Creating the functionally competent organization : an open systems approach / Joseph A. Olmstead.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Olmstead, Joseph A., 1921-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Organizational effectiveness.

Performance--Management.

Performance.

Performance--Evaluation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (266 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Distribution:

London : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024

Place of Publication:

Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2002.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Olmstead writes from an open systems perspective-a viewpoint of organizations that adapt quickly to turbulent, uncertain business environments-offering an integrated, understandable, and highly practical way to analyze, assess, and improve organization performance. He demonstrates how organizations actually function, and shows how they can identify and overcome obstacles by creating organizational competence-the critical elements that give organizations the ability to perform effectively in the modern business world. Upper level students, scholars, and teachers will find Olmstead's book an important addition to their academic reading lists. For practitioners, particularly those in rapid response organizations, this book will be an indispensable aid in the struggle to keep their organizations up to date and abreast of the competition.

Contents:

Cover

Creating the Functionally Competent Organization

Contents

Tables and Figures

TABLES

FIGURES

Preface

Chapter 1 Introduction

RATIONALE

Essential Human Factors

THE ORGANIZATION CONCEPT

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

THE PLAN OF THIS BOOK

Part I-Functionally Competent Organizations: Theory

Part II-Requirements for Performance

Part III-Functionally Competent Organizations: Application

Part I Functionally Competent Organizations: Theory

Chapter 2 Organizations and Their Functions

INTRODUCTION

Conditions in the Modern World

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Required Capabilities

ESSENTIAL HUMAN FACTORS

THE TYPICAL ORGANIZATION

Organizational Structure

Leaders

Command and Control

Organizational Process

PROBLEMS IN ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONING

Some General Pitfalls

Effects of Operating Pressures

Coping with Pressures

CONCEPT OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCE

Dangers of Overcontrol

INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCIES

GROUP COMPETENCIES

THE COMPETENCE MODEL

MANAGING CHANGE

RELEVANCE FOR ORGANIZATIONS

Rapid-Response Organizations

Other Organizations

Chapter 3 Theoretical Background

STRUCTURAL THEORIES

GROUP THEORIES

INDIVIDUAL THEORIES

Fitting the Person to the Organization

Fitting the Organization to the Person

DECISION THEORIES

THE ISSUES AND A RESOLUTION

GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY

ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES

Chapter 4 Research Results

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCE

The Research Context and Strategy

Components of Competence

Organizational Processes

TESTS OF THE MODEL

Project FORGE

Method

Results

Conclusions

Project Cardinal Point

Process Performance: Observation and Feedback

Data

Process Performance and Combat Outcomes

Impact of Feedback

Conclusions.

HEW Studies

Impact Variables

Determinants of Agency Performance

Organizational Competence

Determinants of Competence

Significance of Organizational Competence

IMPLICATIONS

Chapter 5 Functionally Competent Organizations

ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES

COMPONENTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCE

INDICATORS OF QUALITY

DETERMINANTS OF COMPETENCE

The Role of Integration

Conditions Conducive to Integration

Factors Affecting Integration

Roles

Goals

Norms

Group Relations

The Competence Model

Part II Requirements for Performance

Chapter 6 Performance of Individuals

Competency Defined

Utility

Rationale

Research on Competencies

Performance of Individuals

ELEMENTS IN PERFORMANCE

DETERMINANTS OF PERFORMANCE

Factors within an Individual

Factors within the Leaders or Supervisors

Factors within the Work Situation

AN IMPACT MODEL OF PERFORMANCE

UTILITY OF THE IMPACT MODEL

Some Competencies for Rank-and-File Personnel

Chapter 7 Performance of Groups

GROUP: A DEFINITION

EFFECTS OF COHESIVENESS

Implications for Training

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN IDEAL GROUP

ORGANIZATIONS AS SYSTEMS OF GROUPS

Determinants of Effectiveness

Tasks and Organization

Superordinate Goals

Similarity of Personnel

Common Experiences

Success Experiences

Organizational Stability

Communication

Interpersonal Conflict

Cooperation and Competition

Reward System

Administrative Practices

Effects of Group Size

Group Competencies

Part III Functionally Competent Oganizations: Application

Chapter 8 Integration in Organizations

BASIC CONCEPTS

Organizational Effectiveness

ESSENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL PROPERTIES

DEVELOPING ORGANIZATIONS AS SYSTEMS.

The Essence of Organizational Management

Conditions Conducive to Performance

Developmental Activities

Organizational Properties

A Clear Role System

Common Superordinate Goals

Shared Norms of Performance and Behavior

A Stable and Efficient Communications System

Effective Group Relations

A Stable and Efficient Organizational System

Purposes Served by Properties

REQUIRED MANAGER FUNCTIONS

Formulating Objectives and Roles

Developing Core Personnel

Formulating Ground Rules for Working

Developing an Effective Communication System

Developing a High Level of Motivation

Setting Standards of Performance

A MODEL FOR ORGANIZATIONAL INTEGRATION

Assessment of Training and Development Models

Attributes of a Practical Training and Development Model

CONCEPT OF INTEGRATION

THE INTEGRATION MODEL

Necessary Organizational Properties

Necessary Developmental Activities

Assessment Issues

Manipulability

Measurability

Evaluation of the Integration Model

Chapter 9 Competence Operationally Defined

THE NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCE

Organizational Attributes

Concept of Organizational Competence

IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCE

Identifying Critical Environments

Sensing

Search and Acquisition

Processing

Storing

Interpreting

Quality Requirements

Communicating Information

Decision Making

Stabilizing

Communicating Implementation

Aborted Decisions

Coping Actions

Feedback

CRITERIA OF QUALITY

Chapter 10 A Model for Organizational Effectiveness

AN ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS MODEL

Organizational Conditions

Training Activities.

Cognitive Role Training

Experiential Training

Operations Training

Integration

Role/Process Performance

Teamwork/Process Performance

Utility of the Model

Potential Uses

IMPROVING COMPETENCE IN EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS

The Adaptive-Coping Cycle

Analyzing and Assessing Organizational Performance

A General Framework for Analysis

Questions about Organizational Competence

Define the Organization

Identifying the Processes

ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCE

Qualitative Assessment

Quantitative Assessment

Public Comparisons of Scores between Units Are Not Recommended

An Alternative Procedure

DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES

Developing Favorable Conditions

Importance of Leadership

TRAINING ACTIVITIES

Special Role Training

IMPROVING COMPETENCE

Chapter 11 Elements of Organizational Effectiveness

THE CONTEXT OF WORK

Components of the Work Context

Developing Favorable Work Contexts

Structural Aspects

Climate

Implementation Requirements

FACTORS THAT CONTROL PERFORMANCE

Effective Use of Human Resources

Effective Management

Effective Leadership

Effective Training

Chapter 12 Summary and Conclusions

SOME BASIC CONCEPTS

Organizations as Open Systems

Competence as Flexibility

FACTORS AFFECTING INTEGRATION

Teamwork

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

CONCLUSION

RELEVANCE FOR RAPID-RESPONSE ORGANIZATIONS

RELEVANCE FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Annotated Bibliography

Author Index

Subject Index

About the Author.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [229]-260) and indexes.

ISBN:

9798400633331

9786610908479

9781280908477

1280908475

9780313011726

0313011729

OCLC:

614715378