Discussion Thread: Open System Design Elements Replies

How do you think planning in today’s organizations compares to planning in an organization 25 years ago? Do you think planning becomes more important or less important in a world where everything quickly changes and crises are a regular part of organizational life? Why? 

Planning is particularly important for organizations; it involves making decisions in advance at the right level about who, what and why they will happen to reach the organizational goals. Goals without a plan are not easily obtainable. “The requirements team members facilitate formal and informal discussions between the stakeholders and project team with the goal to establish a common understanding of the project's intent” (Marnewick & Joseph, 2020, p.105). Understanding the organizational goals allows them to strategize and plan. It is important for an organization to plan well in advance due to the increased complexity of global and local business models. Process planning has evolved as have organizational strategies. Over the past 25 years technological advances and rapid globalization require organizations to plan much more in-depth strategies and much farther in advance. Computer systems, phones and readily available information were not available 25 years ago so although planning was important 25 years ago the process for gathering information was much more time-consuming but still as important. It is more important for organizations to plan better and for longer today than it was 25 years ago, due to how fast things change in today's environment. Forecasting the future and planning for the best- and worst-case scenarios is more important today than ever. Information flows quickly and competitors are much quicker to take advantage of missteps today as opposed to 25 years ago.    

Is changing the organization's domain a feasible strategy for coping with a threatening environment? Can you think of an organization in the recent news that has changed its domain? Explain. 

Changing an organization's domain is a feasible strategy for coping with a threating environment. Blockbuster video would have fared better had they taken that advice. Walmart has been known for its big box stores but has changed its tone since losing much of its business to amazon and other internet providers. Walmart has adjusted by opening their own online stores and adapting their in-house stores to smaller “Walmart Neighborhood Market” to compete with   the whole food movement. The big box stores are physical assets for the business. However, the market has shifted from product offering where people accepted Amazon and many other food deliveries at home. Walmart has since adjusted “Walmart has a lot of work to do to better compete with Amazon. Its online U.S. sales reached $15.7 billion in the latest fiscal year. That is still a fraction of Amazon’s online global merchandise empire, which reached $122.98 billion last year” (Walmart offers holiday cheer as traditional peers struggle, 2019). According to Streets (2020) this has become even more important due to the COVID-19 crisis where more people are scared to go shopping for the virus and thus driving even more business to E commerce. US (United States) Consumers have steadily been moving toward E commerce at an alarming rate where 85% of consumers were scared or had concern at big box stores. The atmosphere with today's environment and the virus still looming planning, and strategies looking to the future is more important for Walmart now than ever.  

Compare the descriptions of the transnational model described in Chapter 6 to the elements of the learning organization described in Chapter 1. Do you think the transnational model would work in a huge global firm? 

According to Daft (2021) “The transnational model represents the most advanced kind of international organization. It reflects the ultimate in both organizational complexity, with many diverse units and organizational coordination, with mechanisms for integrating the varied parts. The transitional model is useful for large, multinational companies with subsidiaries in many countries that try to exploit both global and local advantages as well as technological advancements, rapid innovation, and global learning as knowledge sharing” (p. 254) 

The structure of the learning organization is used more for smaller organizations or pushed down to departments in a larger organization. Although the learning organizations provide the workforce a great deal of flexibility to adapt to change. This may be required to push down to departments in a large global firm. Some aspects may need a mechanistic design while others need organic design. Some areas may need the decision making to happen at the location due to resources and time sensitivity. A lot of the learning organization structure can be successful in a large organization, but it would have to be sporadic. Daft (2021) outlines how “management philosophy is based on interdependence rather than either full divisional independence or total dependence of these units on headquarters for decision making and control” (p.256). The transitional model would work in a huge global firm, Daft (2021) explains in the definition that it is useful in large multinational companies.  

How can/should a biblical worldview be applied? 

The biblical worldwide view can be applied to the proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. Proper planning can result in success and or failure in every endeavor life throws at us and every situation that arises in business.  

 

Daft, R. L. (2021). Organization Theory & Design. Cengage. 

Marnewick, A. L., & Joseph, N. (2020). The importance of planning for communication in a project during the requirements process. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 48(1), 104-112. https://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2019.2952563 

Streets, M. (2020, Oct 05). Shoppers Are Still Increasing Their Online Spending & They’re Looking for Alternatives to Amazon. Footwear News : FN (Online), http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fmagazines%2Fshoppers-are-still-increasing-their-online%2Fdocview%2F2448480246%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12085 

Walmart offers holiday cheer as traditional peers struggle. (2019). Canadian Business (Online),