Design planning to meet goals in human service organizations

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Parker, Barnett R. | Kaluzny, Arnold D.

Affiliations: Department of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, U.S.A.

Abstract: The performance of human service organizations is strongly affected by their design. However, the selection of an appropriate design is complicated by the existence of multiple, often conflicting, performance goals. This paper proposes a systematic, management-based methodology for (1) identifying organizational designs “best” able to meet a series of performance goals; (2) assessing the performance of current organizational designs; and (3) suggesting strategies for appropriately adjusting current designs to enhance performance. Emphasis throughout the discussion is on generation and incorporation of managers' judgements of design and performance. This, it is felt, will help identify those designs most responsive to organizational goals and their priorities. The approach therefore has importance for both researchers and human service managers concerned with the productivity and goal sensitivity of their organizations.

Keywords: Organizational design, multiple conflicting goals, goal priorities, conjoint analysis, linear goal programming, self-assessment, corrective design strategies, management-based

DOI: 10.3233/HSM-1982-3204

Journal: Human Systems Management, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77-90, 1982