DISCUSSION M2-1 CLARINDA

Systems thinking is the root to understanding how an organization functions. In similarity to Murray Bowen’s family system theory, it holds that individual are inseparable from their network of relationships and influences them as well, and this holds true for organizations. Ludwig von Bertanlaffy (1969) states, “Systems are comprised of interacting parts in such a manner that the parts comprise the whole and the whole compromise the parts.” The interactions of the system may wear different masks, such as more traditional system there is a clear hierarchy system that heads all decisions and leads with an authoritarian “top to bottom.” Today, there are many companies that are becoming more steering away from the traditional system to what is now termed post-bureaucratic structure and open to new ideas to utilize their employees towards their overall mission  (Bertanlanffy, 1969).

The internal culture of an organization are developed and upheld by the leader of the system, and will dictate the flexibility or inflexibility of the environment, in regards to dress code, relationships and interactions of levels within the organization, reward/perk system, and etc. Behaviors of people within the system also affect the organization on the whole in either a negative or positive way (Uhl-Bein, p.12). External organization, for example stakeholders have a stake in the organization's performance to provide a product or a common goal (Uhl-Bien, p. 12). My experience with stakeholders have been with legal organizations, such as adult probation. We provide a service to help client’s to abstain from use of mood altering substances and comply with legal mandates, and our organization depend on future referrals, monetary payments for client’s that are placed in our residential program. Ultimate common goal between adult probation and our organization is improve the impact on our community with lessing relapse and recidivism.

BY: Clarinda Santiago