Assessment

What do we mean when we talk about mechanistic and organic organizational structure? How do these types of structures influence organizational performance and the ability of an organization to learn and adapt to changes in the environment? Is one type preferable over the other?

Complete the following:

• Briefly define mechanistic organizational structure and organic organizational structure.

• Compare and contrast the main differences between the two types of organizational structure.

• Explain how environmental changes translate into mechanistic versus organic organizational structure.

• Describe how the current environment is changing and where you see it heading.

• Compare how mechanistic organizations handle the turbulence of hyper-change and hyper-competition versus how organic organizations address the same issues.

• Explain which type of organizational structure you feel is more applicable to the current local and global environment, and why.

To successfully complete this assessment, you will need to conduct some research into mechanistic and organic organizational structure. You should format this assessment as a research paper following APA 6th edition guidelines for both style and citing sources, making sure that you also use correct grammar and mechanics. There is no required minimum or maximum page length; however, you should strive to be as detailed as possible in addressing each bullet point, while also being as clear and concise as possible.

Please note: The term environment is used throughout this course to mean all of the external factors that affect an organization. These include, but are not limited to, the overall global market, the industry as a whole, and the financial market.