Perspectives: Machines, organisms, social structures

Forced to apply indirect methods of study, theorists adapted metaphors to understand organizations. Common metaphors compare organizations to machines, biological organisms, and social structures (Jex, 2002).

Organizations as machines

As a machine, an organization coordinates its parts (people and processes) to transform inputs from the environment into outputs to the environment. To make sure the components of the machine perform properly, the organization must design jobs and process, select and motivate people, and appraise and change people to maximize the productive capabilities of the organization.

Organizations as organisms

As a biological organism, an organization continually interacts with and adapts to an environment to survive. The organization consists of subsystems that must work together for optimum functionality. To ensure survival, the organization continuously attempts to understand and influence the external environment while aligning its internal subsystems to meet the demands of the external environment.

Organizations as social structures

As a social structure, an organization consists of complex relationships among individuals and groups interacting within the processes and structure of an organization to pursue goals (Scott & Davis, 2007; Jex, 2002). Through the social structure perspective, the participants must maintain the organization by defining objectives, developing membership, inducing members to contribute, coordinating contributions, gathering resources, dispensing produces or services, and accommodating stakeholders (Scott & Davis, 2007).