Leadership Research Paper 2
Why is shared information so important in a learning organization in comparison to an
efficient performance organization? Discuss how an organization’s approach to sharing
information may be related to other elements of organization design such as structure,
tasks, strategy, and culture.
In a learning organization, the status quo is challenged while using the resources and
employee talents. Furthermore, learning organizations focus on a culture that focuses on sharing
data, and ethical behavior. As for the efficient performance organization, they will be following a
mechanistic organizational design that has clearly defined rules (Daft & Armstrong, 2021).
Data must be shared in a learning organization, unlike an efficient performance
organization. This is due to a learning organization following an organic organizational layout
that focuses on flexibility and adaptability (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). By sharing information, it
will allow the learning organization to achieve its goals through collaboration with horizontal,
and inter-departmental. In addition, this will allow employees across multiple departments to act
promptly when problems or issues arise, this would include departments that are on different
hierarchical levels (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). This is the opposite of efficient performance
organization as they focus on hierarchy instead of collaboration across multiple levels.
In a learning organization, it is key that information is shared because it can help with
effective communication and teamwork. The result would lead to an increase in the ability to
solve and identify issues that may arise. Information that is shared in an efficient performance
organization would be linked with structure, tasks, and strategy.
Tasks in a learning organization are routinely done while the culture of the organization
can change severely. On the opposite side, an effective performance organization will consist of
a vertical structure, rigid culture, and normal tasks (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). Lastly, another
Leadership Research Paper 3
similarity between both effective performance organization and a learning organization is that
they both have a competitive strategy.
What are some differences that one might anticipate among the expectations of stakeholder
for a nonprofit organization versus a for-profit business? Do you believe nonprofit
managers have to pay more attention to stakeholders than business managers?
Stakeholders can play a huge role in how managers execute business and what they focus
on. A stakeholder is someone who includes anyone inside or outside the company who has a
stake in the company's performance (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). Stakeholders will be different
when they are partaking in a company that is for-profit and a non-profit company. When a
stakeholder is a part of a for-profit company, they believe that the company will partake in social
responsibility, mainly focusing on profitability. On the other hand, non-profit organizations
emphasize the social impact that they can provide and depend on donations and the stakeholders
to help the company stay afloat. Another difference is that non-profit organizations concentrate
on being a sustainable business instead of being efficient which is what a for-profit company
emphasizes (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). A for-profit company’s stakeholders want to ensure that
the company provides products and services that would entice customers to conduct business
with them, leading to more business and profit. Regardless of the organization, the managers
must consider what the stakeholders want.
As for business managers, they represent both the stakeholders and are responsible for
bringing in revenue and profit to the company. Regardless business managers need to ensure that
they stay aligned with the stakeholders due to the amount of influence that they provide to the
company. Managers in a for-profit organization alter how they conduct business based on the
consumer's wants and needs as they need to generate profits to keep the stakeholders happy to
Leadership Research Paper 4
where they can provide capital if needed in the future. On the other hand, in a non-profit
business, the managers rely on the stakeholder to provide funding to keep the company running
daily as the company’s goal is to provide an impact and not gain a profit. Since they are not
focusing on profit the non-profit managers need to keep the stakeholders happy and try to
accomplish their vision.
How might a company’s goals for employee development be related to its goals for
innovation and change? How might a company’s goals for employee development be
related to its goals for productivity? Explain the ways that these types of goals may conflict
in an organization?
For employee development, it is comprised of promotions, safety, training, and growth of
the employees (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). Due to the retention of what the employees learn,
ideally, there is continuous training and learning for the employees (Stacho et al., 2019). For
learning organizations employee growth is related to the company’s innovation as it can make
the company able to maintain a competitive edge. Employee development can coincide with
innovation and change when they are linked to the company's strategies (Marion & Fixson,
2020). Although innovation requires resources it can limit the profitability of the company,
employee development is vital as it can help maintain employee motivation and a reduction of
employees leaving the company. In addition, to employee development, it can provide workers
with skills to employ in development, where they can contribute more and have a greater impact
on innovation. For a company to remain competitive in the market it must emphasize innovation,
as it will allow workers to create better products that set the company apart from others.
For productive goals, having employee growth goals can reduce production expenses,
and improve the service times along with customer service. With the right development for
Leadership Research Paper 5
employees, it can lead to higher productivity. Organizations that are aiming to broaden their
range of products and services may establish productivity objectives for their employees, as it
can encourage the employees to gain knowledge and skills. When companies focus on employee
development it can lead to an increase in employee satisfaction at that company (Bashir & Gani,
2020). The outcome of focusing on the development of its employees leads to a reduction in
overturn of its employees.
Outside of trying to increase employee job satisfaction to reduce turnover, it also reduces
the learning curve as employees would be staying longer with the company gaining more
knowledge. While companies focus on multiple goals at a time it can lead to delays in others due
to the inputs needed to achieve the goal (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). Due to it possibly affecting
other goals it can also affect productivity goals along with innovation rates at the company.
