INTRODUCTION

What is a Organization ?

Which of these would you call an organisation? A high street bank , A sports team, A school, A theater, A family, A manufacturing company, A shop , A Civil Service department, A religion, A crowd.

Would you describe each of them as an "organisation"? Are a family and a bank sufficiently similar for each to be called an organisation?

Like many problems of definition, it is, perhaps, easier to say what is not an organisation, rather than what is. However, one feature that probably excludes a family, or a crowd, from the definition is the need for an organisation at the simplest level to be organised! Does a

crowd have a sufficient level of organised relationships between the individuals of which it is made up to qualify as an organisation? Probably not!

Towards Definition of Organizations:

First, an organisation is, essentially, a social entity. It involves two or more people. Composed of individuals or groups 

          Second, it is generally agreed that organisations can be distinguished from other social groupings by virtue of the fact that they exist to achieve certain goals. The more explicit and specific the goals of a social grouping are, the more likely it is to be considered an organisation.
          Third, characteristic of an organisation is that it involves specialization and requires coordination & control. The activities of people are organised into specialized grouping
          Finally, organisations have some degree of permanence, in the sense that they usually have more than a momentary existence – or, even, an existence tied to the achievement of one objective. 

Studying Organizational Behavior Some Aspects:

Psychology, to help understand the nature of the individual as a basis for better understanding the behavior of people at the individual level in organisations.
Social psychology and sociology, to help understand the nature of social interactions and how they impact on, and may be influenced by, the organisation itself.
Anthropology, to understand particular cultural system with its customs, values and beliefs.

The Organization in its Environment:

Organisations do not exist in isolation. They are part of the wider fabric of society in general and as such are influenced by – and may, to some extent (depending upon the type of organisation), influence – the environment within which they operate.

It is usual to consider the environment through a form of analysis known as PEST, which consists of the following four categories: Political, Economic, Social, Technological .

Organizational Goals:

If we go back to our original definition of an org, we can identify two implied features: *the members of the organisation are involved in activities in a co-oriented and on-going fashion; *they are seeking to achieve a particular purpose or purposes.

         In fact, these are the wrong way round. The reason that the members of the organisation are engaged in a systematic effort is to achieve the defined purpose. The purpose comes first and provides the rationale for the activities.
         It is a characteristic of all organisations that they have a purpose or an end. These are more commonly called the organisation's "goals" and/or "objectives", and we need to spend a little time considering these here.         A useful definition of a goal is that provided by Amitai Etzioni: "a goal is a future state of affairs which the organisation attempts to realize"

Elements of Goal:

Challenging, but achievable – research clearly indicates that goals are more effective when they represent a challenge to the user, but there is no point in setting goals which, however worthy they may be, cannot be attained;
Clear and relevant – stating exactly what needs to be done in a way which is understandable to the user;
Includes a standard or target against which achievement may be measured – that standard or target either being quantitative or qualitative (the former being a lot easier to measure);
It includes some form of time constraint – stating clearly by when it must be achieved.


Types of Organizational Goal:
 

1.Missions, goals and objectives: 

Mission- a generalized statement of its main purposes, often encompassing the key values which underlie those purposes and the way in which it seeks to achieve them. Goalsbuild on the mission statement and provide the long-term targets for organisational activities. They are likely to be specified for each organisational unit and sub-unit. Objectives derive from goals to provide detailed, short-term targets, generally in the form of guidelines for action in a specified time span. They are almost always measurable and thus act as both planning aids and the criteria for performance review.

2.A typology of organisational goals: 

Societal goals- these are the goals of an org as they are perceived by society. A production organisation's societal goal may be to produce a certain type of goods – cars, beer, etc.Output goals- what the organisation produces or provides, expressed in terms of their use or value to the consumer. Product goals-relate to the outputs of the organisation as expressed in the characteristics of that output or product. System goals- relate to the functioning of the org and are concerned with the way in which it operates – the internal structure, controls, relationships, etc. Derived goals- which are incidental to the primary purposes of the org and relate to the goals which it may pursue as a result of its position and power, and its value system.

Value and Function of an Organization 

1. To provide a standard of performance, by focusing on the activities of the organisation and the efforts of its members.
2. To provide a basis for planning and management control.
3. To provide guidelines for decision-making and the justification for actions taken, reducing uncertainty in decision-making.
4. To influence the structure of the organisation and help determine the nature of the technology employed.
5. To help to develop commitment from individuals and groups towards the activities of the organization.
6. To give an indication of what the organisation is really like, both for members and the organisation's stakeholders.
7. To act as a basis for the evaluation of change & development of the org.
8. To serve as a basis for the objectives and policies of the organisation.

Problems with Goals:

1.  Difficulties in formulation: related to ethics, quantitative, qualitative judgement etc.
2. Coping with change: The second problem of goals is that, once set, they may come to be seen as tablets of stone, containing the final word on the purposes of the organisation. That cannot be so. Goals are part and parcel of the planning process and need to be reviewed regularly if they are to have any on-going meaning.
3. Goal conflicts – between goals, in interpretation and in commitment: organisations are likely to have multiple goals, reflecting the varied nature of their operations. Inevitably there will be conflicts between them.