What is an Organization? - the Nature of Organizations 

This is the first video of our course on the nature of organizations, so we answer the question: 'What is an Organization?'
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The Nature of Organizations: A Management Courses Introduction
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We work in organizations. And organizations are all around us. Yet, how much do we really understand about them? This Kindle-exclusive eBook serves the needs of working managers, who need a broad-brush overview in a short format. However, students may find that overview to be a helpful precursor to your more detailed study.
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Watching this video is worth 1 Management Courses CPD Point*.
(See below for more details)
The Nature of Organizations
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This video is part of course module number 6.1.1
Program 6: Managing within Organizations
Course 1: The Nature of Organizations
Section 1: Introduction to Organizations
Other videos in this section include:
- What is an Organization? • What is an Organizatio...
- Morgan's 8 Organizational Metaphors: An Organization is Like a... • What are Morgan's 8 Or...
- Organizations as Structures: Understanding an Organization as a Structure • Organizations as Struc...
- Organizations as Processes: Understanding an Organization as a Set of Processes • Organizations as Proce...
- The Features of Organizations: What an Organization Needs • The Features of Organi...
- Why do we need Organizations? Structure vs Agility • Why do we need Organiz...
LESSON NOTES
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An organization is a grouping of people, assets, material, and knowledge, that are co-ordinated to meet a set of objectives (or serve a purpose)
They serve need to control something larger and more complex than a self-coordinating group of people can hold in their heads.
To do this, they bring resources together and use them to carry out a range of inter-related activities.
Tendencies to bureaucracy and hierarchy… with the aim of efficiency.
Richard Pascale:
‘Organizations are, in the last analysis, interactions among people’.
This view of an organization as a network of relationships straddles the metaphors of:
- Structure (the network) and
- Process (the interactions)
We look at these two perspectives in:
- Organizations as Structures: Understanding an Organization as a Structure • Organizations as Struc...
- Organizations as Processes: Understanding an Organization as a Set of Processes • Organizations as Proce...
Can be temporary or permanent - but realistically cannot be static - must evolve to meet changing needs, exploit new opportunities, and counter emerging threats.
Permanent organizations include enterprises, corporations, companies, partnerships, charities, authorities, schools, hospitals, government departments, local governments, military units, emergency services, clubs and associations
Temporary organizations include teams, projects, expeditions, crews, committees
But one thing is for certain - An organization may be able to work without managers. But a Manager needs an organization within which to work. The job of a group of managers is to make their organization work effectively.
RECOMMENDED EXERCISE
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Think about organizations that you have worked in or with, and also other organizations you have encountered.
1. How does our description of what an organization is fit with each of those examples? (3 MC CPD Points)
2. What else do those organizations teach you about what an organization is? (3 MC CPD Points)
DOWNLOADS
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Free Resources
- CPD Tools - gum.co/MC-CPD
Paid resources
- Management Courses Onboarding Kit - gum.co/MC-ObK ($3)
RECOMMENDED READING
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- Understanding Organizations geni.us/oB774Do
- Images of Organization geni.us/hrOemEs
- Inside Organizations: 21 Ideas for Managers geni.us/YwwL
- Gods of Management: The Four Cultures of Leadership geni.us/bpPeC5
Managers Need a Basic set of kit to do your job well. Here are my top recommendations: kit.co/MikeClayton/manager-s-... (the links are affiliated)
Management Courses Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Points
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You can record your Management Courses CPD points on our free, downloadable CPD record log.
Download it at: gum.co/MC-CPD
Each video has two levels of MC CPD points. For this video:
- If you simply watched the video, record 1 MC CPD point
- If you also carried out all of the recommended exercises, score a total of 7 MC CPD points
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Links to our book recommendations are affiliated through Amazon
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