The Nature of Organizations
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Introduction
Whether you do GIS work for a large corporation, a government agency, a private consulting firm, or yourself, your approach to project management will be strongly influenced by your organization and its approach to business.
Mission Statement
How do you get to know what an organization is about? Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, would suggest you look at their mission statement. A mission statement is a philosophy or creed about how an organization plans to influence. What purpose does it serve? A good mission statement should reflect the organization's values; it is in essence a window to the soul of an organization.
Mission statements vary from pithy (Chrysler's old "Quality is Job One") to statements that go on for pages. The mission statement addresses why the organization exists in the first place. Your organization probably has a mission statement. Your division, department, or office may have a separate one as well. Covey even suggests that families and individuals come up with their own.
Organizational Structure
If the mission statement is a spiritual photo that captures the soul of an organization, the organizational structure chart is an x-ray of its body. An organizational structure is the most obvious indication of how an organization approaches business in general and projects in particular. The focus here is roles and responsibilities. This structure is generally laid out in great detail in the organizational chart. These structures can be classified into three general types:
Functional
Project
Matrix
In a functional structure, GIS analysts may report to an Information Technology manager or vice president who would report to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) or Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In a project structure, GIS analysts may report to the GIS program manager or project manager who reports to the CIO or CEO. In a matrix structure, GIS analysts may report to both an IT manager and a GIS program manager, depending on his or her roles and responsibilities. Of course, depending on the hierarchical structure of the organization, there may be several additional levels of management. Each of these structures has different advantages and disadvantages. Check out the hyperlink under "Site Visit" below for discussion of these organizational structures from a project manager's viewpoint.
Although the functional structure will greatly influence how projects are managed, organizations have other frames from which they can be viewed. The needs of the organization should be in harmony with the needs of the people. GIS specialists with fast digitizing skills may make an organization a steady profit, but the individual may desire professional challenge and quit. A strong undercurrent in any organization is politics, which has great potential to dictate the success or failure of projects. Finally, organizations, like people, have values that are reflected in its symbols. These symbols can range from the size or location of an office to an organization's dress code, be it very formal or casual. As these symbols are reflections of values, they can offer important insights that are independent of the mission statement into what is valued within an organization