What are the elements of the organizations environment?

An organization's mission statement describes what the organization stands for and why it exists. It explains the overall purpose of the organization and includes the attributes that distinguish it from other organizations of its type.

A mission statement should be more than words on a piece of paper; it should reveal a company's philosophy, as well as its purpose. This declaration should be a living, breathing document that provides information and inspiration for the members of the organization. A mission statement should answer the questions, “What are our values?” and “What do we stand for?” This statement provides focus for an organization by rallying its members to work together to achieve its common goals.

But not all mission statements are effective in America's businesses. Effective mission statements lead to effective efforts. In today's quality‐conscious and highly competitive environments, an effective mission statement's purpose is centered on serving the needs of customers. A good mission statement is precise in identifying the following intents of a company:

Customers — who will be served

Products/services — what will be produced

Location — where the products/services will be produced

Philosophy — what ideology will be followed

Company policies are guidelines that govern how certain organizational situations are addressed. Just as colleges maintain policies about admittance, grade appeals, prerequisites, and waivers, companies establish policies to provide guidance to managers who must make decisions about circumstances that occur frequently within their organization. Company policies are an indication of an organization's personality and should coincide with its mission statement.

The formal structure of an organization is the hierarchical arrangement of tasks and people. This structure determines how information flows within the organization, which departments are responsible for which activities, and where the decision‐making power rests.

Some organizations use a chart to simplify the breakdown of its formal structure. This organizational chart is a pictorial display of the official lines of authority and communication within an organization.

The organizational culture is an organization's personality. Just as each person has a distinct personality, so does each organization. The culture of an organization distinguishes it from others and shapes the actions of its members.

Four main components make up an organization's culture:

Values

Heroes

Rites and rituals

Social network

Values are the basic beliefs that define employees' successes in an organization. For example, many universities place high values on professors being published. If a faculty member is published in a professional journal, for example, his or her chances of receiving tenure may be enhanced. The university wants to ensure that a published professor stays with the university for the duration of his or her academic career — and this professor's ability to write for publications is a value.

The second component is heroes. A hero is an exemplary person who reflects the image, attitudes, or values of the organization and serves as a role model to other employees. A hero is sometimes the founder of the organization (think Sam Walton of Wal‐Mart). However, the hero of a company doesn't have to be the founder; it can be an everyday worker, such as hard‐working paralegal Erin Brockovich, who had a tremendous impact on the organization.

Rites and rituals, the third component, are routines or ceremonies that the company uses to recognize high‐performing employees. Awards banquets, company gatherings, and quarterly meetings can acknowledge distinguished employees for outstanding service. The honorees are meant to exemplify and inspire all employees of the company during the rest of the year.

The final component, the social network, is the informal means of communication within an organization. This network, sometimes referred to as the company grapevine, carries the stories of both heroes and those who have failed. It is through this network that employees really learn about the organization's culture and values.

A byproduct of the company's culture is the organizational climate. The overall tone of the workplace and the morale of its workers are elements of daily climate. Worker attitudes dictate the positive or negative “atmosphere” of the workplace. The daily relationships and interactions of employees are indicative of an organization's climate.

Resources are the people, information, facilities, infrastructure, machinery, equipment, supplies, and finances at an organization's disposal. People are the paramount resource of all organizations. Information, facilities, machinery equipment, materials, supplies, and finances are supporting, nonhuman resources that complement workers in their quests to accomplish the organization's mission statement. The availability of resources and the way that managers value the human and nonhuman resources impact the organization's environment.

Philosophy of management is the manager's set of personal beliefs and values about people and work and as such, is something that the manager can control. McGregor emphasized that a manager's philosophy creates a self‐fulfilling prophecy. Theory X managers treat employees almost as children who need constant direction, while Theory Y managers treat employees as competent adults capable of participating in work‐related decisions. These managerial philosophies then have a subsequent effect on employee behavior, leading to the self‐fulfilling prophecy. As a result, organizational philosophies and managerial philosophies need to be in harmony.

The number of coworkers involved within a problem‐solving or decision‐making process reflects the manager's leadership style. Empowerment means delegating to subordinates decision‐making authority, freedom, knowledge, autonomy, and skills. Fortunately, most organizations and managers are making the move toward the active participation and teamwork that empowerment entails.

When guided properly, an empowered workforce may lead to heightened productivity and quality, reduced costs, more innovation, improved customer service, and greater commitment from the employees of the organization. In addition, response time may improve, because information and decisions need not be passed up and down the hierarchy. Empowering employees makes good sense because employees closest to the actual problem to be solved or the customer to be served can make the necessary decisions more easily than a supervisor or manager removed from the scene.

What is the environment of an organization?

What is an element of an organization internal environment?

Which are important elements of an organization's external environment?