My View: What is an Organization, Why Study Organization Theory?

1043 Words5 Pages
Introduction We are surrounded by organizations in our work and personal lives. It is necessary to understand the connections these organizations make with one another and the potential effects of those connections. This paper will define organization as a broad and specific term, as well as discuss the advantages and author’s opinions on the disadvantages of organization theory and why it should be studied. What is an organization? The Oxford Dictionary of English gives a few primary definitions for organization: “the action of organizing something,” “the quality of being systematic and efficient,” “an organized group of people with a particular purpose, such as a business or government department,” and “the way in which the elements of the whole are arranged.” Through the discussion in the Hatch text, along with these dictionary definitions a broad definition suitable for the purpose of this paper can be created. An organization is a system of entities with at least one common purpose, goal, tie, or resource. The lines between organizations can at times be very vague. Two qualities of this will be discussed: organizations without formal connections; and connecting organizations that work to make a single, greater organization. For example, the American Library Association (ALA) is a national organization for libraries. There are a variety of other library associations that are more specialized or focused, but they still carry similar common goals. By definition, all of these library organizations are under the umbrella of another organization, but which? An informal organization, a kind of holographic overlay connects these groups with similar drives. It is impossible to begin to imagine all permutations of these holographic organizations, but they appear to apply to the most base definition of the word organization which does not articulate consent,

More about My View: What is an Organization, Why Study Organization Theory?

Open Document