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Analysis of an organization's culture
Analysis of an organization's culture
Analysis of an organization's culture
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Innovation at the Department of Transportation
Steve Andersen, a middle-level manager in the Department of Transportation, well known for being a creative problem solver, and is facing a difficult decision. After coming up with a potential solution and a plan to address the issue of the citizen participation component of a large organizational program not being a success, Steve is turned down by the deputy commissioner in his department. Steve has been looking forward to the submission of this idea, since it has the potential of providing him with an extra income through the monetary incentive program set up to reward people just like Steve for their bright ideas. Steve has spent time and resources trying to see the root cause that accounts for the citizen participation component not being a success; and feels that his idea can solve the underlying issues within the organization. This paper will examine those underlying causes. It will also be analyzing the best analytical technique that allows Steve to re-frame the issue so that a favorable decision might result. In addition, the paper will evaluate the organization’s structure and point out the
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Steve would benefit from using a group decision technique. It is mentioned by Lee, S. (2002) that, Steve has already discussed his plans with the assistant commissioner, the information technology people in the department, and with peers in another department, and they have all agreed that it would be a great idea. As stated by Stroh, M. (2014), “one person is not smarter than a group of people”. A decision made by a group would bring together a broader perspective for defining the problem and diagnosing the root problem and effect. In this situation, the deputy commissioner has a fixed mentality and believes that Steve’s idea would hurt the department. However, I larger group would be able to make a better judgment of the
After reading the case study Welcome to the new town manager, by Mary Jane Kuffner Hirt, I established three major problems the community of Opportunity needed to correct. These problems involved the water & sewer system, the balancing budget, & the pay-as-you-go method. The city manager, Jennifer Holbrook, must implement strategies that would correct these problems quickly.
Problems and Prospects. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, Volume 12(3). Retrieved from http://www.innovation.cc/scholarly-style/bradshaw5final.pdf
Are young children putting their health and even their lives at risk if they partake in the sport of football? Some claim that the American sport is far too dangerous and the risk of concussions and injuries far outway the pros of the physical sport, while others insist that technological improvements and new regulations have made the sport safer. Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of history and education at New York University, argues in his paper, “We Must Stop Risking the Health of Young Football Players,” that football is a sport that is too dangerous for the youth. He states his belief that technological improvements in helmets and changes in the rules of the sport have had little effect on reducing injuries and that nothing has worked.
Thaddeus Stevens was a congressman from Pennsylvania who was a member of the House of Representatives during of the time of the Civil War and Reconstruction. He was the leader of a radical wing of the Republican Party called the Radical Republicans. Stevens was one of the most powerful members of the House of Representatives who focused much of his political life on civil rights. He believed in equality for all men whether they were rich or poor, no matter what color their skin. Stevens was instrumental in drafting the 14th Amendment to the Constitution which was meant to protect the civil right of all Americans regardless of their race or gender. He was nicknamed the “Great Commoner” because he championed the plight of the everyday man. Stevens also advocated very harsh policies toward the southern states during the time of Reconstruction. Even though many of his ideas were controversial, he was regarded as a very important national figure during and immediately following the Civil War.
The city’s budget crisis was not a surprise, the City Manager had forecasted the shortfall and brought it to the attention of the city council. Based on the organizational structure, the City Manager clearly had more knowledge and information about the city’s budget, which was his source of power. However, the city council actually controls the resources (money in this case) and how and where to distribute the resource. Both, the City Manager and city council possess authority and power that neither want to relinquish; as a result, the employees suffered. Smithville city leaders needed to come together at the onset of the budget crisis and work together in a direct democratic fashion. When leaders come together and synthesize facts and resources, organizational members can increase the power they exert within an organization (Morgan, 2006). The budget crisis could potentially have been avoided had city leaders made an appeal to the public, explained the situation and offered a reasonable solution to the problem. Moreover, the transparency would have relieved some tension between the City Manager, city council, and the three labor unions. Because the city was not transparent and forthcoming with union leaders, the city negotiators enter the negotiation process giving members false hope of receiving salary and benefit increases when there were none to give. In summary, given the current situation, the City Manager needed to exert his expert power on the budget issue, join alliance with the union leaders, and push the city council to change city charter to implement the sales tax, which would have potentially off-set the budget
Organizational Institutions has three major elements of institutionalized organizations, first the organization reflects it’s institutional environmental in the behavior and structure, conferring to this elements this organizations are first and foremost in the service of the public. Therefore, complications in the organization environment are reflected as organizational difficulties instead, police departments as a example are often under pressure, and sometimes even under strict commands to hire more minorities or to cultivate the demographic in there organization. On the other hand, if the department fails to use the rational hiring procedures they can end up being sued, even though they would like to hire more educated officers instead. However, the police organization replies to these types of complication throughout, the elaborate hiring policy and formal promised that are negotiated between different organizational groups. Secondly, to keep a p...
