A common approach for assessing an organization's structure is examining organic and mechanistic characteristics. This rating tool has been used by many researchers and others who study organizational behavior (Dust, Resick, & Mawritz, 2014). Thinking about an organization you are familiar with, assess its current structure based on the mechanistic and organic approach. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your preference and/or perception of the following characteristics and prepare a brief summary analyzing your results:
- Mechanistic vs. Organic
- Task Role: Rigid or Flexible
- Communication: Vertical or Multidirectional
- Decision Making: Centralized or Decentralized
- Sensitivity to Environment: Closed or Open
After completing your analysis, determine whether you were surprised by your responses. Support your response with examples. Then, identify which aspects of your organization's structure you would change and explain why.
Support your assignment with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.
Length: 3-4 pages, not including title and reference pages