MODULE 3 ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand purpose of organizations Understand basic organizational design Awareness of line/staff relations Awareness of advantages/disadvantages of different organizational designs for Public.
Download ReportTranscript MODULE 3 ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand purpose of organizations Understand basic organizational design Awareness of line/staff relations Awareness of advantages/disadvantages of different organizational designs for Public.
MODULE 3 ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand purpose of organizations Understand basic organizational design Awareness of line/staff relations Awareness of advantages/disadvantages of different organizational designs for Public Works ORGANIZATION - defined An organization is a grouping of individuals and resources for the purpose of achieving a set of common, defined goals and objectives, and whose interaction is based on structured relationships and processes. Basic Organizational Design Define the goals and objectives (“the Work”) Break work into similar tasks Balance workload Assign people to do the work Assign someone to manage the work Assign People to Do the Work Pick people with appropriate skill set Make sure they understand purpose and importance Provide them with the resources to do the work Assign Someone to Manage the Work Create authority - power to act, make decisions, give directions Create responsibility - obligation to get work done Create accountability - being responsible to higher power Provide the Resources to do the work Good people and good management can only do so much without the resources. Unfortunately, the better the people and the management, the longer they can create the illusion of doing the work without proper resources. Centralizing vs. Decentralizing Centralize when: Work involves recurring, familiar tasks Uniformity is important Qualified central staff is available Decentralize when: Need flexibility in response Need innovation Have trusted subordinates Geography requires it Span of Control How many people report to you How many different activities do you manage How good are your subordinates How good are your reporting and control systems Tolerance for mistakes – you and your department head/City Manager “Tall” Organizations Department Head Asst Dept Head Deputy Dept. Head Division Manager Section Head Supervisor Line Staff Deputy Dept. Head Division Manager Section Head Supervisor Line Staff “Flat” Organizations Department Head Division Head Division Head Division Head Division Head Human Factors in Organizing Affinity Pecking order Titles Need for independence Separating conflicting personalities Traditional / Functional Public Works Streets Utilities Facilities & Fleet Engineering Each group focuses on a specific piece of the infrastructure and/or a specific function Traffic Strengths and Weaknesses Traditional / Functional Organization Strengths • • • • • Specialization Technical control Continuity Well established communications Single boss Weaknesses • • • • “Center of universe” Complex coordination Slow to innovate Multi-point customer contact Which Structure Gets Used Mission Size of organization Uniqueness of activities Geography Personnel Management team Political considerations THE EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONS Driven by changes in the mission From a focus on expansion to a focus on sustainability From a focus on system performance to customer service Also driven by social and economic changes From domineering and arrogant to democratic and transparent From result consciousness to social consciousness Traditional public works organization (also typical for most smaller agencies) PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR OPERATIONS STREET AND OTHER MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING ADMINISTRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF TRADITIONAL PW ORG Infrastructure systems are viewed in their totality, with recognition of the life cycle costs of these systems by engineers designing them. Members of the organization tend to be multidimensional – an engineer who could not only check the work of others but perform design work (and also operate a backhoe!); a maintenance worker who was just as comfortable spreading a new layer of asphalt on a road as he was fixing a water pump and restoring water service; a traffic engineer who was just as comfortable adjusting signal timing in a controller cabinet as he was reviewing a traffic study. REASONS WHY PW ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CHANGED Proliferation of laws and regulations and certification requirements related to infrastructure management Requirements for Environmental review and Sustainability of public works projects Changing political environment with emphasis on more open and transparent governance Emphasis on Customer Service as the driving force in the delivery of public works services rather than long term preventative maintenance programs. Public scrutiny and public activism, bringing into question the rationale behind public works improvement strategies and questioning decisions based solely on technical and economic considerations. Changing public attitude towards funding of all public services and accompanying tax revolts in many states. PW ORG TRANSITION Divisional structure of public works organization (typical in larger agencies). PUBLIC WORKS WORKS ENGINEERING FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION OPERATIONS ENGINEERING STREETS AND SEWERS PERSONNEL ARCHITECTURE BUILDINGS ACCOUNTING CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FLEET SUBDIVISION & NEW DEVELOPMENT MAPPING UTILITIES PW ORG TRANSITION Divisional structure of public works organization “flattened” for more direct supervision by department head. DEPT HEAD DIVISION HEAD ENG’G DIVISION HEAD UTILITIES DIVISION HEAD NEW DEVELOP DIVISION HEAD ADMIN DIVISION HEAD DIVISION HEAD CAPITAL PROJECTS DIVISION HEAD BLDG & FLEET ALTERNATIVE PW ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS Engineering as a sub-group within the Community Development Department (or Planning) – a preferred arrangement in cities where new development was a high priority and engineers in the traditional arrangement seen as being intransigent and inflexible with respect to public improvement standards ALTERNATIVE PW ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS Maintenance and Engineering split into two separate Departments : Seen as a way of making maintenance more responsive to city management priority setting, and less prone to follow prescribed standards for preventative maintenance at the expense of the more customer service oriented “reactive” maintenance. ALTERNATIVE PW ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS Water and Sewer Utilities, as separate departments: Unlike street and drainage maintenance which deals with fixed systems that accommodate human activity, these services involve collecting or delivering, transporting, treating and disposing of the byproducts of human activity (or, in the case of water, an essential commodity that is required for human activity). These activities are highly regulated, and are usually supported not by general taxes, but by fees charged in proportion to the amount of “product” delivered or removed. The education, skills and certifications required in these areas tend to be more stringently regulated. ALTERNATIVE PW ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS Transportation as a separate department : In urbanized areas in particular, more road building is no longer seen as a desirable or feasible solution to transportation problems. What used to be a civil engineering exercise involving design and construction of highways, roads and bridges now involves a more holistic approach to finding solutions to traffic problems. These solutions range from neighborhood traffic calming to demand management through such techniques as encouraging alternative modes, car pooling, etc. Use of Organization Charts Shows big picture – who’s in charge of what Shows relationships Shows lines of authority Gives your IT Department stuff to do Makes it appear like you know what your department is doing at budget time When Do You Reorganize? Good reasons: Improve efficiency Change in mission Only when there is a purpose Not such good reasons: Change in city management Change in public works management Creating High Performance Organizations Leaders must channel their egos away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great organization. They are incredibly ambitious, but their ambition is focused on creating a great organization…..not themselves. Great leaders have the ability to get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. People are not your most important asset…..the right people are. Creating High Performance Organizations (cont’d) In determining the right people…..more important to consider character attributes vs. specific educational background, practical experience, or work experience. Personal dimensions like character, work ethic, intelligence, dedication to fulfilling commitments and values should drive selecting your organizations staff. Creating High Performance Organizations (cont’d) People at all levels feel personally responsible for creating the organizations culture and serving the needs of the customers vs. serving one’s personal self interest People at all levels need to be accountable for the well-being of the organization vs. the belief that those at the top are responsible and accountable for the success of the organization. Creating High Performance Organizations (cont’d) Clear understanding of core business Create a governance system which creates a strong sense of ownership and responsibility for outcomes Beliefs and attitudes need to change…..if there is not transformation inside each of us, all the structural changes in the world will have no impact on our institutions