Case Study

Lens Two: Reviewing the Systems Theories [ORGANISM]

Use the following questions to describe, in a summative-narrative fashion, what the systems of your organization looks like.

Your summary is to be 2 pages, include 3–5 references (this can include your textbook), have a title and reference page, and be formatted according to current APA style (first person should not be used).

1. What is the cycle of production for this organization? i.e., what are we about as an organization?
2. What do we bring in (input), how do we use it and form our product (throughput)?
3. What do we send out into the larger world (output)?
4. Are we open to negative feedback from the sub and super systems?
5. What are we doing to reverse the entropy of the system?
6. Are we exploring other paths to the ends (equifinality)?
7. What is our proper place in the broader society and economy?

Issue: genotypic function. (Productive, Maintenance, Adaptive, Managerial/Political)

4. Are we balancing our need for profit with a long-term view of survival?

The issue is the Maximization Principle.

5. How are we scanning the environment?

What do we know about the environmental sectors (Economic, political, social, etc.)?