Fouble erupis, use moving companies to change jobs, receive an aray of Benefis fom govemment agencies, spend fory hous a week working in an Srganization, and are even laid to rest by a church and undertaker. * | Definition Organizations as diverse as a local hospital and the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company have characteristics in common, The definition that we vex te describe organizations in this book is: oF tons are social entities that are goal-directed, deliberately structured activity sytome with an identi tie ea Hee ae Tor ey Sema 2. Goal Directed Organizations exist fora purpose An organization and its members ate tying to achieve an end, Participants may have differene ‘Busposes, and the organization may have several purposes. But organizs tions existfor one or more purposes without which they would cease to exist 3. Deliberatoly Structured Acttdty System. Activity system means that of Sanizatlons have a technology—ther use knowledge to perform work srivtes. Organizational asks are deliberately subdivided into separate cepanments and se:s of activities. The subdivision is intended to seniors ‘efficiencies in the work process. The deliberate structure is also chaee | terized by a conscious attempt to coordinate and direct the separate activities. 4: Hdentifiabie Boundary a organization. must be able to identify which epReats ate inside and which are outside its boundary. Membership is distinc. Members normally have some commitment of conteact 1 contribute to the organization in return for money, prestige, or other Sain. The organization exchanges resources with the environment, but i ORGANIZATIONS AS SYSTEMS Open Systems One of the significant developments in the suidy of organizations was the gistinction between closed and open systems. A closed aystem oes set Gihend on fs environment, itis autonomous, enclosed, and scaled ort Som the outside world It has all the energy it needs, and can hurction Pahout the consumption of external resources. Early studies of organiantione looked at intemal workings to understand and explain organivaticoal design 8 INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATIONS