Decision Making
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center has utilized a decision making model called shared governance, which transfers clinical decision making from management to staff members who work directly with patients. This model encourages employees to build cons...
Decision Making Models
Managers sometimes use computer models to help them analyze their options under varying conditions and circumstances.
Social Responsibility and Profitability
One reason some organizations are hesitant to adopt social responsibility programs is cost. The argument here is that profit is the cornerstone on which a business is built, and that additional responsibilities only jeopardize the efficiency of prof...
Sources of Conflict
Some view conflict as an inevitable outgrowth of the combative side of human nature. In the business world, a basic source of conflict is competition for resources or recognition within an organization. But conflicts can also be driven by outside so...
Organizational Structure: Traditional vs. Non-Traditional
Although specific organizational designs vary from company to company, there has been a broad trend away from what might be called mechanistic organizational designs toward more organic ones. Mechanistic designs depend on centralized authority and m...
Japanese and American Production Models
As long as other countries lacked industrial capacity, especially following World War II, U.S. companies could absorb tremendous inefficiency and still compete. All that changed when the Japanese developed new methods of integrating various aspects ...
Informal Communications Network, The
The informal communications network plays a powerful role in any organization. Communication of this nature frequently takes place prior to the formal communication process and is often driven by personal relationships.
Informal Organization, The
If power in the formal organization is about position rather than people, power in the interpersonal networks that comprise what's been called "the informal organization" is all about people and the subtleties of human nature. In some cases, these i...
Influence, Power and Authority
Authority is one form of power. Often called "legitimate" power, authority is a formal part of any organization. It is allocated to individuals according to their position in the organization. Because each individual can only do so much personally, ...
Influence, Power and Authority
Power is the ability to influence the behavior of other people. Although it is often associated with dominance and aggression, power can also be used in very positive and productive ways. In some cases, it is based on formal position, but there are ...