presentation and discussion of the systems that organizations use when setting up their functionality
Hi Khun, this is an excellent presentation and discussion of the systems that organizations use when setting up their functionality. In every society, there must always be organizations, and these continuously interact with various forces that affect how an institution functions and performance. This assignment’s objective was to assess the relationship between rational, natural, and open systems, along with their implication and application in various organizational settings. One of the key factors about the systems is that they are all driven by goals but from different perspectives. Therefore, it is this that helps in establishing the basis of comparison between the three organizational systems.
When comparing the three systems based on goals, it is evident that the rational system considers goals to be specific. According to Scott and Davis (2017), the rational system model perceives people in an organization as individuals who have come together to pursue a specific goal. As you have highlighted, it is the determined goals that help shape the organization’s structure. This is based on the fact that people have to be rallied to work together around the goal. In other terms, every part of the function’s responsibilities must be designed towards the common purpose. In turn, this limits autonomy among the people in the organization, thus leading to the need to have a formal structure.
On the same breath, natural systems also focus on how to achieve the goals of an organization. However, unlike the rational system, the natural perspective does not believe in goal specificity. Winiecki (2010) stated that the natural system is a model that seeks to encourage freedom of working and innovativeness among people while pursuing the same objective. In other terms, this system believes that there are various ways that the mission of the company can be achieved and thus encourages informal structure within the organization. Your argument on this is precise and shows how organizations can employ this system effectively. Your discussion mentioned that it is not the goals that entirely govern the precise behaviors of the employees. This is mainly because the system believes that goals are always complex and thus cannot be achieved using a single plan of action.
While the other two systems are identified as a closed system, the third, just as the name implies, is an open system. This is one of the features that distinguishes open systems from the rational and natural systems. The open system focuses on the various factors that would affect the way an organization performs and functions. According to Hurth (2017), organizations are open and dependent on various factors, such as the flow of personnel and information from the external environment. Therefore, it translates to the idea that an organization pursuing a goal must consider how these factors affect the entity and then determine the best approach of accommodating them to be successful. This then brings into context the idea that open systems are not established based on formal or informal structures. One of your arguments on this that I find very efficient in explaining the system is “the organization is molded, maintained, supported, and influenced by the existing environmental structure that interacts with the organization.” I believe that this is very true and consistent with how many organizations operate nowadays.
In comparing the relationship between the three systems, the main idea that stands out is that a system must always exist for an organization to meet the desired goals. The system may be formal, informal, or open, but regardless of the differences, there is how things must be done. This relates to 1 Corinthians 14:40, which states, “But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.” At the same time, it is essential to recognize that every system has its strengths and weakness that an organization must consider before applying any of the three perspectives.