Discussion Board

When one thinks of organizations, it would be natural to first consider businesses. However we are surrounded by and probably part of, many other organizations, including religious groups, social clubs, volunteer organizations and government. Even families can be viewed through the lens of organizational behavior. Consider the Executive Branch of the federal government. What ideas from our reading do you see evident in the way the Executive Branch is organized? How do these principles contribute to the successful function or dysfunction of this branch of government?

DB: MARS Model

A large functional department in state government decided to modernize their computer system. The employees were made aware several months in advance of the changes, however, the implementation date kept getting pushed back. The changes were significant and affected everyone. Many were not happy with the changes; there was quite a bit of fear and consternation. The changes meant that some employees who were used to doing things one way, now had to do things differently. Some were concerned that they were not adequately prepared for the new system and they lacked training. When the change came it was, at first, a disaster. Instead of the expected increase in productivity and effectiveness, there was a significant decrease. To add to the problems, the system had a number of "bugs" that had to also be worked out. These things only served to fuel the employees concerns. How would you use the MARS model to explain the drop in performance experienced in this case example?