4. Desarrollo y construcción
4.8 Roles y responsabilidades
According to Mullins (2000), the socio-technical system is concerned with the transformation or
conversion process itself, the relationships between technical efficiency and social considerations and the effect on people.
Researchers observed that new methods of work and changes in technology disrupted the social groupings of workers, and therefore, brought about undesirable changes to the psychological and sociological properties of the old method of working. As a result, the new method of work could be less efficient than it could have been despite the introduction of new technology.
The recommendation calls for a socio-technical approach in which an appropriate social system
could be developed in keeping with the new technical system. It has been observed that there are three sub-systems common to any organisation such as:
• the technological sub-system;
• the sub-system of formal role structure;
• the sub-system of individual members‘ feelings or sentiments.
Another form of analysis result in seeing the organisation as an open, socio-technical system
with five major sub-systems such as follow:
Goals and values – the accomplishment of certain goals determined by the broader system
and conformity with social requirements.
Technical – the knowledge required for the performance of tasks, and the techniques and
technology involved.
Psychological – the interactions of individuals and groups, and behaviour of people in the
organisation.
Structure – the division and coordination of tasks, and formal relationships between the
technical and psychosocial sub-systems.
Managerial – covering the whole organisation and its relationship to the environment,
setting goals, planning, structure and control.
An alternative model is suggested by Hersey and Blanchard, who identify four main interrelated
sub-systems.
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• Human / social focuses on the needs and motivations of members of the organisation and
styles of leadership.
• Administrative / structural focuses on authority and responsibility, and the structure within the organisation.
• Informational / decision-making focuses on key decisions and information needs necessary to keep the organisation operational.
• Economic / technological focuses on the work to be undertaken and its cost-effectiveness
related to the goals of the organisation.
Another useful model is that of Leavitt who suggests the organisation consists of four main elements – task, structure, information and control, and people – which interact with each other
and with the external environment.
• Task – involves problem-solving and improving organisational performance.
• Structure – refers to patterns of organisation, authority and responsibility, and
communications.
• Information and control – techniques for controlling and processing information, such as
accounting techniques.
• People – involves attitudes and interpersonal relations.
According to Mullins (2000), from the above analysis, therefore, five main interrelated sub-
systems as a basis for the analysis of work organisations.
i) Task – the goals and objectives of the organisation. The nature of inputs and outputs, and the
work activities to be carried out in the transformation or conversion process.
ii) Technology – the manner in which the tasks of the organisation are carried out and the nature
of work performance. The materials, systems and procedures, and equipment used in thetransformation or conversion process.
iii) Structure – patterns of organisation, lines of authority, formal relationships and channels of communication among members. The division of work and coordination of tasks b y which the
series of activities are carried out.
attitudes, skills and attributes; needs and expectations; interpersonal relations and patterns of
behaviour; group functioning and behaviour; informal organisation and styles of leadership.
v) Management – coordination of task, technology, structure and people, and policies and procedures for the execution of work. Corporate strategy, direction of the activities of the
organisation as a whole and its interactions with the external environment.
The attention given to organisational sub-systems can be related to developments in management
thinking and organisational behaviour. The classical approach emphasised the structural and the
managerial sub-systems and the development of general principles of organisation. The human relations approach emphasised the psychological and sociological aspects and gave attention to132
the importance of people in the organisation and such factors as the social needs of individuals,
motivation and group behaviour. The systems approach focuses attention on the organisation as a
whole, as a socio-technical system, and considers the interrelationships between the different sub-systems and the importance of environmental influences. The contingency approach concentrates on situational factors as determinants of alternative forms of organisation andmanagement.
3. Interaction between Organization and Environment
An open systems approach is an attempt to view the organisation as a purposeful, unified whole in continual interaction with its external environment. The organisation (system) is composed of
a number of interrelated parts (sub-systems). Any one part of the organisation‘s activities affects
broader view of the organisation‘s activities. Managers should recognise the interrelationshipsbetween various activities and the effects that their actions and decisions have on other activities.
Using the above framework of five main interrelated sub-systems – task, technology, structure,
people, management – provides a useful basis for the analysis of organisational performance and effectiveness.
Fig. 11.6: Organisational sub-systems