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¶ … Decision making and modern institutional change (Chandler, 1973), "The replacement of small personal enterprises by large managerial ones in many industries radically altered the nature of the decision-making unit, and the types of decisions made within the unit." (p. 10) Prior to the 1850's, most economic decisions in the United States were made by entrepreneurs who either worked alone or collaborated with one or two partners (p. 3). High-volume production and distribution fueled the creation of the multi-unit enterprises operated by career managers rather than owners (p. 3). The new enterprises required a formal internal organization to run efficiently given that a large number of sub-units that carried out several different functions of production, distribution and transportation all within a single enterprise (p. 3).
Chandler describes a single administrative network composed of thousands of managers that has emerged to executive new operating requirements (p. 12). In this network, individual actions are largely determined by organizational aspects and less by the individualism of the past. And, roles and responsibilities are now different. In Chandler's scenario, senior executives have turned their attention to investment and policy formulating decisions, leaving...
10). Specialized managers with training in engineering and business management have emerged to manage the high velocity of throughput in various operational functions (p. 11).
Chandler aptly describes why it was necessary for organizational structure and decision making to evolve for the age of mass production and distribution (p. 3). However, his essay is flawed in several areas. First, he is overly optimistic regarding the replacement of individualism with an internal grouped-based administrative network (p. 12). Secondly, his theory that the senior executive is the sole authority on investment and policy formulation has not stood the test of time (p.10). Thirdly, Chandler has not adequately addressed the role of culture in organizational decision making, focusing instead on only responses to operational necessities.
Unless one actually believes that financial fraud benefits a company, one must assume that individualism, contrary to Chandler's single administrative network theory, ruled in fraud cases at numerous companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, and McKesson, to name just a few. Most of the fraud was committed by executives to enhance their own financial well being, not…
Bibliography
Chandler, A.D. (1973, March). Decision making and modern institutional change. The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 33, No. 1, 1-15.
, although more governments are including citizen satisfaction survey results to address the lack-of-quality-indicators criticism. Ultimately, the article's key findings can be summarized in the four lessons learned from the states that the authors provide: (1) the importance of working proactively to identify roles and responsibilities; (2) the importance of committed leadership; (3) the importance of balancing political, managerial and performance measurement accountability; and (4) The importance of clarity and
Wolves Shoot Down Kicks, 109-100 Hunters in Wisconsin, Montana and elsewhere have been given authorization to kill as many wolves as they can, despite protests from conservation groups that claim wolves are not yet ready to be removed from the "endangered species" list. Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, November 3, the New York Knickerbockers tried hard to kill the spirits -- and shoot down the momentum -- of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but in
The basic elements of documentary are taken from the events in the story (Nicols, 26-35). The historical facts are narrated such that there are often flash backs to the events as a connection develops to a past event. There is greater degree of dramatic license given minor details where history does not offer any details. The elements of a drama documentary are: Depiction of real life historical events The emphasis on
Unethical Leadership Leadership is not an inherited gift or a family heritage. Becoming a leader is a deliberate and planned process of personal and professional development that must be carried out experientially. It requires one to have the courage to say both "yes" and "no' to an everlasting chain of large and small tests. In order to become a true leader, one must be prepared to define his/her values, character, and
Machine Translation and Horizons of the Future Almost everyone is familiar with the nifty Google feature which allows for instantaneous translation of foreign words. This automated or 'machine' translation is a convenient way to read websites in different languages. No longer does the reader need to know someone who speaks the foreign language or to hire a translator. The translation is provided quickly and easily, via 'machine.' However, for many
Controversies Over Women's Access Birth Control This study focuses on the article titled "Controversies over Women's Access to Birth Control" as written by Marcia Clemmitt. The author reviews different perspectives to close down the issue of dispensing birth control. It begins with an example of a pharmacist who refused to dispense his professional duty due to moral and religious practices. He viewed birth control as an immoral vice. The author explores