Organizations Structure and Complexities - Report Example

Organization’s Structure and Complexities The Ivy League is one of the most famous organizations of top universities in the world. It is a system which is “a set of orderly and interrelated elements that form a functional whole” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 130). The eight member universities of it are considered subsystems which are “a secondary or subordinate system” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 130). Each university, despite being part of the Ivy League, still has their own methods, policy and procedures that they implement within their jurisdiction. Each member university act independently despite being part of the system, therefore, they contain boundaries. Boundaries are “border or margins that separate one entity from another” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 130). They still have their own interests and motives to forward and to uphold their integrity and identity as institutions. At the same time, their individual reputations contribute to the well-being of the Ivy League. Homeostasis is “the tendency for a system to maintain a relatively stable, constant state of balance” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 130). The academic and athletic flourish of the Ivy League makes them sustainable and is reflected by their good university rankings (Sturridge, 2010). This is the homeostatic nature of the Ivy League. The Ivy League, being a system, has a role. A role is “the culturally established social behaviour and conduct expected of a person having a designated status in a group or society” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 131). The role assumed by the Ivy League is providing top-of-the-line quality of education. They are educational institutions that cater to young minds. Most of them are the oldest institutions of higher learning in U.S.A. and their worthy reputation has been proven by the way they fulfil their role as educational institutions (Sturridge, 2010). Within the Ivy League, each member universities have a very competitive relationship. A relationship is “the dynamic interpersonal connection between two or more persons or systems that involves how they think about, feel about and behave for each other” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 131). The athletic competition within the system shows that they promote sportsmanship and fair competition (Sturridge, 2010). Furthermore, in terms of how the way system deals with the aspirants, they provide a very competitive standard and requirements before being admitted in their school. Input is “the energy, information and communication flow received from other systems” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 131). The public is the other system that the Ivy League is dealing with. One thing to consider is that the Ivy League assesses the conditions of the environment and the provide solutions to address the issue and demands of the current times. The solutions they provide are considered output. Output is defined as “what happens to input after it is processed” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 131). We are aware that the most common technological and scientific advancement come from the Ivy League Universities. They are always on the go to develop new things based on how they see the conditions prescribed to them by the society. Feedback is “special form of input where a system receives information about that system’s own performance” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 132). The Ivy League receives the two forms of feedback: positive and negative. That is inevitable. The universities who are members of the Ivy League are reputable and have good academic performance. However, the downside of it is that the tuition fees are too high which shows that everyone will not have a chance to enter the university. The though selection process also shows that only those who have the mental rigor to endure the test and trials that these universities offer shall be the only ones who have the right to enjoy the privilege of the Ivy League education (Sturridge, 2010). Interface is “the contact point between various systems, including individuals and organizations, where interaction and communication takes place” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 132). There are several moments wherein the members of the Ivy League system must meet to discuss their endeavours like the athletics, faculty exchange and the like. These system wide meetings that are held by almost all systems present in the world show that all those who are involved have their chances to speak up and voice out their concerns and suggestions to further ensure that growth and development of the system. Every system is after progress and this works on the principle of negative entropy. Negative Entropy is “the progress of a system toward organization, growth and development” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 133). The Ivy League has worked its way towards progress since their reputation never subsided. They remained among the top list of the best universities for a very long time. This shows that they are not experiencing entropy. Entropy is “the natural tendency of the system to progress towards disorganization, depletion, depletion and in essence, death” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 132). There are not really disorganized. They are still flourishing though there are slight problems that somehow affect their performance but it can be considered minimal. Their overall output as a system is still remarkable. Differentiation is the “system’s tendency to move from a more simplified to a more complex existence” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 132). All throughout the existence of Ivy League, they really have evolved. The relationship within the system has evolved from athletics to a more academically-natured relationship. At the same time, the way the Ivy League seeks to improve the complex nature of things through research and education has shown that they evolved as the organization progress through time. Lastly, Equifinality means “that there are many different means to the same end” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2009, p. 133). The Ivy League, in its obvious sense, is geared towards achieving academic excellence. It is true that it is not just the quality of teaching that reflects their reputation of being academically competent. The facilities, equipment, and training they offer are remarkable. The way the alumni from the Universities which are part of the system contributed back to support the journey on top shows that there are really several means they employ to ensure remarkable performance. BIBLIOGRAPHY Sturridge, Darren R. (2010, Sept 12). A Look at the Ivy League System of Universities. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Look-at-the-Ivy-League-System-of-Universities&id=5020709 Kirst-Ashman, Karen K. And hull, Jr., Grafton H. (2009). Generalist Practice with Organizations and Communities (4th ed., pp. 129-133). US./Brooks/Cole. Read More