module 6 reaction P. 2

1

Name: Thaddeus Cain

OGL: 550

Reaction Paper: Chapter 2 Synopsis -Mechanization Takes Command: Organizations as Machines (pp. 10 -- 29 from Images of Organization by Gareth Morgan)

Overview: Machine Metaphor

· The concept of viewing organizations as machines emerged from the Industrial Revolution and Enlightenment ideologies, where mechanistic thinking was common.

· Mechanistics view organizational life as routinized and built on specialization, control, predictability as well as standardization.

· The machine metaphor has influenced management theory and practice for years, particularly classical theories such as Weber's bureaucracy and Fredrick Taylor's Scientific Management.

· Several theorists through their experiences set frameworks for modern management techniques, which include managing by objectives like planning, programming, as well as budgeting,

QUOTE: “ The management observation checklist used by a famous fast-food restaurant to monitor employee performance indicates the degree to which a simple task like serving a customer can be mechanized, observed, and evaluated in a mechanical way” (Morgan 2006, p.12). This provides a perfect example of how organizations are predictable and routinized.

Key Traits of Machine Organizations

· Routinized with precise operation mode.

· Clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

· Work in a repetitive mechanical way with one employee replacing another at a set time to continue work uninterrupted for 24 hours.

· Strict rules and procedures with emphasis on efficiency and predictability.

· Centralized authority or decision-making with rigid hierarchies.

Classical Management Theory- In designing a bureaucratic organization, management involves planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling, and commanding. Following classical theorist principles, they present organizations that operate as precise, based on authority patterns and commands.

Scientific Management (Fredrick Taylor)

QUOTE: In Fredrick’s “quest to shape the army into a reliable and efficient instrument he introduced many reforms that actually served to reduce his soldiers to automatons," Such as the "introduction of ranks and uniforms, the extension and standardization of regulations, increased specialization of tasks, the use of standardized equipment, the creation of a command language, and systematic,” (Morgan, p.15).

· Fredrick's idea of 'mechanizing' the army has become a reality in today's organizations, where workers are treated and viewed as machine components to maximize productivity.

· Taylor’s principles: Shifting all work responsibility from workers to principles, using scientific methods in determining the best methods for working, selecting the best individual to perform a task, training workers, and monitoring performance.

Bureaucracy (Max Weber)

Q UOTE: "Definition of bureaucracy as a form of organization that emphasizes precision, speed, clarity, regularity, reliability, and efficiency achieved through the creation of a fixed division of tasks, hierarchical supervision, and detailed rules and regulations,” (Morgan 2006, p.18).

· Bureaucratic organization refers to ideal types of organizations that are designed and operate like machines by focusing on formal rules and rational structures.

· Just as machines routinized production, the bureaucratic forms of organization routinize the administration process as well as almost all aspects of humans.

· The ability of the bureaucratic approach to mechanize and routinize human life raises concerns about its effect on the human spirit and society in general.

Machine Metaphor Advantages

· Organizations as machines work well when they are under similar conditions to machines such as consistency, precision, and straightforward tasks such as in fast food organizations like McDonald's.

· The approach is effective for tasks that are stable and repetitive.

Mechanistic Thinking Limitations

· Dehumanizes works as the approach treats people not as whole but as parts of beings.

· It discourages innovation and adaptability as it is a routinized approach and requirements to fit to particular concept limit worker's development capacities.

· It is not suitable for creating human-centered settings.

Reflection

Reading this chapter made me reflect on how people often default to machine-like structures both at work and school, where the systems that are designed for control and efficiency work at the cost of humanity. Thinking on previous jobs that have had, every task and actions were set and strictly time such that even after work was completed it felt both emotionally, physically, and mentally draining. Morgan's machine metaphor provides insight into why people in majority of professional settings, people are not treated as individuals but as interchangeable parts based on roles and responsibilities.

Morgan points out that while mechanistic thinking or approach works and could be incredibly efficient in fast-food restaurants and service organizations, they often ' malfunction ’ especially in creative contexts or settings. Given that today individuality and innovation are major parts of organization development, I wonder: why do many modern organizations or companies still follow or cling to these rigid approaches to management even after claiming to value innovation? Probably because predictability seems or feels safer compared to complexity, even when it influences growth.

Overall, this chapter provided insight into classical and scientific organization management, which emphasized productivity, efficiency as well as structured hierarchies, pushing me to rethink leadership and the existing tension between humanity and efficiency in organizations.

