Importance Of Organizational Theory In Management

Bureaucracy

Discuss about the Importance of Organizational Theory.

Management is one of the pillars of success at all times. This is why all organizations have to put in place a well organized managerial system as required. Through a proper management, the organization can be in a good position to coordinate, organize, and control all its operations. One such aspect of management is the application of theories of management. In order to make viable strategic decisions regarding its operations, models, client access and care of delivery, the management of QCHS has to apply various theories of management such as classical, neoclassical, bureaucratic, contingency, and systems theories. A proper application of these theories can enable the organization to make viable strategic decisions whenever it is necessary to do so.

According to the theory of bureaucracy, an organization should have an organized structure in which roles are divided according to each department. Fr efficient purposes, each department is designed to have a well-defined boundary and managed by leaders whose appointment is based on experience and qualification. In other words, there should be a proper coordination of activities of activities within each department because of the need for accountability over one’s roles. At the same time, each department should be equipped with trained persons who have a capability of a manning all the required duties without many constraints (Adler, 2012). The other important element of bureaucracy is that it provides for division of labor. Each of the employees does not just operate, but only required to do the activities in their respective areas of specialization. Actually, the theory of bureaucracy can greatly impact on the organization’s strategic decisions in many ways.

First, bureaucracy can enable the management of QCHS to promote specialization within its employees. As already highlighted, after the division of the organization into different departments, there should be a high level of specialization. Each employ should be given an opportunity to do what they know best. If this happens, the employee can be able to concentrate a lot on a specific activity and learn more skills as time goes by. So, as a counseling facility, the management of QCHS should always ensure that each employee only concentrates on the kind of activity in which they are trained (Jerome, 2013). For example, if the counselors narrow down their operations to a given line of activity, they will get to learn more about it as they continue discharging their duties. As a result, counseling services will be of high quality to the satisfaction of all the clients regardless of the diverse nature of their needs.

Contingency Theory

Besides, the application of the theory of bureaucracy can enable QCHS to improve the quality of its services. One of the major pillars of bureaucracy is division of labor. Here, roles are shared amongst employees based on their training, experience and knowledge. So, once the departments are identified, a team of able leadership is provided (Getz & Page 2016).  Such leaders should be in charge of all the employees working under them. With a well organized leadership structure in place, all employees will be closely monitored and guided appropriately to ensure that they work well at all times. At the same time, through division of labor, the services will be highly improved since the service staff, rostered practitioners, intake rostered practitioners and all the other staff will be provided as required. Every employee had well defined roles that should be discharged as required.  

Therefore, it should be noted that the theory of bureaucracy can play a very significant role in the making of strategic decisions about the organization. As a leading counseling facility in the region, QCHS should always be ready to ready to ensure that its decisions are guided by the appropriate organizational theories. As a complex organization, the facility should have a well organized structure in which there are competent leaders at the top followed by qualified staffs who are always motivated to serve as required (Pike, 2013).  However, for one to rise to a leadership position, one has to be seriously experience and display a high level of professionalism in their work.

Contingency is a management theory that should not be left out when the organization if the management of QCHS is really concerned about its success. It is a management style in which decisions are not based on a fixed model, but changes depending on the situation at hand. In other words, when making important decisions regarding the organization, the management should to all that it takes to consider the uniqueness of each situation. No matter how rigid the management might be, it is advisable to, at times, look at all the circumstances and take all the necessary measures before deciding on the next action to take regarding it (Jerome, 2013). If the organization applies this theory in its strategic management, it can benefit it in many ways.

In the first place, the theory of contingency can play a significant role in promoting flexibility within the organization. When the management makes it as a policy to make all decisions by considering their own uniqueness, it will be much easier to be flexible enough and make responsive decisions that can suit the organization at all times. Since each circumstance is unique in its way, it can be much better is the management comes up with strategies to be flexible and ensure that no decision is forced without making a thorough analysis of the situation (Kim, Lee, Chun & Benbasat, 2014). For example, when there is a need to consider the waiting time for the clients seeking for services at the facility, the management should not make it mandatory for all the clients to do so for 3 months. Instead, it can be appropriate if the duration is adjusted based on the kind of services sought for by the clients. If it is emergency cases, for instance, the clients should be served with immediate effect.  

Neo-Classical Organization Theory

Besides, the theory of contingency can enable the organization to be responsive in its decisions. A time has come for many organizations to rethink their management styles. Unlike in the past, the current situation has brought a lot of changes that need to be considered when making important decisions (McFarlin & Sweeney, 2014). For example, as much as QCHS might boast as a leading counseling facility in the region, there are other established and upcoming facilities that even offer better services than its own (Pike, 2013). So, to be responsive and adaptive to the market situation, the organization should always be in a position to adjust whenever necessary. A proper application of this theory can help the facility to ensure that it reviews its services and makes them flexible and accommodative to all the clients regardless of their diversities. After all, diversity required t be approached in such flexible manner.  

Hence, if the management of QCHS is really concerned about the improvement of its services to suit the diverse market, it should always strive to be as diverse as possible and be guided by the principle that no single management style is the best rather than the fact that each circumstance should be guided by its own uniqueness. Counseling is a complex activity that deals with a sensitive part of human life. Managing a counseling facility requires a high degree of flexibility because, at all times, the management should always consider the uniqueness of every situation (Frederickson & Ghere, 2013). As a counseling setting, QHCS should not stick to only one style of management. Not all decisions should be based on only one style of management. Instead, the management should take all the necessary measures to analyze the situation before coming up with an appropriate strategy to adopt. This can be a secret of success for the organization (Killen, Jugdev, Drouin & Petit, 2012). Otherwise, if the management holds the view that it should not bother about the uniqueness of each situation, it might make ill-informed decisions that can negatively impact on its prosperity which obviously depends on the quality of its decisions.

