SOC361H5 Chapter 2: SOC361 Chapter 2.docx
Document Summary
In our opening class, we described organizations as open systems which transform inputs from the environment into outputs. The people within organizations have specific roles which they carry out as part of this transformation process. These roles are coordinated in a certain way in an attempt to make the process function as efficiently as possible. Thus the structure of an organization reflects the division of work and the coordination of the organization"s sub-units. In most organizations these roles and their coordination are formalized into an organizational chart which represents the various positions in an organization. They are in effect a map of the structure of the organization. Structure defines three key components of the organization: Function: departments are set up in an organization according to the function being carried out. This is the most common form of departmentation. Process: people and jobs are grouped together which are needed to implement a certain process.
