Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references. / General systems theory provides a conceptual framework for the integration of knowledge from a wide variety of specialized fields. Systems theory serves to synthesize, reconcile, and integrate knowledge making it possible to unify analytical data into broader based theories. By examining various systematic relationships, attention can be focused upon the interrelatedness of organization theory and physical planning. The juxtaposition of these two disciplines within a systems context has particular application in the design of urban settlements in developing countries. The lack of organizational capability and the inability to influence the environment contributes to the continuing cycle of poverty of the urban poor. By structuring and integrating their activities, the poor would be better able to participate in the planning and the implementation of projects which affect their lives. The development of organizational systems can increase the capacity of individuals to change their relationship to the environment to one of greater influence and control. Further, the designs of physical layouts have potential for determining social systems which enhance the idea of interrelatedness. / by Joseph V. Morog. / M.Arch.

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This dissertation investigates and further develops organization health theory in the context of public organizations. This is an important line of inquiry for two reasons. First, the healthy organizations literature and healthy organization theory is inchoate and lacks overall coherence (Dejoy et al., 2010), especially in public organization theory and research. As such many organization theorists have called for expansive solutions and insist this requires consideration of the collective and systemic interactive levels of analysis (Salanova et al., 2012; Schein, 2006). Second, we notice organizations now devoting considerable resources to nurturing individual and organizational health and wellness (Dale & Burrell, 2014; Parks & Steelman, 2008). Ostensibly, this is because health has been demonstrated to enhance or compromise a myriad of organizational outcomes including satisfaction, performance, sustainability, and survival (Pfeffer, 2010; Cooper, 1994). Moreover, organizational health and individual health share a vicarious and interdependent relationship (McHugh & Brotherton, 2000). In response to this “healthy exigency” and in effort to enhance the health of our public organizations, this dissertation employs an interdisciplinary lens to investigate healthy organizations at the systemic interactive level of analysis. The overarching purpose of the study is to provide theoretical contributions and empirical evidence concerning the key factors necessary for the development of healthy public organizations. To accomplish this, I assemble a holistic organizational wellness (HOW) theoretical framework. The HOW framework supports development of a Wellness Quotient (WQ) with data from the 2017 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). The WQ represents the dissertations main contribution, as currently no standardized measure of public organization health (or wellness) exists. Through a process of discovery and analysis which includes multiple iterations of confirmatory factor analyses and a regression analysis, it is found that the WQ has a significant impact on organization performance and satisfaction. The results also confirm this studies hypotheses the WQ may be useful as a proxy for future healthy public organizations research. In sum, the HOW framework and WQ not only contribute to theoretical and empirical development of healthy public organizations, respectively, but they both may serve as useful tools for public organizational health design and development. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

My aim in this thesis is to improve understanding of the contributions of organizational climate to organizational effectiveness. Climate is defined as the shared perceptions of the work environment (Schneider & Reichers, 1983). First, I developed and empirically validated four targeted climates ??? climates for involvement; mission-alignment; consistency; and adaptability ??? reflecting a broad range of management perspectives. These climates are based on Quinn and Rohrbaugh???s Competing Values Framework (1983a), and extend the work of Patterson et al. (2005). Using secondary data from 2027 business-units from diverse industries, worldwide, these climates were, as expected, inter-related, yet distinct. Second, I explored the relationships between multiple climates and stakeholder outcomes (staff motivation, perceived customer loyalty and perceived business performance) using structural equation modeling and discriminant function analysis. Separate but matched manager and employee samples from 620 business-units were used to assess relationships linking the four climates and three effectiveness outcomes within a single model. The findings indicated that employees??? perceptions of workplace characteristics influence important organizational outcomes. Overall, key findings were: (1) a climate for mission related directly to perceived business performance; (2) climates for consistency and adaptability both related to higher business performance through their positive link with customer loyalty; (3) a climate for involvement also related to business performance, but only when the context was uncertain; (4) while climates for involvement and mission related to staff satisfaction, staff satisfaction did not uniquely predict business performance; (5) the most effective business-units, with high scores on all three outcomes, had a balance of high levels of all four climates. The thesis discusses the implications of these results for both theory and practice, as well as suggestions for future research. In particular, the comprehensiveness and empirical integrity of this multiple-climates model indicates its potential to provide new insights about the relationships between perceived organizational characteristics and outcomes. Furthermore, my research suggests that organizations can foster high levels of all four climates concurrently, and in doing so achieve better outcomes for a diversity of stakeholders. This has implications for change management: specifically that organizations should embed and integrate multiple approaches concurrently rather than move from one to the next.

Formal systems thinking methods are not readily understandable, applicable nor necessarily useful in the dealing with complex problem domains facing managers in the public sector workplace. This thesis explores the design of other practical techniques that managers, designers, business systems analysts and project staff can use in the workplace to enhance their individual and collective analytical, systemic and critical thinking skills and capabilities. The interpretive framework used in this social ecology research comprised a constructivist paradigm, a relativist ontology, a subjectivist epistemology, and a critical learning heuristic method. The research technique has been a purposeful and practical combination of critical learning heuristics, action research, project management and creative design conversations. Through the adoption of a first person narrative form and the literary motif of a journeyman’s story, the author relates aspects of his cumulative learning and research. The four major action research cycles are presented in a chronological sequence spanning the seven year period from late 1997 to end 2004. Key findings include a range of practical techniques, informed by systems and complexity theories, that managers and staff can readily understand and apply in approaching complex issues and dynamic problem domains in a large public sector organisation. / Master of Science (Hons)

