Organizational Effectiveness Paper

CJA/474

Organizational Effectiveness Paper
Every company has a set of goals designed to lead the organization in a specific direction. To achieve these goals, managers should train employees to follow a specific path or set of rules that will lead to organizational effectiveness. The measurement of effectiveness is achieved through completion of the organization's goals. To understand organizational effectiveness in any setting, one must define it according to the goals of the organization. In a criminal justice environment, managers must apply various organizational effectiveness theories appropriately to measure the effectiveness of the department. Managers must also exert control to a certain degree in organizational settings to achieve maximum effectiveness. Once managers measure and achieve organizational effectiveness, success of the organization is almost certain.

Organizational Effectiveness Defined
Different definitions of organizational effectiveness exist, mainly because the effectiveness of an organization differs from company to company. Many people would define organizational effectiveness as the output or outcome of the organization and how it affects the desired results. For example, if an organization's goal is to increase sales profits, the organization may use various marketing techniques to bring in more customers to buy their product. If the result is more customers buying their product as intended, organizational effectiveness exists within this company because the goal of the organization was met.
Organizations measure their effectiveness in various ways. According to Steers (1976), "Organizations typically pursue multiple (and often conflicting) goals--and these goals tend to differ from organization to organization according to the nature of the enterprise and its environment" (p. 51). Because of the various types of possible goals, organizations measure their effectiveness in different ways when compared to other organizations, including those similar in output. For example, if the managers of two wholesale stores compare the effectiveness of their organization, the results may be completely different because of the difference in goals. One store may have a goal to increase profits, whereas the other store may have a goal of increasing customer membership. Managers measure the effectiveness by different standards because of the differing goals, even though the stores are similar.

Application of Organizational Effectiveness Theories
Managers and leaders can apply many theories of organizational effectiveness to their company. Many of the various theories deal with motivation and how to use motivation to get employees to do their job and meet the goals of the organization. Managers commonly use content theories and process theories to figure out what motivates employees. According to Geering (1980), "Content theories, like those developed by Maslow, deal with basic concepts of needs that begin, stimulate, or cause behavior. Process theories are concerned with understanding the reasoning behind the choice of a particular behavior pattern to accomplish work goals" (para. 1). Some researchers think one theory is more important to understand than the other. The key to applying the theories of organizational effectiveness is understanding both theories and knowing how to use each to motivate the employees to accomplish the goals of the organization.
In a criminal justice setting, managers can use content theory to discover what will motivate law enforcement officers to do the job. Better pay and benefits along with the desire to grow relationships with other officers motivates police officers to do the job. Eagan (2008) suggested that more than one need could be motivating for people:

Proposing an “ERG Theory” (Existence-Relatedness-Growth), Alderfer said much of what Maslow suggested; however, he felt that more than one need could be pursued