THE APPLICATION OF SYSTEMS THINKING

Application of Systems Thinking

Application of Systems Thinking

Introduction

In the most recent installment in our Organization Change sequence, we presented readers to the organizational notion of "open systems." Fundamental to this approach is the concept that there is no one best way to organize. Just as with dwelling organisms, the effectiveness of an association counts on the alignment amidst characteristics of the scheme and between the scheme and its environment. In this installment, we desire to reconsider how open-systems idea concerns to symphony organizations.

Application of Systems Thinking

There are some well-established conceptual structures accessible to help realize and consider ensembles as systems. One of the most applicable forms was evolved by Lawrence and Lorsch (1967). This form increased out of a study matching associations in distinct commerce, with distinct goods, and functioning in distinct environments. Lawrence and Lorsch discovered that associations that had steady, predictable environments were most effective and creative when they utilized a customary hierarchical structure. However, those revealed to quickly altering environments or technologies were more thriving if they chased more flexible organisations in which administration and command were decentralized. The authors furthermore discovered that the higher the grade of external change and doubt, the more subsystem specialization was necessary. More specialization in turn conceived a need for more connection and collaboration amidst varied assemblies inside an organization (Fedorov, 2001).

Relatively abundant evidence of successful liberalization and democratization can be found in Western history; open to question, however, is its relevance to the contemporary Second and Third Worlds. Successful military disengagement from politics requires facilitating conditions, such as a sense of national citizenship. However, whether "threshold" levels must be attained remains unanswered and perhaps unanswerable.

Already noted has been the contrast between truism and truth with respect to economic trends. A few further areas of disagreement merit attention. One of the most important involves short- versus long-term economic changes, including price trends and overall cycles. Research to date has concentrated on one side of the civil-military relations equation: economic factors have been examined and some regularity drawn for growing military involvement with politics, but not for military disengagement from politics. It remains unclear what roles are played by domestic violence in disengagement, liberalization, and democratization. On the one hand, continued turbulence can be viewed as justifying continued roles for the military as governors, since they are supposedly best equipped to deal with antigovernment violence; on the other hand, such violence can be perceived as mandating change, as discussed in the preceding section. The importance of effective police forces, able to contain public disturbances without calling on the armed forces for support, stands out in this respect (Organizational Change: Open System Concepts)

Applying this structure to the usual symphony ensemble association, we might first address the characteristics of the environment. No two organizational environments have precisely the identical characteristics, but it is equitable to state that there are some broadly accepted ecological forces that sway most ensemble organizations. Just a partial register, with numerous associations, would include:

an aging assembly base;

reductions ...