Running head: GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2: PART 1 1
Group Discussion Board Forum 2: Part 1
Ken Davis
Liberty University
GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2: PART 1 2
Organizational Theory
Organizational theory deals with the formal structure, internal workings, and external
environment of complex human behavior within organizations (Milakovich & Gordon,
2009).5Milakovich & Gordon (2009) attempts to elucidate and lecture “the actual consequences
of organizational behavior, including the individual actions on work being performed on the
organization itself” (p.145). Astonishingly, the formal directness of an organization can span the
field of business administration and shift the hypothesis of an organizational structure within
management, stakeholders, and employees. Consequently, planning is a strategic key role in
managing organizations, whether a nonprofit organization, for-profit organization, corporate or
government agency. Planning also plays the most important role in managing organizations.
Plus, organizational planning relies on the past, present decision making, and innovative
collaboration with partners, stakeholders and employees. Today’s organizations compared to the
planning, organization 25 years ago can be categorized by two words, Paradigm Shift.
Paradigm Shift
Dr. Cindy Trimm says, “A paradigm shift is a radical change in underlying beliefs or
theory” (personal communication, March 22, 2006). Thomas Kuhn (1962) argues that scientific
advancement is not evolutionary, but rather is a “series of peaceful interludes punctuated by
intellectually violent revolutions” and in those revolutions “one conceptual world view is
replaced by another.” Therefore, I think today’s organizations compares to planning in an
organization 25 years ago requires a change from one way of thinking to another.
Today’s Organizational Planning Compare to 25 Years Ago
Organizational planning 25 years ago was more innovative than today’s organizational
planning. Milakovich & Gordon (2009) says, “Such concepts of organization were largely
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derived from the highly structured arrangements of military forces and from rigidly structured
ecclesiastical organizations. Although, organizational planning may have been more innovative,
due to its founding principles, organization of classified innovation had not formal protection.
Therefore, I believe organizational planning 25 years ago lost its originality between
bureaucratic red tape.
Organizational Life
Organizational life remains, to me somewhat demising. Years ago after school I could
come home to a clean family oriented, educational movie called the Walton’s. In the 1970’s the
National Broadcasting Channel (NBC) ran family episodes. The Walton’s episodes (1971-1981),
dominated an organizational life of moral principles. For instance, the household included a
traditional family, father, mother, their children and the grandparents. In the morning everyone
would politely salute one another, by saying good morning, and include each other’s name with
integrity. Each person was aware of their involvement or responsibility to the family. Likewise,
at day’s end everyone would politely conclude the day with a kind acknowledgement, and a good
night, John boy. In contrast, to day NBC has paradigm. The once family oriented network now
show, demising episodes, such as, Hannibal a sickening series of immorality, godless drama.
According to Lesley Goldberg (2015):
NBC has allowed us to craft a television series that no other broadcast network would
have dared, and kept us on the air for three seasons despite Cancelation Bear Chow
ratings and images that would have shredded the eyeballs of lesser Standards & Practices
enforcers," Fuller said in a statement (Goldberg,2015, “NBC’s Hannibal canceled after
three seasons,” para.2).
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Thus, innovation without the importance of planning within a world where everything quickly
changes and crises are a regular part of organizational life does not support the formal theories of
organization.
Organizational Domain
Max Weber (1964-1920) a German sociologist who was influenced by the need to control
and the definition of certain procedures found within his contemporary organization theory. One
of Weber’s central goals is to make possible an optimum degree of control in an organization, a
formal theory of organization. According to Milakovich & Gordon, (2013) formal organization is
the exercise of authority through a hierarchy of rules, procedures, and files, along with the
exercise of authority (p.147). The domain of an organization illustrates the significance of the
organization, for instance, Ask.com is a domain where one can ask a question and find an answer
to a particular question. However, ask.com brings up a large number of domains which is
branded specific to your inquiry.
Domain-ion. Once a domain has been selected, the product becomes established and the
results are a mark of ownership creating the brand identity (Clancy & Trout 2002). Subsequently,
certain brands can easily become confusing within the domains, due to closely advertised
marketing products causing branding confusion. According to Howard, Kerin & Gengler (2000)
“trademark infringement litigation has become pandemic in the United States” (p.250).
