Question

Read the Organizational Theory in Action case presented on page 117 of the text entitled “Practicing Organizational Theory: Growing Pains". 
Answer questions 1 to 4 using the info provided. The e text book link is provided just in case, but the info is listed here. 

Practicing Organizational Theory; Growing Pains

Scenario:

You are the founding entrepreneurs of Zylon Corporation, a fast-growing Internet software company that specializes in electronic banking. Customer demand to license your
software has boomed so much that in just two years you have added over 50 new software programmers to help develop a new range of software products. The growth of your com-
pany has been so swift that you still operate informally with a loose and flexible arrange-
ment of roles, and programmers are encouraged to find solutions to problems as they go along. Although this structure has worked well, signs indicate that problems are arising.

There have been increasing complaints from employees that good performance is not being recognized in the organization and that they do not feel equitably treated. Moreover, there have been complaints about getting managers to listen to their new ideas and to act on them.

A bad atmosphere seems to be developing in the company, and
recently several talented employees left. You are meeting to discuss these problems.

1- Answer
Examine your organizational structure to see what might be causing these problems.
What kinds of design choices do you need to make to solve them?

2-Answer
Find an example of a company that has been facing one of the design challenges discussed in this chapter. What problem has the company been experiencing? How has it at tempted to deal with the problem?

The Ethical Dimension
The way an organizational structure is designed affects the way its members behave.
Rules can be applied so strictly and punitively that they harm employees, for example by increasing the stress of the job. Inappropriate norms can develop that might reduce employee incentive to work or cause employees to abuse their peers. Similarly, in some organizations, superiors use their authority to abuse and harangue employees. Think about the ethical implications of the design challenges discussed in this chapter.

3-Answer
Using the design challenges, design an organization that you think would result in highly ethical decision making; then design one that would lead to the opposite. Why the difference?

Do you think ethical behavior is more likely in a mechanistic or an organic structure?
Analyzing the Organization: Design Module
This module attempts to get at some of the basic operating principles that your organization uses to perform its tasks. From the information you have been able to obtain, describe the aspects of your organization’s structure in the assignment below.

4- Answer
-How differentiated is your organization? Is it simple or complex?
- List the major roles, functions, or departments in your organization. Does your organization have
many divisions?
- If your organization engages in many businesses, list the major divisions in the company.
- What core competences make your organization unique or different from other organizations?
- What are the sources of the core competences?
- How difficult do you think it would be for other organizations to imitate these distinctive competences?