Organizations in action - Boek Thompson - Organizations in Action

3 important questions on Organizations in action - Boek Thompson - Organizations in Action

Selecting boundaries is about what activities should be incorporated and what not. What is the line of reasoning of Thompson by placing boundaries?

Thompson's line of reasoning is to place boundaries around activities that are too uncertain when its left to the task environment. These activities should be incorporated in the organizational activities. It depends on the primary process.

With structuring the primary process, organizations can also reduce uncertainty. This is about the different types of tasks and ways to coordinate them. How are tasks structured based on Thompson's line of reasoning?

Tasks are structured based on the interdependencies between activities.

To reduce the costs, Thompson argues the type of task and type of coordination should match. What are the three types dependencies distinguished by Thompson, and corresponding coordination?

Three types of dependencies as distinguished by Thompson:
- Pooled; with pooled, the activities are relatively autonomous and contribute to a common output. So these tasks are not interdependent. This corresponds with flows in STSD.
- Sequential; first A, then B. One activity depends on the other.
- Reciprocal; interdependence between activities: both need output from each other to go further.

Ways to coordinate:
- Standardization is to coordinate pooled This corresponds with mediating primary process.
- Centralized planning is to coordinate sequential. This corresponds with long linked primary process.
- Mutual adjustment is to coordinate reciprocal. This corresponds with intensive primary process.

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