Neo-classical theories were formulated in response to the inefficiencies of the classical theories that had been criticized for not been responsive to the changing situations in organizational management. This is why theorists like Abraham Maslow, McGregor and Elton Mayo came up with neoclassical theories to revolutionize the concept of organizational management. In his theory of hierarchy of human needs, Maslow came up with the idea that human beings have needs that should be met at all times (Huarng & Ribeiro-Soriano, 2014). These needs are organized into a pyramid starting from the most basic and necessary to the most luxurious needs. As Maslow established, these needs are physiological, safety, identity, esteem and self-esteem respectively. For the organization to succeed, it should always ensure that it identifies the needs of every employee and client before satisfying them (Miner, 2015). This is actually the same sentiment that was echoed by McGregor who, in his theory X and Y insinuated that employees, as human beings of course, have a set of motivating and demotivating factors.

The first way through which the neo-classical theories can impact on QHCS’ strategic management is that it can help in the alteration of the behaviors of its employees and clients. As a counseling facility, QHCS has a wide range of clients which it serves. Each of these clients has diverse sort of needs that should be met. For example, clients with emergency cases look forward to receiving high timely services. Unlike the normal clients whose case requires no urgency, this class of clients can only be satisfied if they are served immediately they visit the facility. On the other hand, the employees have their own unique sort of needs that they expect to be met (Pike, 2013). Therefore, if the management appropriately applies these theories, QHCS will definitely be in a good position to motivate its employees and clients to ensure that they are a satisfied lot.   

The satisfaction of employees and clients can in turn bring many benefits to the organization. First, by identifying and appropriately satisfying the needs of its employees, the organization will manage to make them feel recognized, respected and motivated. This will definitely boost their morale to continue working hard for the sake of the organization. A motivated employee is so productive and cannot quit the company whatsoever (Tweedie & Holley, 2016). This can in turn help in lowering operation costs because no money would be spent to address the challenges of employee turnover. At the same time, the theories will help in winning the confidence of the clients on the organization (Chhokar, Brodbeck & House, 2013). A satisfied client will never leave the organization to seek for services anywhere else. So, should this happen, the organization will be in a better position to grow and accomplish its short and long-term needs stress-free.

It is therefore obvious that the theory of bureaucracy can play a significant role in determining the success of QHCS. As a leading counseling facility in the region, QHCS can only appeal to the public and emerge as the best alternative facility if at all it has acknowledged the role of division of labor and departmentalization. The institution of different departments can be a major step towards the delivery of quality services (Frederickson & Ghere, 2013). No progress can be attained if the organization’s operations are properly organized. Counseling is one of the services that can greatly benefit from bureaucracy. It involves a series of activities including appointments, counseling, consultations and referrals (Mellahi & Frynas, 2015). Therefore, to effectively discharge these activities, the management should make important decisions based on the bureaucratic procedures as outlined Weber.   

The other theory that should be adopted by the organization is systems theory. As clearly outlined by the proponents of this theory, an organization should be viewed as one large/whole system in which there are inputs, processes and output. To accomplish its goals, the organization should begin by identifying thee components. This should be followed by a proper coordination and management of all the activities. The input that is made up of capital, technologies, raw materials, and human resources should be properly utilized (Kim, Lee, Chun & Benbasat, 2014). The same should be done to the process that should also be regarded as an important aspect in the management process. Once these components are appropriately utilized, the organization will manage to ensure that it is in the right direction towards the improvement of the quality of its output (Shih, Young, & Bucher, 2013). After all, one of the major goals of the organization is to deliver excellent services for the optimal satisfaction of its clients.

Systems theory, if incorporated as part of its management strategy, can put QHCS in the right direction of realizing its dream. It will help in ensuring that there is a proper utilization of the facility’s inputs since all the operations are done as expected (Baden & Higgs, 2015). Meaning, the management will have to effectively design, plan, control, organize, and coordinate all the activities in the required manner (Chen, R. & Wang, 2014). For instance, when it comes to the welfare of the clients, the management, through the application of this theory, can ensure that everything is put in place to guarantee the quality service delivery for all the satisfaction of all the clients. After all, as a counseling facility, QHCS requires to improve its services, make them exceptional and ensure that yields optimal results to the organization.

QHCS is a real system, just like any other, that is made up of input, processes and outputs. When any of these components is not right, the organization will definitely show dismal performance and this is bad because it wholly depends on the organization of the inputs and processes. At QHCS, there are inputs like employees and non-human resources such as supplies, stationery, materials and many others. For the facility to achieve its target, it should properly utilize all these resources (Frederickson & Ghere, 2013). For instance, the entire senior, junior and subordinate staff should be adequately motivated by offering attractive remuneration packages, incentives, health insurance, and welfare facilities. Meanwhile, the management should ensure that the process of engaging the clients is done as per the expected standard without any mishap.  

Conclusion

For any organization to excel and realize its goals, it should have in place a well-designed strategic plan in which it outlines all the activities that it seeks to perform. In line with this, the organization should have to adopt the necessary management theories. This is why QHCS should ensure that it appropriately applies bureaucracy, contingency, neo-classical and systems theories. For this reason therefore, before making any decision regarding its important operations pertaining to its models of care delivery and client access, the management of QHCS should apply these theories. If properly utilized by the organization in its strategic management, these theories prove to be a valuable asset that can in turn have imminent contributions to its prosperity. Therefore, whenever formulating any plan, the management of QHCS should not fail to appropriately apply these theories.

References

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