Strategy and Structure

Dynamic Environment Organizations operate in a dynamically changing environment. The changes can be organized or chaotic. Kurkato (2007) argues that an organic structure works with an emphasis on the integration and coordination of organizational entities to achieve an organization’s goals and objectives in a turbulent or dynamic environment.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Strategy and Structure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Simple and complex organizations fall into decentralized organic and centralized organic structures. Coordination of activities includes â€Å"direct supervision, standardization of work processes, standardization of outputs, standardization of skills and mutual adjustment† (Clayton, Fisher, Bateman, Brown Harris 2005). Therefore a structural approach in aligning an organization strategy to an evolving and unstable or turbulent environment remains a key component, as identi fied in the Abernathy/Utterback model. While previous organizations remained static and had no innovative strategies to operate in such environments, organic organizations were characterized by decentralized approaches to organizational structures and management with identifiable and distinct levels of complexity. Organizational strategy was projected on controls and formalization of tasks. However measures were put in place to ensure organizations did not become wholly mechanistic, a trend that could evolve as organizations evolved. Clayton, Fisher, Bateman, Brown and Harris (2005) identify various elements in the change and evolution process within an organization. According to Kurkato (2007), organic organizations rely upon employee initiatives and innovation in task performance. Kurkato (2007) argues that in an organic organization, employee tasks are not well defined and problem solutions are a prerequisite of an individual. This also depends on a variety of structures with dif ferent characteristics. These include simple structures, functional structures, divisional structures, professional bureaucracies, innovative organizations, and matrix structures.Advertising Looking for thesis on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Kurkato (2007), the Abernathy/Utterback Model characterizes the change process in organic organizations where the first phase, also referred to as the fluid phase, is marked with a turbulent market, characterized with product innovation to fit the changing trends in a changing market. Innovation and change in a dynamic environment place emphasis on individual skills and abilities in task execution. According to the model employees in an organic organization identify available opportunities and execute them according to their abilities and skills. The fluid phase of the organization is marked with a lack of standards, procedures, and well defined policie s in aligning an organization to changing market and product trends. The operational environment is characterized by fluid and flexible approaches to product innovation while competition remains low with little or no direct competition. Change in Technology According to the Abernathy/Utterback Model changes in technology and approaches to organizational evolutions rely on managers as change agents. However, approaches to organizational change vary depending on the type of organization and stage of evolution. Entrepreneurial organizations are characterized by centralized management and lack of standardized task execution. However, such organizational structures are more suited for small industries and organizations. Leadership solves problems on a one on one basis. Overcoming Mechanistic Drift According to the Abernathy/Utterback Model the transition stage for an industry is characterized by architectural approaches to product innovation. Products are mass produced.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Strategy and Structure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The strategy at this stage is to gain a competitive edge on competitors and market dominance. Kuratko, D.J. (2007), this stage is characterised by a formal organizational structure with mechanistic and rigid processes. Kuratko (2007) argues that organizations at this stage are characterized by task specification, and specialization and an inherent mechanistic characteristic drift. A company starts to gain a broader market base while product innovation, with the objective of dominating the market, remains the key strategy and dominant factor. At this stage tests are done on an organization’s design to ensure alignments to its strategy. These tests include fit tests which examines issues of a marketing strategy, corporate level activities, organizational responsibilities, and constraints. These ensure an organization remains in track a nd keeps it from drifting into a mechanistic organization. In addition to that, these tests are valuable measure in preventing organizations from mechanizing themselves. Organizational executives continuously apply other tests such as good design tests which help align it to its culture, flexibility and efficient communication. Organizational executives continuously design and introduce new changes appropriate with new trends in the operating environment. At this stage, industries do not introduce new products, but maintain original products but with characteristics and features which apparently remain the same across a company’s similar product range. Kuratko, D.J. (2007) argues that Abernathy/Utterback model emphasizes on dominance where monopoly and intellectual property rights act as sources of revenue for an organization. While standards are not rigid, product development focuses on product enhancements and market domination. An Industry like Microsoft used its dominant position in the market to competitively stay and gain a strong position in the market when it introduced operating systems with graphical user interfaces that were user friendly and which were tailored to dominantly