Washington IV

There are a number of varying prescriptions for how an organization should be structured for innovation, especially in the midst of turbulent situations. Frequent themes include horizontal structures, project-based work teams, and lateral communication which are all characteristics of Burns and Stalker’s organic structure theory. Idea ownership and the sense to be in sole control of one’s work are also common characteristics. A climate and culture that has complimentary conditions will generally be open to change, willing to take risks, tolerant of debate and disagreement, playful, stresses flexibility, adaptability, and individual and group achievement. In discussing the paths in which an organization can take when faced with turbulent environments they ultimately have to choose between the two management systems discussed in the text being the mechanistic and organic approaches. Mechanistic organizations discourage change and inhibit individual differences, motives, and attitudes. They also operate like machines in that they consist of specialized parts that can be engineered into a high-performance system. On the other hand organic organizations need to adapt to their ever-changing circumstances, therefore they have less specialization and formalization and are less hierarchical, also engaging in considerably more lateral communication and coordination. Examples of this organic structure would include hospital emergency rooms and research laboratories (Hatch, 2006, p.110). Organic structures key offerings include flexibility, adaptability, and innovation. Responsibilities in this structure are redefined depending on the situation, which would be ideal for the turbulent environments such as the 9-1-1 operator or the firefighter. Since organic structure is decentralized, the decisions are made by those with knowledge. Such as the decisions that have to be made in a life threatening situation the firefighters might have to encounter. In the course of his duty, a firefighter needs to be comfortable in his knowledge and capable in his ability that he could carry our life altering judgments. Mutual adjustment and redefinition of tasks and methods through joint problem-solving and interaction are also key components of an organic structure. Personal expertise and ingenuity without supervision are supplementing factors. As in the case with facing the fear of threat in the air, flight attendants must be capable in their ability to handle highly volatile situations that must be ingrained through intensive corporate education. Some of these reasons are why organic organizations tend to be more successful in unstable environments, especially more so than the mechanistic approach. The fabric of the organization must have an understood idea on how to evoke innovation in their employees as the key contingency used to treat unpredictable situations. Organic organizations are open to more variation and experimentation with the attendants averaging a greater risk-taking position. Where as mechanistic structures hinder performance. The organic forms are more likely to be innovative and grant greater discretion to employees performing tasks since they are not bound by strict rules or protocol. Systems and people are more proactive and adaptable to changing circumstances through the organic approach. This is aided by the fact most successful organizations are those where the degree of differentiation and the means of integration match the demands of the environment, such as that of a fire fighter being able to assess each different situation he encounters in his line of work. It is said that departments with greater task uncertainty are more relationship-oriented. Unstable environments require a higher degree of differentiation than stable environments in order to meet varying and complex demands. Unstable environments such as that of a 9-1-1 operator who gets a plethora of calls ranging from the fairly benign to the realm of the macabre which in turn require a high degree of integration, with a need to push decision making to lower levels in the hierarchy so that problems can be dealt with through direct communication with those possessing relevant knowledge .A turbulent environment needs constant innovation and this is where an adhocracy would be a good model of structural enforcement. This structure sole purpose is to innovate solutions to the constantly changing problems. With a combination of an organic management structure coupled with successful integration and differentiation within the company, routines can be seen to develop. This can be seen as the protocol a fireman may go through when suiting up when being dispatched to an accident or the training a flight attendant goes through when faced with a threatening situation in the skies. A routine is where an individual in his/her vocation has been trained in organizational procedures and have developed particular ways of dealing with these situations from their own experience. With the idea of changing a routine comes close to the concept of organizational improvisation. This improvisation is custom tailored to specific situation requiring delicate and urgent care that varies from the norm and happens to operate more like a recipe than a blueprint. Organizational improvisations help the organization to react to a threat or take advantage of an opportunity in which case a best case scenario can be more likely because of the caliber of employee. By weaving a tapestry that includes an organic approach in dealing with turbulent problems within an organization, one can avoid disaster and be optimized for the best solution available.