Organization Structure and Life Circle - Research Paper on Management

The structure and life circle of an organization determine the long-term success. Leaders are faced with many challenges such as increased competition from related service providers, demand for growing social responsibilities, new strategic thinking, globalization, and technological changes among other challenges. As such, leaders in an organization should incorporate day-to-day learning to ensure sustainable productivity. An organization structure also ought to adapt to contemporary issues to run not only effectively but also efficient. This research paper discusses the key features that lead to the long-term success of an organization.

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There are many characteristics to ensure the long-term success of an organization. These characteristics can be broadly classified into eight categories. These include the organization design, strategy, process management, technology, leadership, individual and roles, culture, and external orientation.

The organization design is a crucial aspect when considering a successful organization. A successful organization creates collaborations in its functions and with other organizations. Baker et al. (2006) how the management in any organization should be built on teamwork to ensure the threshold is reached. These can be achieved through the encouragement of teamwork to the employees while ensuring team members are sufficiently committed. Teamwork promotes efficiency by creating an ample environment for the team to share responsibilities.

The management further in a bid to promote collaboration removes barriers between the different departments of an organization (Baker et al. 2006). This means that the organization does not emphasize on bureaucracy and other organizational complexities. The hierarchical structure leads to a separation between the superiors and low-level employees and also hinders exchange of information. A successful organization, therefore, ensures knowledge and best practices are easily accessible to any member of the organization through creating the right infrastructure and incentives. Also, a successful organization ought to be flexible to incorporate both internal and external changes. Feasible studies should be carried out on these changes, and business models created such that they can incorporate any opportunities available, the changes in customer values and needs, and the market conditions.

Another central aspect of a successful organization is its strategy. A strategy acts as a guide for an organization. It is the organizations short and long-term idea to keep beneficially producing goods and services. The strategy set by an organization should mimic a strong vision that is easily projected. Such a strategy tries to balance short term and long term goals. Short-term goals are important in delivering to customers and partners, but this should not impair the long-term existences of the organization. Further, the strategy should be enumerated by clear, ambitious, measurable and achievable goals. Such a strategy should also be well known to the members of the organization to create a unified direction. In addition, a successful organization strategy should always consider the existing external environment including consumer needs, opportunities, and alternatives.

The third attribute is an adjustment in the management process. A successful business is enhanced by a well-thought structure that creates an affirmable environment to carry out set goals and ensure optimum performance (Mullins, 2007). This is achieved through simplification of the management process by doing away with complex management procedures, unnecessary work, and disposable information. The organization should also stay alerted and continuously monitor accomplishments. Also, a successful organization encourages sharing of information about the financial status to spur an informed decision when carrying out goal-based activities. Information about the overall productivity of the organization and the current market traits also create a platform for improved performance. It encourages exploration of new quality products, flawless operations, and services that aid in competition and relevance in related business fields. A successful organization also ensures optimal utilization of resources while at the same time encourages interaction of the available resources. As such the organization runs at minimum cost and at the same time can deliver its products and services satisfactorily.

One of the most central current developments in the world of business is technology. Currently, organizations have incorporated computer use in knowledge management. The information systems create easy interaction within an organization. A successful organization, however, ensures that the information management systems works efficiently, has a reliable back-up, and an interface that is user-friendly. In addition, a good information management system is sufficiently protected using the latest threat modeling technologies against potential adversaries.

A successful organization is also attributed to leadership. Leadership highly influences members of an organization and partners to the organization and therefore the performance of the organization (Willcoxson, 2000). To start with, leaders of any organization should build on trust. Trust ensures boundaries between the management and employees are removed. This helps the creation of loyalty, respect, easy interactions, positive attitude, and fairness. Trust also boosts transparency, credibility, and integrity encouraging subordinates to mimic good ethnic values. The leadership also cultivates on inclusiveness in decision making and hence the high standard decisions. Further, good management is supportive, available and protective to employees. However, while doing all this, is essential for the leadership to set a high bar in achieving the goals of the organization while rewarding competitive employees accordingly. Another important trait of a leader in a successful organization is their willingness to take a risk and learn from mistakes. A competent leader should go an extra mile in a trial and error experiments to deduce more effective ways improve the organization productivity. At the same time, the leader should continuously learn and cultivate on previous mistakes.

Leadership is more than power bestowed on an organization member. Leaders in a successful organization seek to inspire members using techniques such as charismatic interactions and encouraging subordinates to take up leadership positions (De Waal, 2007). In so doing, the subordinates become more involved while increasing competition in carrying out day-to-day activities. Further, the leader should not carry out projects guided by his/her interest. Self-centered leaders impede important projects for the organization at the expense of favorable projects that serve their needs. Instead, leaders should explore and balance projects. Lastly, a leader should be flexible and open minded. This is to enhance transformation if any with changes in the workforce and the eternal environment.

Individuals and roles are also crucial to long-term success of an organization (Mullins, 2007). First of all, a successful organization fosters skilled personnel who can easily exchange ideas and boost workforce competition. The organization scrutinizes the labor force in the search for competencies, innovations, and talent and capitalizes on the individuals. Also, the organization links the workforce together and incorporates them in decision making. As such, a well though the strategy is developed and owned by every individual. It is also significant that employees are provided with a safe and secure workplace. This will heighten their faith in the job offered and offer motivation for competency. Such an organization also is very selective regarding the employee behavior and values so as to align them with the business strategies and values. This heightens responsibilities and ensures accountability.

To add up, culture is created to ensure a successful organization. According to Owen et al. (2001), such an organization builds on freedom, inclusion in decision making, builds on autonomy to operate, and provides operation limits. The organization also creates a culture of sharing meaningful core values within the organization. For any organization to succeed, the culture of transparency, openness and above all trust is crucial. It ensures the free exchange of information and strengthens corporation of the members.

Finally, external orientation is extremely important for an organization to exist in a competitive business for a long time (De Waal, 2007). Emphases here are put on customer satisfaction. A successful business should at all-time ensure customers needs are met by understanding what they want, their values, engaging them in crucial decision making such as pricing, timely responding to their request, and ultimately enhancing their value. Another important partner in a successful organization is the stakeholders. The organization establishes continued a good relationship with the stakeholders by building on a broad network and creating reasonable benefits for them. Also, a successful business does a feasible study on the market opportunities and keeps up with the changing environment.

In conclusion, for a business to have a long-term impact in the field, internal and external factors have to be built on. As discussed in this paper, these factors have been grouped into eight major categories. A successful business capitalizes on the organization design, strategy, process management, technology, leadership, individual and roles, culture, and external orientation.

References

Baker, D. P., Day, R., & Salas, E. (2006). Teamwork as an essential component of highreliability organizations. Health services research, 41(4p2), 1576-1598.

De Waal, A. A. (2007). The characteristics of a high-performance organization. Business Strategy Series, 8(3), 179-185.

Mullins, L. J. (2007). Management and organizational behavior. Pearson Education.

Owen, K., Mundy, R., Guild, W., & Guild, R. (2001). Creating and sustaining the high-performance organization. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 11(1), 10-21.

Willcoxson, L. (2000). Defining and creating a high-performance organization. Australian Journal of Management & Organisational Behaviour, 4(1), 100-106.