Public Organizations

Question 1

organization

Answer 1

a social group in which the members are differentiated as to their responsibilities for the task of achieving a common goal

Question 2

carious perspective

Answer 2

frames as lenses through which to analyse organizations

Question 3

the generic tradition

Answer 3

emphasizes commonalities amon all organizations, regardless of the public or private status. can help create knowledge that applies to all organizations.
highlighting distinctions can cause intellectual dangers like oversimplification.

Question 4

contingency theory

Answer 4

suggests that structure and behaviour of organizations depend on various contingencies, like size, tasks and environmental complexity. overshadows public-private distinctions. organizational characteristics are shaped more by external conditions than whether the organization is publi or private.

Question 5

blurring the sectors

Answer 5

blurring the lines between public, private and nonprofit sectors due to presence of hybrid organizations. have characterisitics of both private and public.
- government-sponsored enterprises
- nonprofit organizations -> public service,

Question 6

purpose of public organizations

Answer 6

1. public goods and free-riders -> certain services that benefit everyone, imposes taxes against free-riders
2. individual incompetence -> regulate activities where certain information and education are necessary for decision making.
3. externalities or spillovers -> some costs might spillover to people that are not parties to the market exchange

Question 7

public rationales for government

Answer 7

the underlying political and social justifications for government actions, beyond purely economic reasons. explains why the government handles certain functions that are not always profit related, but to serve collective welfare

Question 8

public values

Answer 8

represents the societal principles and goals that justify the existance of government and its organizations

Question 9

non-public values

Answer 9

those typically associated with private or individual interests where efficiency, innovation and customer satisfaction is prioritized

Question 10

continuum model

Answer 10

many organizations display character of both sector and can be placed on a continuum. model considers two main factors:
1. political authority -> extent to which organizations operates on behalf of the public, with accountability to the government.
2. economic authority -> level of control the organization has over its recources and operations, decreases when external oversight increases (governmental)

Question 11

frames

Answer 11

mental model, set of ideas and assumptions that you have in your head to understand a certain territory

Question 12

frame-bound

Answer 12

people passively accept decision problems as they are framed

Question 13

organizational frames

Answer 13

• factories -> structure
• families -> HR
• jungles -> political
• temples and theaters -> symbols

Question 14

organizations as factories

Answer 14

organizations are structured systems where roles, goals, technology, and formal relationships are organized for efficiency and productivity.
when structure doesn’t fit well with the current needs, restructuring is required.

Question 15

organizations as families

Answer 15

an organization is a network of individuals with unique skills, needs and emotions. when these needs are ignored, workers may become disengaged or even leave.

Question 16

organizations as jungles

Answer 16

suggests that organizations are arenas of power struggles and negotiation, where individuals and groups fight for control and resources.
problems arise when power is too concentrated or too diltuted.

Question 17

organizations as temples and theaters

Answer 17

emphasizing symbols, culture and rituals. organizations thrive when employees connect through shared values, stories and traditions. rituals, symbols and myths create a sense of purpose and community.
problems arise when symbols lose their meaning, which can be fixed by revitalizing the organization’s spirit through meaningful rituals and storytelling.

Question 18

characteristics of organizations

Answer 18

• organizations are complex
• organizations are suprising
• organizations are deceptive
• organizations are ambiguous

Question 19

3 dimenstions of bounded rationality

Answer 19

1. processing capacity = the brain can only process a fraction of the relevant info.
2. cognitive economizing = cognitive limitations force decision-makers to use mental shortcuts, such as frames.
3. cognitive biases = people tend to align info with their existing beliefs, expectations and values.