Instructions
Using following scale, indicate the extent to which each of the statements below accurately describes your views.
Strongly DisagreeDisagree SomewhatUndecidedAgree SomewhatStrongly Agree12345I prefer to work in an organization where:
1. Goals are defined by those in higher levels.
2. Work methods and procedures are specified.
3. Top management makes important decisions.
4. My loyalty counts as much as my ability to do the job.
5. Clear lines of authority and responsibility are established.
6. Top management is decisive and firm.
7. My career is pretty well planned out for me.
8. I can specialize.
9. My length of service is almost as important as my level of performance.
10. Management is able to provide the information I need to do my job well.
11. A chain of command is well established.
12. Rules and procedures are adhered to equally by everyone.
13. People accept authority of a leader's position.
14. People are loyal to their boss.
15. People do as they have been instructed.
16. People clear things with their boss before going over his or her head.
Scoring
Total your scores for all questions:
Interpretation
This assessment measures your preference for working in an organization designed along "organic" or "mechanistic" lines. The higher your score (above 64), the more comfortable you are with a mechanistic design; the lower your score (below 48), the more comfortable you are with an organic design. Scores between 48 and 64 can go either way. This organization design preference represents an important issue in the new workplace. Indications are that today's organizations are taking on more and more organic characteristics. Presumably, those of us who work in them will need to be comfortable with such designs.
Reflection
Provide summary results of your scores and a discussion of what they mean to you and implications for your management skills. Describe the structure where you currently work (or have most recently been employed) and indicate if you think it is more mechanistic or organic and why. In general, how does organizational structure affect your behavior at work?