PRDV229: Organization Structure, Change, and the Future of Management

Read the introduction and section 7.1, which includes a case study of the Japanese automaker Toyota. You will uncover some of the issues that the company encountered in 2009 and 2010 as it tried to make sense of millions of vehicle recalls due to unintended acceleration in its cars. Consider how important management practices could have been been applied to improve the situation at Toyota.

Read this section, which discusses the difference between centralization and decentralization (regarding who will make strategic and core decisions), as well as how to apply this information within the structure of an organization. This section also covers the topics of organizational hierarchy, departmentalization, and formalization, which are the components of the structure of an organization.

Read this section, which discusses how to identify a matrix organization; how to eliminate barriers as identified within a boundaryless organization; and how to change organizational behavior.

This video describes some of the factors that frequently obstruct organizational progress and offers insight into how we can overcome these obstacles in order to move forward as a society. While the focus of the talk is on the field of education, the principles discussed here can be applied to any business environment.

Read this section, which discusses why people are so often resistant to change and how external forces impact the implementation of change within the workplace. This section also covers some of the possible reactions to change, providing you with an understanding of how your employees may respond as you implement change within the work environment.

Read this section, which discusses the dynamics associated with Kurt Lewin's three-stage model for change management. This section also introduces you to insight support, or how you can get people to accept a continuous process of improvement (change). Remember that change is necessary to maintain a competitive advantage in a marketplace.

Read this article and think about the management processes currently in place at your own organization (or one you are familiar with). Are there any innovative methods of management at work, or are older, more traditional models in place? How do you feel about gamification in the workplace? Can it be productive, or is it merely a fad? Do you agree that following the best practices of other organizations is no longer a valid management strategy?

Read this article and then think about the other things you've read in this course that have noted that revising traditional management processes is essential to an organization's success. Does that notion contradict the information in this article? Can traditional and innovative models of management truly coexist? Are you more comfortable with traditional models, or are you open to newer approaches?

Read this article and consider the following questions: Do you see any signs among today's businesses that support Dr. Malone's prediction of organizations moving toward models that encourage more employee freedom and organizational decentralization? If yes, what are some examples of these signs? Has today's ease of communication allowed your current organization, or one that you are familiar with, to grow globally? Do you believe that employees' current behavior patterns support the future organizational model shift? If so, why? Have you started to see evidence of the three new decentralized organizational structures being implemented within specific organizations? If yes, what are some examples?