Case Study Part 8: What I Learned about Organizational Analysis and Problem Solving. Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia
EDUC 745 Organizational Analysis & Problem Solving For Educators Professor: Dr. Jeff L. Rector
Abstract
Most people in leadership and members of the organization see the structures of organizations limited to a hierarchy of authority and decision-making from on high. In addition, all command comes from upper echelon and all the underlings are required to obey and accomplish the goals or vision of their bosses. Morgan (2006) looks not only at structural organizations but also at others types of organizations models such as systems, cultural, and political. Morgan put these descriptions into a metaphor format to give you a visual picture of these organizations. Once we look at your current organization from each of the fours lenses, one can get a new perspective how to look at your organization climate or environment and how any organizations can work through problems or challenges. This paper is a summary of what I have personally learned from taking EDUC 745 Organizational Analysis & Problem Solving for Educators.
Keyword: Organizational systems, personal insights, organizational problem solving
.
Case Study Part 8: What I Learned about Organizational Analysis and Problem Solving. As Christians and administrators, we should take the opportunity for continual
intellectual and spiritual growth. This course has offered me new understanding and insights to organizational systems and problem solving. After 20 years of military leadership training and 10 years of commercial management and leadership training, this course has been a new and
refreshing view of organization systems through the four lenses that are described by Morgan (2006).
What I have you learned that has been most significant transformation in my
understanding about this course?
Much of my understanding of organizations and problem solving stemmed from the structural organizational point of view. My experience has provided only a singular point of view of hierarchy and structured organizations with numerous departments and divisions, all
competing for limited resources. Morgan’s (2006) book and this course provided an alternative view of organizations and problem solving techniques. I always saw the political and cultural view as not being part of organizational systems, but rather an issue of leadership and
management of people.
What learning experiences have contributed most significantly to my learning?
My strongest learning experience has come from the reading assignments and the group discussions. For the record, my reading comprehensions skills might be considered limited. I was not looking forward to reading this book; first, because of it size, and secondly, because I
assumed the subject would be dry. To my surprise, I enjoyed the book and began to discuss what I was reading with our Chief Executive Officer. I believe that the CEO could sensing my
What changes in my thinking about your organization because of my experience in this
class?
As a member of the senior leadership in the organization, the sections of the book concerning systems organizations, and especially those specifically of the brain metaphor and hologram discussions, was of particular interest to me. I see the organization growing far beyond where it is today.
Management and staff at our school hasa strong commitment to continue to grow and be innovative in the industry. The school success could be attributed to having a very small
hierarchical structure. This has facilitated active communication within a group of highly skilled and knowledgeable staff. To maintain our growth and flexibility, this may mean that we may need to be broken up into small divisions to continue this ability to be innovative.
How do I think the insights that I gained have prepared you to be a better educational
administrator?
It would be hard for someone to analyze a new problem and changes in their organization without looking at them through this new point of view. The course has provided me with
insights that were previously restricted to a limited understand of organization systems. In taking the weekly lessons and applying them to a real world problem has solidified my understanding of the concepts of the four lenses.
What insights have I gleaned during this course that you I will continue to investigate
through research literature and/or experiential exploration?
reason that some of these departments could not break off and operate as a separate entity under an overall organization umbrella.
Splitting off departments would be beneficial because the organization, as a bureaucratic whole, is less able to adapt to the market. Our school to do this effectively will require more research of those types of organizations that have successfully done these types of splits. A Biblical Perspective for Addressing Organizational Problems
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