address user needs. Decision making in an entrepreneurial organization follows structures that are not formal but which are highly dependent on interactive approaches with a critical emphasis on the available opportunities and competitive threats. Asserts that â€Å"as environments become more dynamic, threatening and complex, organizations find competitive survival forces them to become more entrepreneurial† (Kuratko 2007) As organizations continue to evolve, organizational executives continuously create standards against which they apply tests of compliance for their organizations (Elsevier 2010). The ability of an organization to design products and services to meet people’s needs are a vital aspect in identifying and determining whether a product meets and reflects the people’s strengths in terms of supporting them.Advertising Looking for thesis on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to that, other tests include feasibility tests which are designed to identify bottlenecks that impede an organization in meeting people’s needs. Other tests include specialized culture tests, redundancy hierarchy tests and the accountability tests. The Abernathy/Utterback model organizations evolve and reach a specific phase with an emphasis on product performance and cost benefit analysis. At this phase, the company specializes on standardized products. Incremental integration of quality and value addition are important elements at this stage. Competition remains oligopolistic while threats from competitors continually disrupt product innovations. Other Models Deducing from the above models and illustrations, other models tend to concur on the observed change in organizational structure. One of the comparisons is based on the Westbrook Stevens model which constitutes three phases of organizational evolution. The model identifies distinctive features in an organiz ation’s structure before a change is introduced, during a change, and after a change. A critical analysis identifies all changes in the Abernathy/Utterback model as inherent in the Westbrook Stevens Model. These elements include dynamism, organizational hierarchies, the environment, and product innovation. The above model illustrates the different phases through which an organization evolves and offers a comparative analysis to the Abernathy/Utterback model. References Clayton, B. Fisher, T. Bateman, A. Brown, M. Roger Harris, R. (2005). Organizational Culture and Structure. Web. Elsevier, B.V. (2010). Journal of Economic Behavior Organization. Volumes 74. Kuratko, D.F. (2007) Structuring the Company for entrepreneurship. Web. This thesis on Strategy and Structure was written and submitted by user Natalia Brennan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Discover How to Write a Don Quixote Essay Topic

Discover How to Write a Don Quixote Essay TopicWhile it is possible to write a Don Quixote essay on your own, it can be even more fun to research some of the other don's in Spanish and consult an online or pen-and-paper teacher who will give you some pointers. By discussing don's and their characteristics, a student can learn the ropes as they write a Don Quixote essay topic. More important, they can practice their writing skills and their conversational Spanish, which make for more interesting learning experiences.One thing to consider when researching topics for your essay is what kind of experience the author had in life. Perhaps you are wondering if Don Quixote is a good candidate because he was a famous knight who was well-respected by everyone. To determine this, decide whether or not the author was respected, and make sure that you include that in your essay. He might have suffered an injury that was more severe than you might expect or he may have just had a bad experience wi th another character.What about Don Quixote's being plagued by women? He was described as being lonely, so how did he make it in the ladies' section of a dress shop? The same applies to his relationships with women. Don Quixote's extramarital affairs can also help in determining what kind of personality he had. His courtship with Sancho Panza, for example, may offer insight into his attitude towards women.Your essay can also provide historical information. In our modern world, many students do not understand the difference between an old fable and a true story. Some stories are written for entertainment and they may never have been told in a literal version. You can use the example of Don Quixote's life to provide relevant information about why some things were done or some events that happened in his past. This can prove to be quite enlightening to the reader.Don Quixote can also be used to discuss political or social points. In addition to discussing what kind of relationship he h ad with his rival, you can also discuss some of the issues that pertain to these rivals. Things such as oppression, discrimination, and general social conflict may be discussed. For example, the oppression of a woman who wanted to become a knight is something that could be included in your essay topic.Finally, don't forget that Don Quixote is an adventurer. In addition to the usual knights that are mentioned, he also wrote poetry about various adventures that he and his companions had on their travels. A student may want to include such poetry as part of the essay.One of the best tools available to a student when deciding essay topics is the Internet. There are many sites on the Internet that offer resources on how to write a short essay topic that will not only be enjoyable but also informative and well researched. It is best to take advantage of this to learn about the details of the past, as well as the personality of the writer.When choosing essay topics for the literary masterp iece that is Don Quixote, there are a few considerations that are important to make. These include but are not limited to: the author's life experiences, characters, social or political, and what to include about his journey through life.