1

Name: Thaddeus Cain

OGL: 550

Reaction Paper: Chapter 2 Synopsis -Mechanization Takes Command: Organizations as Machines (pp. 10 -- 29 from Images of Organization by Gareth Morgan)

Overview: Machine Metaphor

· The concept of viewing organizations as machines emerged from the Industrial Revolution and Enlightenment ideologies, where mechanistic thinking was common.

· Mechanistics view organizational life as routinized and built on specialization, control, predictability as well as standardization.

· The machine metaphor has influenced management theory and practice for years, particularly classical theories such as Weber's bureaucracy and Fredrick Taylor's Scientific Management.

· Several theorists through their experiences set frameworks for modern management techniques, which include managing by objectives like planning, programming, as well as budgeting,

QUOTE: “ The management observation checklist used by a famous fast-food restaurant to monitor employee performance indicates the degree to which a simple task like serving a customer can be mechanized, observed, and evaluated in a mechanical way” (Morgan 2006, p.12). This provides a perfect example of how organizations are predictable and routinized.

Key Traits of Machine Organizations

· Routinized with precise operation mode.

· Clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

· Work in a repetitive mechanical way with one employee replacing another at a set time to continue work uninterrupted for 24 hours.

· Strict rules and procedures with emphasis on efficiency and predictability.

· Centralized authority or decision-making with rigid hierarchies.

Classical Management Theory- In designing a bureaucratic organization, management involves planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling, and commanding. Following classical theorist principles, they present organizations that operate as precise, based on authority patterns and commands.

Scientific Management (Fredrick Taylor)

QUOTE: In Fredrick’s “quest to shape the army into a reliable and efficient instrument he introduced many reforms that actually served to reduce his soldiers to automatons," Such as the "introduction of ranks and uniforms, the extension and standardization of regulations, increased specialization of tasks, the use of standardized equipment, the creation of a command language, and systematic,” (Morgan, p.15).

· Fredrick's idea of 'mechanizing' the army has become a reality in today's organizations, where workers are treated and viewed as machine components to maximize productivity.

· Taylor’s principles: Shifting all work responsibility from workers to principles, using scientific methods in determining the best methods for working, selecting the best individual to perform a task, training workers, and monitoring performance.

Bureaucracy (Max Weber)

Q UOTE: "Definition of bureaucracy as a form of organization that emphasizes precision, speed, clarity, regularity, reliability, and efficiency achieved through the creation of a fixed division of tasks, hierarchical supervision, and detailed rules and regulations,” (Morgan 2006, p.18).

· Bureaucratic organization refers to ideal types of organizations that are designed and operate like machines by focusing on formal rules and rational structures.

· Just as machines routinized production, the bureaucratic forms of organization routinize the administration process as well as almost all aspects of humans.

· The ability of the bureaucratic approach to mechanize and routinize human life raises concerns about its effect on the human spirit and society in general.

Machine Metaphor Advantages

· Organizations as machines work well when they are under similar conditions to machines such as consistency, precision, and straightforward tasks such as in fast food organizations like McDonald's.

· The approach is effective for tasks that are stable and repetitive.

Mechanistic Thinking Limitations

· Dehumanizes works as the approach treats people not as whole but as parts of beings.

· It discourages innovation and adaptability as it is a routinized approach and requirements to fit to particular concept limit worker's development capacities.

· It is not suitable for creating human-centered settings.

Reflection

Reading this chapter made me reflect on how people often default to machine-like structures both at work and school, where the systems that are designed for control and efficiency work at the cost of humanity. Thinking on previous jobs that have had, every task and actions were set and strictly time such that even after work was completed it felt both emotionally, physically, and mentally draining. Morgan's machine metaphor provides insight into why people in majority of professional settings, people are not treated as individuals but as interchangeable parts based on roles and responsibilities.

Morgan points out that while mechanistic thinking or approach works and could be incredibly efficient in fast-food restaurants and service organizations, they often ' malfunction ’ especially in creative contexts or settings. Given that today individuality and innovation are major parts of organization development, I wonder: why do many modern organizations or companies still follow or cling to these rigid approaches to management even after claiming to value innovation? Probably because predictability seems or feels safer compared to complexity, even when it influences growth.

Overall, this chapter provided insight into classical and scientific organization management, which emphasized productivity, efficiency as well as structured hierarchies, pushing me to rethink leadership and the existing tension between humanity and efficiency in organizations.