Sustainable Organisational Design
ASSESSMENT TASK ONE: SHORT ESSAY
Assessment overview
The purpose of this assessment task is for you to demonstrate your understanding of some key aspects of organisational design and their role in guiding businesses towards success1 in today’s complex and turbulent environments.
Assessment details
Research key aspects of planning as well as contingency factors in organisations, and evaluate the relevance of organisational design in how planned aspects and contingency factors interact in the organisational context. Your essay should address the following question:
What is the relationship between planned and contingent aspects of organisations, and how should this understanding guide organisational design?
Document your response with evidence from the research literature, as well as with reflections from your own experience.
In addressing this question, you may wish to consider the following points:
- What are the distinctive features of an organisation?
- What are the distinctive features of contemporary organisational environments?
- How much control can organised activity exercise over its environment(s)?
- What can organisations do to become and stay successful in such conditions?
When expressing your own opinions in response to the essay question, it is acceptable to write in the first person. However, make sure that all your claims are supported by well-reasoned explanations and, where applicable, evidence. You are free to use references from the prescribed and recommended literature, but not excessively (5-10 references should be sufficient). As this is a reflective essay, reference to your own professional or work experience is an essential element of this assignment.