Suppose you have been asked to evaluate the effectiveness of the police department in a
medium-sized community. Where would you begin? How would you proceed? What
effectiveness approach would you prefer?
To evaluate the effectiveness of the police department, I would begin by looking at their
mission statement, what their strategy is, what their procedures are, and what policies they have
put in place at that specific department. After diving in and reviewing them and finding the goals
of the police department, I would next evaluate their productivity, innovation for changing
policies and procedures, and new ideas and ways to be a better organization. This deep dive
would include reviewing the leadership of the department, managers, and the behavior of the
employees to verify if they are utilizing the proper procedures to ensure employees can grow and
develop as it is key for the future of the department. Taking into consideration the police
Leadership Research Paper 6
department's strategy is key to finding out if they have made a logical method to meet the goals
that they have set.
When it comes to the evaluation of the police department, I plan on using a resource-
based approach due to the similarities of police departments' roles. I decided on a resource-based
approach since if a police department is sufficiently resourced, it should be able to meet its goals.
By using a resource-based approach, organizational efficiency is decided by their ability to
obtain scarce and valuable resources to gain an edge (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). If the police
department has the right resources, it will have the ability to hit its goals by using a strategy that
is appropriate for that department. To name a few resources that the police department would
need are vehicles, weapons, ammo, and phones or radios to communicate with each other. If the
police department is lacking these resources, it can lead to the police officer being unable to do
their job effectively. Every department and organization require the necessary resources to
effectively do its job and without them, they can be ineffective. The main interested parties are
the government and the citizens and ensure that the police department is doing its job with the
proper resources.
What types of organizational activities do you believe are most likely to be outsourced?
What types are least likely?
When it comes to outsourcing it would lead to contracting out either entire departments
or even certain tasks to other groups outside of the company where a contract is made to execute
the work (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). While some companies do this it can allow the company to
cut funding for departments while possibly improving the efficiency of the department that they
have outsourced. The outsourced departments have a time-consuming role which will allow the
company to focus on higher-value functions instead of having to worry about activities that
Leadership Research Paper 7
require a lot of time. A few examples of organizational activities that are outsourced are
laboratory services, environmental services, and janitorial services in a healthcare environment
(Berry et al., 2021). In addition, security services, and marketing tend to be outsourced to outside
companies or in another country due to the cost (Berry et al., 2021). This can be done to obtain
better services and reduce overhead costs. Organizational activities that are least likely to be
outsourced are core functions of the business itself where they do quality insurance on the
product, and research and development (Daft & Armstrong, 2021). These are least likely to be
outsourced due to how important they are to the company.
How can/should a biblical worldview be applied?
A biblical worldview can be utilized to illustrate the nature and how the managers run the
firms and manage their workers. It can also be used to show Christian employees how to manage
the business itself. In the business world, there are many unpredictable challenges and events that
the business must endure, which forces the managers and the employees to have trust and faith in
the mission and vision of the company. A biblical verse from the book of Acts “So keep up your
courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me” (Acts 27:25 (NIV),
n.d.). This means that the employees and managers must have faith in the company and the plan
that they have laid before them to work and not be scared when times get tough and don’t go
their way. Employees at the company need to have prayers and faith to help them overcome
obstacles and find solutions to get past them. God has a plan for everyone and everything that
happens in life. Another biblical verse that can be applied to business is from the book of James
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5 (NIV), n.d.). The meaning of this quote and how it
can be applied is that businesses must ask God what to do and if there is anything that they can
Leadership Research Paper 8
do as employees in executive positions will have tough decisions to make. The Bible can serve
as a view on how to treat employees a servant leader and to keep employees' heads up during
tough economic times.
Leadership Research Paper 9
References
Acts 27:25 (NIV). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=acts+27%3A25&version=NIV
Bashir, B., & Gani, A. (2020). Testing the effects of job satisfaction on organizational
commitment. Journal of Management Development, 39(4), 525–542.
https://doi.org/10.1108/jmd-07-2018-0210
Berry, L. L., Letchuman, S., Ramani, N., & Barach, P. (2021). The high stakes of outsourcing in
health care. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 96(11), 2879–2890.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.07.003
Daft, R. L., & Armstrong, A. (2021). Organization Theory and Design, 4th edition. Cengage
Canada.
James 1:5 (NIV). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=james+1%3A5&version=NIV
Marion, T. J., & Fixson, S. K. (2020). The Transformation of the Innovation Process: How
Digital Tools are Changing Work, Collaboration, and Organizations in New Product
Development*. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 38(1), 192–215.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12547
Stacho, Z., Stachová, K., & Raišienė, A. G. (2019). Change in approach to employee
development in organizations on a regional scale. Journal of International Studies, 12(2),
299–308. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-8330.2019/12-2/19