The Swede is a major source of conflict in "The Blue Hotel". The external conflicts that he faces are caused by implied internal conflicts. The Easterner sums up the cause of the Swede's internal conflicts when he says, "...this man has been reading dime novels, and he thinks he's right out in the middle of it-the shootin' and stabbin' and all."(103) The Swede is frightened of everyone because in his mind, he is in constant danger. He is described as "shaky and quick-eyed"(97) in the beginning. Instead of talking to the old farmer, he stares at everyone and makes "furtive estimates of each man in the room."(98) This internal conflict between the real world and the one in the novels cause the first external conflict between Johnny and the Swede. The Swede is very frightened and believes that everyone is going to kill him. "He shivered and turned white near the corners of his mouth."(100) The Swede was so frightened that he went upstairs to pack his bags and leave. Scully indirectly caused the changes to the Swede. Scully was trying to calm the Swede down by offering him a drink of whiskey. Once the Swede had the alcohol in him, he became a totally different person. Instead of leaving, he went back downstairs for supper. Johnny describes the change to his father when he says, "...he was scared, but now he's too fresh." The alcohol caused the Swede to become loud, arrogant and cocky. This time when an argument breaks out at the card table, he is more than ready to fight. After beating Johnny in a fist fight, the Swede leaves the hotel and goes into town. The new found bravado caused by the alcohol and the fight is what causes the Swede to lose his life to the Gambler. Even though this story was written about the Old West, the theme that alcohol can change people is still very true today.
Govindarajan, V & Trimble, C. (2005, Nov.). Ideas are not enough. Fast Company. Retrieved 6th March, 2014 from www.fastcompany.com/resources/leadership/vgct/110705.html
Change had always been a value at Winning Ways, but how change is managed is as important as the substance of the ideas. The implementation of new ideas as well as the mobility of the employees within the company became areas of concern. There was a great deal of confusion regarding company decisions and the purpose of certain initiatives. Although there was a commitment to seeking new management approaches, employees felt as though many ideas were pushed off to the side without ever being considered. Others were implemented, such as teams, but the actual structures were not sustained, creating confusion and tension as employees tried to work within a framework that did not always make sense. Although constant change was once embraced as a vehicle for innovation and increased success, it became increasingly difficult for the employees to follow large shifts. While change can create progress, it can also reflect a lack of focus and/or signify a lack of clear interest in a strategy or approach. In order for changes to be effective, they have to be clear and be implemented in a way that allows for their evaluation. Furthermore, as the company continued to hire from the outside, current employees found themselves isolated with no opportunity for upward mobility. New hires often had higher levels of education as compared to older workers who provided experience, were committed to the company, and had a strong interest in learning. Because people often feel out of the loop, it would be wise for Winning Ways to introduce employee involvement programs. For example, participative management allows for joint decision making in which subordinates share decision-making power with their supervisors (Robbins & Judge, 2012). As a result, employees would feel as though their voice can be heard and have a better
Leroy Anderson was born June 29, 1908 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His parents, as children, immigrated to the United States from Sweden with their families. His father, Bror Anton Anderson, worked as a postal clerk in the Central Square post office. He also played the mandolin. Anna Margareta Anderson, his mother, was the organist at the Swedish church in Cambridge. He lived in the suburbs of Boston for twenty seven years with his parents and brother.
Sherwood Anderson (September 13, 1876 March 8, 1941) was an American writer, mainly of short stories, most notably the collection Winesburg, Ohio. His influence on American fiction was profound; his literary voice can be heard in Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, John Steinbeck, and others.
We came to the conclusion that the Doohickey Company’s key issue is their wage and compensation plan. Or rather their lack of a plan. Doohickeys suffers greatly from an extremely high employee turnover rate of nearly 50%. Competitors in the same industry report only a 10% turnover rate with higher production rates. This is detrimental to the Doohickey Company as this contributes to the company’s financial bottom line. They lose money from this high turnover rate in a variety of ways including losing the knowledge and skills of seasoned employees while also losing time and money from training new employees. The turnover rate for the Doohickey Company could be greatly reduced with the implementation of a plan to increase wages and compensation
McShane, Steven, and Mary Ann Von Glinow. Chapter 8: Decision Making and Creativity. PRIMIS MNO 6202: Managing Organizations. 2004. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' Reprint of the book.
The author’s of this paper spent a few days observing the various decision making processes used in their work environments. Each observed that no single decision making process is the only process used in his or her place of work. While there was a vast amount of different decision making processes used, it appears that data gathering is used by each place of employment. Employers also used surveying and another technique designed to build individual support. Dione’s employer uses various charts and tables to gather date prior to making decisions. These charts are used to track the progress of individuals and teams, progress is monitored and changes can be made based on the information gathered. Natacha’s employer has an organized plan of correctly identifying the problem, then gathering data and following up with meetings to ensure proper action is taken. Janelle’s employer uses surveys to gather information. Surveying is done at two important key times, once in the beginning of a change and then again a little later. This allows managers to assess the positive and negative of the situation and check for improvement. Stephanie’s employer uses a process of meeting with certain individual’s to get acceptance of the idea.
“The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” This famous quotation was made by one of South Africa’s well-known anti apartheid activist in the 1960s and 1970s - Stephen Bantu Biko. Biko was born on December 18th, 1946 in King William’s town, South Africa. He has helped South Africa in a number of ways. Foremost, Biko is addressed as the martyr of the anti-apartheid movement and is also included in the Pantheon of Struggle Heroes.