Strategic Organizational Diagnosis and Design: Developing Theory for Application (Information and Organization Design Series)

STRATEGIC ORGANIZATIONAL DIAGNOSIS AND DESIGN, 3 rd Edition, systematically surveys the substantive literature on organizational design and develops the theoretical framework of multiple contingency organizational design. The multiple contingencies in the theoretical framework cover the contingencies of size, technology, environment, and strategy, as well as leadership style and organizational climate and culture. These contingencies are mapped into design parameters such as organizational configuration, specialization, decision authority, information processing, coordination and control, and incentives. The book examines a variety of existing organizational situations — which can include the reader's organization — and provides the structure and analysis to diagnose and assess what can be done to have a more efficient and effective organization. Burton and Obel's dynamic multiple contingency theory of organizations provides the analytical framework and tools for the OrgCon© — a knowledge-base expert system which has been thoroughly vetted with business executives. The accompanying software, the OrgCon© with training guide and cases (CD bound into the book), provides a managerial tool kit to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations. Specifically, OrgCon© offers the manager or student a "hands on" knowledge of organizational design. It guides the manager or student through cases or their own organization and enables them to analyze real world organizational problems and seek concrete organization design solutions. The book and the software tool kit are an integrated package and combine to provide the analytical framework and tools that will result in building intuitive understanding of organization design through interactive applications. For additional information on the book and OrgCon©, see the following URLs: http://www.wkap.nl/prod/b/1-4020-7684-3 (hardbound) http://www.wkap.nl/prod/b/1-4020-7685-1 (paperback) STRATEGIC ORGANIZATIONAL DIAGNOSIS AND DESIGN, 3^rd^ Edition, systematically surveys the substantive literature on organizational design and develops the theoretical framework of multiple contingency organizational design. The multiple contingencies in the theoretical framework cover the contingencies of size, technology, environment, and strategy, as well as leadership style and organizational climate and culture. These contingencies are mapped into design parameters such as organizational configuration, specialization, decision authority, information processing, coordination and control, and incentives. The book examines a variety of existing organizational situations — which can include the reader's organization — and provides the structure and analysis to diagnose and assess what can be done to have a more efficient and effective organization. Burton and Obel's dynamic multiple contingency theory of organizations provides the analytical framework and tools for the __OrgCon©__ — a knowledge-base expert system which has been thoroughly vetted with business executives. The accompanying software, the __OrgCon©__ with training guide and cases (CD bound into the book), provides a managerial tool kit to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations. Specifically, __OrgCon©__ offers the manager or student a "hands on" knowledge of organizational design. It guides the manager or student through cases or their own organization and enables them to analyze real world organizational problems and seek concrete organization design solutions. The book and the software tool kit are an integrated package and combine to provide the analytical framework and tools that will result in building intuitive understanding of organization design through interactive applications. For additional information on the book and __OrgCon©,__ see the following URLs: http://www.wkap.nl/prod/b/1-4020-7684-3 (hardbound) We will not repeat our preface discussion from the first edition. Here we only add some new comments: • a note to the reader and user, • changes in the book and the Organizational Consultant (OrgCon), and, • our thanks to the many individuals who have contributed critically to this venture, read and reviewed the book, contributed chapters and cases, and similarly used and critiqued the OrgCon. For the reader, there are two very contrasting approaches to reading this book and learning about organizational design. The more traditional ap­ proach is to read the book, and then use the OrgCon on cases and applica­ tions. The second approach is to begin with the OrgCon software and only examine the book as you find it helpful. Which approach is better? It is your choice, not ours. In our experience, students in organizational design prefer to start with the OrgCon and a case, rather than with the book itself. Readers who have more background in organization theory and design usually examine the book first. We have tried to write the book so that it can serve both as a reference and an integrated presentation. Front Matter....Pages i-xx Introduction....Pages 1-40 Describing the Organization for Design Purposes....Pages 41-82 Management and Leadership Style....Pages 83-110 Organizational Climate....Pages 111-144 Size and Skill Capabilities....Pages 145-164 The Environment....Pages 165-210 Technology....Pages 211-240 Strategy....Pages 241-279 Organizational Design: A Synthesis....Pages 281-345 Using the Organizational Consultant....Pages 347-355 Using Publicly-Available Information for Strategic Organizational Diagnosis and Design....Pages 357-398 Oticon....Pages 399-437 Sample Cases and Exercises....Pages 439-461 Back Matter....Pages 463-480 The Organizational Consultant (CD attached) together with the book provide a managerial toolkit for the business person who wants to make her organization better and also for the student who wants a working knowledge of organizational design. For both, the Organizational Consultant guides you through cases or your own organization to analyze the company; it contains comments and help which tell you why and directs you to in-depth discussion on the concepts applied. Building intuition about theory through application is the approach