Population Ecology and Organizational Change
Population ecology is one of the most interesting areas in this class. It involves the unique relationship organizations have with their environments. Much of the thinking of organizational ecology is borrowed from the thinking of population ecology of organisms (from biology). To population ecologists organizations have limited ability to adapt to major changes in their environments. If they can change they survive. If they cannot change they greatly risk lower performance or death. This theory explains how a large percentage of organizational success may be attributed as much to luck as skill in that many organizations have limitations on their ability to recognize changing environments and have limited ability to adapt to changes.
For this module you have two articles, one link and a video. Within each look for the RED parts detailing your specific assignment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-yl6RUba6E&feature=youtu.be
Short and quick introduction to the concept of organizational ecology.
Answer the following questions:
- What do organizational ecologists focus on?
- Name 4 categories of environmental factors that influence an organization
- In your opinion what could happen to an organization if it were to ignore one of the major environmental influences?
WHAT COULD SAY THE ORGANIZATION SOCIOLOGY TO MANAGERS, BY MICHAEL HANNAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1T091U2HPE&feature=youtu.be
Short and to the point… sort of. Organizational ecology has great implications for managers wanting to survive intense competition.
- Find an example in todays business world where product that everyone thought would work eventually died and disappeared. Describe this product.
- List at east 2 reasons why this product died
- Think of a situation in your life experience where a change was going to be made and you noticed that people resisted the changed. Why do you think people resisted the change?
- How is it possible that people resist change when they also recognize that the change is good or them?
- Think of an example in your life where you knew you need to make a change in your life, you knew intuitively that this change would be a good think for you .. BUT.. you had no idea what the change would be, how to make the change and when to make the change. Describe this
- Describe a scenario where an organization stuck with their product or service, knew that the world was changing, but resisted changing their product or service where the end result was that this product became obsolete.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAVKGIhqf8o&feature=youtu.be
Answer the following questions:
- What are three types of organizational isomorphism
- Imagine this argument. ” People are very different before joining a sorority. When they join a sorority they realize that there are certain behaviors and attitudes that are acceptable and certain ones that are not acceptable. To survive in the sorority they choose the acceptable ones. If all the members choose to go with the acceptable behaviors and attitudes the members will all start to look and act alike.” Do you agree or disagree?