Therefore, branding confusing, according to Clancy & Trout (2002) is a differentiation in
product, but not marketing techniques. Consequently, changing the organization’s domain is a
feasible strategy for coping with a threatening environment.
Subsequently, an organization which has recently changed the domain name due to brand
confusion is MasterCard. MasterCard changed the domain from the .com to the .us to
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significantly improve the cardholder’s online shopping experience while providing issuers with a
robust mechanism for managing fraud (MasterCard, 2015). According to MasterCard (2015) by
implementing a dynamic method of authentication, users can more effectively manage fraud and
address concerns. Innovation is the biggest decision factor for the recent advancements in
technology and the Risk Based Authentication (RBA) to improve fraud detection and reduce
fraud losses for the insurers (MasterCard, 2015).
A Feasible Strategy
A feasible strategy to keep your domain exempt from infringement, brand confusion, and
fraudulent activity is to change the domain name. Changing the organization domain name is a
feasible strategy to assist in coping with a threatening environment because the primary domain
name might not be the appropriate name for your organization. For example, Shark tank is a
brand infringement because there are tanks built for sharks. However, this infringement is a risk
based authentication, which plays a huge part in the infringement. Shark tank today is a show
about greedy millionaire investors. Next, edging is a confusing brand name because one can
easily confuse this with hair cutting. Lastly, solid gold can be a fraudulent brand name, due to the
fact gold is not solid. In addition, there hasn’t really been any organization who recently been in
the news that has changed their domain. However, Subway comes to mind, since the Jared
scandal. “For a while, when you see a Subway ad, you’re going to think about that child
pornography charge,” said Allen Adamson of the brand consulting firm Landor Associates
(CBSNews, 2015).
Workbook – Management Fads
Looking for the current trend in management, well management fads according to
Leonard Greenhalgh are the term use for how managers, support, foster, and protect
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collaborative relationships both inside and outside the firm (Daft, 2013). Management fads are
another way to see a present, past and future paradigm shift, but in management. Although
management fads are a timely presentation for businesses, there are no timeless times to
implement a management fad. In looking at management fads today and several years ago we
find similarities in the fad, but not in the management.
Two current management fades are employee diversity training and time management
training. Time management is a very important fade. Apple Watch is a very good product to
consider for time management. The Apple watch works in conjunction with the iPhone 3 and
higher. The apps for the phone allows management to utilize efficient time.
In addition, according to Peter Bregman (2012) diversity training doesn’t work. For
example,
In the most recent situation, someone used a word in a letter that felt derogatory to a
number of African Americans. Before that, someone sent a sexist joke around the office
and a female co-worker was offended. There were other incidents too (Harvard Business
Review, 2012).
For example, a Muslim-American man wins nearly $1.2 million job discrimination case because
911 happened and his employer allowed the taunts and sometimes participated. Eventually he
was fired for refusing to work five minutes prior to his shift (Baldas, 2014).
Two management fads from several years ago are sensitive training, and total
quality management (TQM). The articles management fads: Emergence, evolution, and
implications for mangers by Gibson and Tesone (Gibson & Tesone, 2001). These two fads are
from an article written in the late 20’s at a management meeting in Toronto. The Arthur lectured
about their roots, evolution, and influence on management in their time (Gibson & Tesone,
GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2: PART 1 7
2001). Sensitive training in the 20’s was one sided, for example, woman was not allowed to
work in a manager’s position in this ERA because many believed a women’s job was to take care
of the home and children (Gibson & Tesone, 2001). It took the World Wars, for America to see
the desperate need for the woman and some children to work in the factories due to the war draft.
Another fad is total quality management. TQM in the 20’s was less than perfect.
Frederick W. Taylor (1910), introduce his principles to help with the behaviors managers have
towards the employees and employee’s responsibility of the managers. For example, each
assignment was to be written out by the manager and completed by the employee leaving no
room for error or slack.
In addition, as there were fads that work likewise are there those that did not work.
Douglas McGregor’s (1960) theory X and Theory Y. These two thorium’s were supposed to add
value to the work force, but failed miserably. For instance, theory X states, that management
control was the best way to get better production. Theory X did not work because workers have a
tendency to work for when they are not forced to do a job that is unsafe or they have no input to
feel human rather than a machine.
