Organizational Concepts Research Paper

Organizational mission: the organization's mission and purpose, stated in terms of benefits to customers, employees, and society

The mission of an organization is its guiding purpose, its reason for existing beyond the superficial aims of profiting its shareholders, owners, and staff members. At the very least, the organizational mission is linked to its core goals or objectives, which include the target population or market it serves, as well as why, and most importantly, how it will achieve those goals (Ahmed, 2019). The organization can also choose to break down its mission into more specific parts, explaining factors like its operating goals, overall performance objectives, use or allocation of resources, position in the marketplace, and more (Daft, 2013). Its mission statement will typically reveal the organization’s role vis-a-vis society at large, the target market or customer base, and also its employees.

All organizations serve some sort of need, typically via the provision of a product or service. The mission of the organization is directly linked to the way the organization conceptualizes that need, the niche in the market, and the function of the organization in fulfilling its central purpose. While the mission may remain flexible for fine-tuning, it should be general enough to capture the essence of the company’s vision to account for expansions into new markets or business sectors to accommodate for change and organizational growth. The mission of the organization also sets the tone for its value statement and the organizational culture. Through its mission statement, the organization can provide employees with the fundamental reasons underlying their roles, and also the purpose of organizational rules, standards, protocols, regulations, and hierarchies. Through its mission, the employees can also find the source of intrinsic motivation and engagement (Daft, 2013). In fact, the mission of the organization has a strong bearing on other organizational concepts such as the organizational structure.

Organizational structure: the organization's structure to best support the stated purpose

The structure of the organization is not arbitrary, but instead reflects its mission and vision. Daft (2013) points out how a clearly defined mission statement acts as a “guideline for employee behavior and decision making,” (p. 59). The protocols for inter-departmental and intra-departmental communication, for leadership, and for all types of strategic planning impact the structure of the organization. By the same token, the structure of the organization will have a strong and immediate bearing on its performance. Organizational structure is most easily defined as its hierarchy or “patterns of authority,” although there is much more to structure than simple chain of command concerns (Morgan, 2006, p. 21). The structure also refers to the subdivisions within the organization, such as departments, teams, and workgroups and how those units either work together or independently in order to achieve organizational goals.

Classical organizational structures are hierarchical or bureaucratic, with…

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…its organizational members.

Many people will be surprised to learn that organizations can have a worldview. Even in a diverse organization, one in which individual employees may also have their own values or belief systems, the organization functions as a unit and therefore operates within a particular worldview. That worldview is likely to be defined at least in part in terms of the cultural and historical zeitgeist, but it might also be a subversive or disruptive organization that challenges prevailing norms, beliefs, and traditions. In The Universe Next Door, Sire (2009) describes worldview as a frame of reference that includes a belief system, a system of values, and a “spiritual orientation,” (p. 20). An organization can avoid overt discussions of its worldview, but ultimately the organization’s behaviors, and the decisions made by its leaders, will reflect a worldview. Articulating and recognizing that worldview can help clarify organizational goals, prevent conflicts within the organization, and also help the organization to more effectively and efficiently manage change.

Articulating its worldview can provide a sense of meaning, purpose, and vision for the members of the organization. The worldview informs the mission, vision, and value statements, and can be imparted to the general public to build a brand identity, communicate the organization’s commitment to social justice or environmental stewardship, and to align itself with strategic partners. When external or internal crises threaten the organization, its worldview can also help…