Organization as Organism
Abstract
Organization as a living organism. This metaphor view Organizations from a Biological point of view. Organizations as living systems environment on which they are dependent on each other to satisfy various needs. When studying and comparing organization with living organism it was determined that organizations share the same concept as of a living organism. An organization needs to have the right environment in order to survive, adapt, surpass turbulence and reproduce; the cycle of live. If not it will perish and die.
The systems must adapt to environments, organizational life cycles, the factors influencing organizational health and development, different species of organizations, and the relationships between species and ecology.
Strengths and Limitation of Metaphor
Strengths of Metaphor * Focus on the improvement and quality of human needs rather than organization an structure * Importance is placed on relationships of the organization and their environment * View organizations as alive, species that evolve, thus allowing them to adapt to their environment and be open to change. * View entities as healthy and unhealthy.. Balance or imbalance. Healthy organisms are alive and balance.
Limitations of the Organism Metaphor * Views organizations as concrete and objective not socially constructed * Overlooks importance of culture; beliefs, myths, values * Tendency toward environmental determinism * Assumption of "functional unity" * Ignores political dimension of organizational life
Importance of a Good Environment
The same way that humanity needs a good ecosystem in order to survive, it has been determined with the living metaphor that organizations also need healthy environments to be alive. Failing to provide this environment / ecosystem to the organization will put the company vulnerable and on jeopardy to environment challenges that will lead to have that “specie” extinct. Environmental
Organization as a living organism. This metaphor view Organizations from a Biological point of view. Organizations as living systems environment on which they are dependent on each other to satisfy various needs. When studying and comparing organization with living organism it was determined that organizations share the same concept as of a living organism. An organization needs to have the right environment in order to survive, adapt, surpass turbulence and reproduce; the cycle of live. If not it will perish and die.
The systems must adapt to environments, organizational life cycles, the factors influencing organizational health and development, different species of organizations, and the relationships between species and ecology.
Strengths and Limitation of Metaphor
Strengths of Metaphor * Focus on the improvement and quality of human needs rather than organization an structure * Importance is placed on relationships of the organization and their environment * View organizations as alive, species that evolve, thus allowing them to adapt to their environment and be open to change. * View entities as healthy and unhealthy.. Balance or imbalance. Healthy organisms are alive and balance.
Limitations of the Organism Metaphor * Views organizations as concrete and objective not socially constructed * Overlooks importance of culture; beliefs, myths, values * Tendency toward environmental determinism * Assumption of "functional unity" * Ignores political dimension of organizational life
Importance of a Good Environment
The same way that humanity needs a good ecosystem in order to survive, it has been determined with the living metaphor that organizations also need healthy environments to be alive. Failing to provide this environment / ecosystem to the organization will put the company vulnerable and on jeopardy to environment challenges that will lead to have that “specie” extinct. Environmental