Becoming a Learning Organization (LO) is widely recognized as a process through which organizations can develop characteristics that enable them to be competitive in an increasingly competitive business environment. While there is an assumption that LOs have the ability to manage change, few empirical studies are available to prove whether an organization with strong LO characteristics also has a high level of change readiness. In developing itself into an LO, an organization seems to gain possession of relevant characteristics through knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge utilization. There is, however, a lack of clarity on what LO characteristics are developed at each of the three stages. The relationship among these stages is also confusing. The purpose of this research is to confirm whether organizations with a high level of LO characteristics also have a high level of readiness-to-change. It also attempts to verify the relationship among the LO development stages of knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge utilization. A questionnaire has been designed following an extensive review. It incorporates "an Inventory of LO Characteristics" to measure the level of LO characteristics formed in an organization. There are also questionnaire to gauge the level readiness-to-change. The questionnaire has been distributed to employees in two leading mobile phone service companies in Thailand. The industry is selected because of its changing business environment. Thailand has been chosen for as the location for the research because few studies in LO have been conducted outside the more developed economies. The findings demonstrate two major insights. Firstly, the correlation coefficient between the six categories of LO characteristics - cultural values, leadership commitment and empowerment, communication, knowledge transfer, employee characteristics and performance upgrading - and readiness-to-change confirms that if an organization has a high level of LO characteristics, it will also have a high level of readiness-to-change. Secondly, the correlation coefficient between the three LO development stages - of knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge utilization - and readiness-to-change, support the hypothesis that they follow a sequential order. Results of the research are analysed and discussed, providing valuable contributions to both research and practice in the area. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Adelaide Graduate School of Business, 2004.

Abstract In recent years, organizational innovation is becoming increasingly important as a means of survival, not just for growth, but also in facing of intensifying competition and environmental uncertainty. Organizational innovation has been considered to be one of the key success factors. On the other hand, over the last two decades, many organizations around the world have adopted Total Quality Management (TQM). It is convinced that TQM is a management philosophy, which is a better way to conduct business and results in higher quality, lower cost products and services that respond faster to the needs of the customer. The relationship between organizational innovation, TQM and organizational effectiveness was studied. The China Steel Corporation (CSC) ,which is a leading steel making company in Taiwan, was chosen to be the research object. The aim of this research is to study following items: 1. To realize CSC employees¡¦ cognition and attitude about the Innovations and TQM activities which have been promoted and /or adopted by the company many years. 2. To analyze the relationship between Innovations, TQM and organizational effectiveness. By doing this study, some results are expected to be referenced by CSC and also for other companies. The results are follows¡G 1. Basically, CSC employees have good cognition toward TQM in CSC¡Aand also convince that it has a high correlation with organizational effectiveness . 2. Regarding Innovations practices, there exist high correlation coefficient between technological innovation and administrative innovation. 3. All the Critical Factors have high correlation with organizational effectiveness, especially ¡§ people management¡¨. 4. The correlation between organizational innovations, TQM and organizational effectiveness are confirmed to be significant. And the Adoption of TQM can intensify the Innovations practices and then increasing organizational effectiveness. Keywords¡Gorganizational innovation, total quality management, organizational effectiveness.

The purpose of the study was to investiage the relationship among the organizational innovation¡Morganizational inertia and organizational effectiveness in elementary schools of Pingtung County¡MTaiwan. Survey research was adopted in this study. A quertionnaire concerning the issues of the three organizational variables was designed to assess teachers¡Mknowledges and attitudes concerning these issues . 509 elementary school teachers of Pingtung County¡MTaiwan were randomly selected as the sample of this study and responded to the questionnaire.The response rate was 84.5¢H. Teachers¡Aresponses were analyzed by both descriptive and inferential. Major findings of the study are as follows¡G 1¡BThe organizational innovation as seen by elementary teachers was above average in a 5-point measuring scale¡Mespecially in the area of¡§school activity innovation¡¨. 2¡BThe organizational inertia expressed by elementary teachers was below average ¡Qtheir sense of¡§procedure inertia¡¨was most susceptible. 3¡BThe degree of organizational effectiveness as perceived by elementary teachers was above average¡Mwith the perception of most favorable¡§school Climate¡¨. 4¡BSenior female elementary teachers with administrative roles in remote ¡Msmall and middle schools showed favorable attitudes toward schools¡Aorganizational innovation. 5¡BSenior elementary teachers with duties of student-advisers and teaching in big¡Murban schools perceived higher organizational inertia of schools. 6¡BSenior female teachers with education of graduation studies¡Mhaving administrative dutips¡Mand teaching in rural¡Mremote¡Msmall and middle schools¡Mpercewed higher school organizational effectiveness . 7¡BThe more positive the teachers, attitudes toward the school organizational innovation were¡Mthe lower their perception of organizational innovationwould be. 8¡BThe higher the teachers, feelings about school organizational inertia were¡Mthe lower their feelings about their school organizational effectiveness would be. 9¡BTeachers, positive attitudes toward school organizational innovation resulted in their perception of better school organizational effectiveness. 10¡BSchools, administrative innovation seemed to affect schools, organizational effectiveness. 11¡BOrganizational innovation and organizational inertia were the significant variables to predict school organizational effectiveness.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 223-231). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Political Science, June 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.