements that best describe your preference.

1. I like to do
   highly specialized tasks.

1. When making a
   decision at work, I like to make the decision.

1. I believe
   government regulations of industry are best.

1. I am very
   comfortable working in an environment that is structured with a lot of
   rules.

1. I prefer for
   my boss to make decisions.

1. I prefer to
   work in an environment where the routine stays the same.

1. I like the
   flexibility of doing many different tasks.

1. I feel
   uncomfortable working in an environment where there are a lot of rules.

1. I believe
   industry would be a lot better off with minimal government regulations.

1. I like working
   in an environment where each day is different and constantly changing.

See the next page for scoring
directions.

Scoring:

Give
yourself a point for each of these that you selected: 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This
score is your preference for mechanistic organizations.

Give
yourself a point for each of these that you selected: 2, 7, 8, 9, and 10. This
score is your preference for organic organizations.

Reference: Greenberg, J. (1999). Managing behavior in
organizations. Prentice?Hall, Inc: Upper Saddle River, NJ.
ISBN:0?13?922790?3