Transnational Model compared to The Element of a Learning Organization
According to Daft, (2013) “transnational model is a type of global organization that
achieves high levels of the varied capabilities needed to succeed in a complex a volatile
international environment” (p. 218). For instance, Draft (2013, p. 235), illustrates the three
primary segments of the global organizational challenge: Complexity and differentiation, needed
for coordination transfer of knowledge and innovation. The elements of culture in a transnational
model have individual differences in history, culture, laws, and regulatory system. Whereas, the
elements of organizational design are categorized as structure, tasks, strategy, and culture.
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Mechanistic organizational and Organic organizations shares these designs as they impact
centralized structure and decentralized structure decision making in a learning organization.
Managers seek to understand each of these designs as they impact decision-making, negotiations,
and ongoing operational critical to long-term success. I believe the transnational model would
work in a huge global firm because a firm has many facets of diversity, domestic and global.
Therefore, the elements of culture and dimensions of culture in a transnational model would
work well.
A Biblical World View
The Holy Scripture declares in Hebrews 1-16, that we are to consider verses 7-11;
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice; Harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your
fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved
with that generation, and said, they do always err in5their5heart; and they have not known
my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. (Bible Gateway,
2015).
This discussion can be compared to the ‘first Adam” earthy and the “second Adam” the Lord
from Heaven. For instance, the first Adam has a transnational model have individual differences
in history, culture, laws, and regulatory system because of SIN. Whereas, the second Adam
similarities are like the “transnational model is a type of global organization that achieves high
levels of the varied capabilities needed to succeed in a complex a volatile international
environment” (p. 218), consequently, arose for our SINS. In conclusion, as an organic
organization shares central and decentralization structure. The Holy Scriptures declares, verse 6,
that Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, IF we hold fast the confidence and
GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2: PART 1 9
the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. We are to live in the newness of Christ in the Spirit
having a decentralize structure, born again by the Word of God.
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References
Baldas, T. (2014, January 28). Muslim-American man wins nearly $1.2 million in job
discrimination case. In Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 9, 2015, from
http://archive.freep.com/article/20140228/NEWS05/302280130/Muslim-discrimination-
beard
CBSNews, (2015, August 19). Will Subway face a backlash over Jared Fogle charges? In CBS
Money Watch. Retrieved September 9, 2015, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-
subway-face-a-backlash-over-jared-fogle-charges/
Clancy, K. J., & Trout, J. (2002, March). Brand Confusion. In Harvard Business Review.
Retrieved September 8, 2015, from https://hbr.org/2002/03/brand-confusion
Daft, R. L. (2013). Organization Theory & Design (11th ed., pp. 1-669). Mason, OH: South-
Western Cengage Learning.
Gibson, J. W., & Tesone, D. V. (2001). Management fads: Emergence, evolution, and
implications for managers.5The Academy of Management Executive,515(4), 122-133.
Goldberg, L. (2015, June 22). NBC's Hannibal canceled after three seasons. In The Hollywood
Reporter. Retrieved September 7, 2015, from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-
feed/hannibal-canceled-at-nbc-804239
Harvard Business Review, (2012, March 12). Diversity training doesn't work. In Harvard
Business Review. Retrieved September 9, 2015, from https://hbr.org/2012/03/diversity-training-
doesnt-work
Howard, D. J., Kerin, R. A., & Gengler, C. (2000). Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (2nd
ed., Vol. 19, pp. 250-264). Birmingham: American Marketing Association. Retrieved
September 9, 2015, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30000631
GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2: PART 1 11
Kuhn, T. (1970). The structure of scientific revolution. In what is a paradigm shift? Retrieved
September 6, 2015, from http://www.taketheleap.com/define.html
Martocchio, J. J. (2015). Strategic Compensation: A human resource management approach (8th
ed., pp. 1-389). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
MasterCard, (2015). Advantages of a risk based authentication strategy for MasterCard
secure code. In MasterCard worldwide. Retrieved September 8, 2015, from
http://www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/pdf/rba_secure_code_HR.pdf
Milakovich, M. E., & Gordon, G. J. (2009).5Public Administration in America5(10th ed., p. 5).
Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
