Throughout this site we have discussed "organization." At first glance
organization doesn't sound like a particularly interesting topic to dwell on. On closer
evaluation, however, we will see that organization is at the heart of social development;
it is, in fact, the fiber out of which development is spun.
Organizational Complexity in the
Mental Stage
One of our fundamental thesis in this site is that society grows and develops
by introducing more and more advanced and complex forms of organizations so it can better
use its energies. In the mental age of social development that we are now entering
organizations are becoming even more complex because in this age the power of thought
becomes prominent. The ability to think of new forms and complexities of organization,
such as the Internet and the computer operating system now running your computer, are
indicators of the mental stage of social development.
Horizontal and Vertical
Organizational Complexity
Organizations can become more complex in two ways; horizontally and vertically.
In horizontal growth an organization is duplicated or replicated in volume, without any
fundamental change in its original nature. This horizontal expansion, though not
reflective of development, still gives society more power and capacity. For example, a
social service system that tracks the quality of education in a district is expanded by
adding more computers to track student progress.
Vertical expansion of complexity, on the
other hand, leads to a change in quality and dimension of the organization, leading to new
types of services and results. For example, the previously mentioned system for tracking
students is now linked to computers in the school which enable the school itself to track
this information and then forward it to the district office. Each system or other
component of the organization becomes more dense in its complexity, leading to a
greater degree of quality and dimension to the organization, or whole new organizations
are created that have a built in higher density to begin with (the Internet being an
obvious example).
In an earlier topic we discussed the
process of social development.
There we indicated there that when society accepts the initiative of pioneering
individuals to unleash a new opportunity or possibility, it does so by developing new
forms of organization to insure that the initiative comes about. Thus, vertical
expansion of organization is an indicator of the process of social development.
Organization and Authority
Another aspect of organization relates to authority. In the earlier stages
of our social evolution (please see the topic The Three Stages of Social
Evolution) authority and power of organizations were in the hands of the few and
powerful. Authority was fixed, with no questions asked as to the rightness or wrongness of
their thoughts and actions. During these stages the structure of organizations were based
not on the clearer perceptions of truth and pure thought but on the physical and vital
realities, such as the power and desires of the powerful few.
In the mental stage of society organization authority is
shifted toward the individual's input, knowledge, and influence. The individual's
contributions begins to be accepted more by those in authority, to the point that the
individuals themselves become the authority. This authority and power of individuals on
the collective gives the organization a greater knowledge, likelihood of fact and truth,
insight, and possibility. In other words, individual empowerment in organization fosters
greater richness and complexity in the organization, hence greater social development.
Organization and Values
Values are the deep-seated beliefs that people, institutions, and
societies share. The richer the values aspired to in any form of organization, the greater
the energy and capacity of that organization. For example, an organization which adheres
to a value, such as systemization or standardization establishes the possibility for a
richer, more complex organization than one that doesn't.
Examples of
values that an organization can adhere to include physical values such as speed,
timeliness, efficiency and productivity; organizational values such as
standardization, systemization, coordination, integration and communication; and psychological
values such as equality of access, public service and empowerment of the individual.
Having values is one thing, carrying them out is another.
The richer the implementation of values is in an organization, the more it is
energized, the richer is its complexity, the more it can be a spur to development in
society. In addition, the more the value is pushed down into in every act, system,
activity of the organization, the organization develops a titanic power for
accomplishment. One could say that values are the ultimate determinant of the quality
of the complexity of an organization.
FURTHER THOUGHT:
-For any initiative for social development you are involved with is there the proper
level, complexity, or degree of organization to support the initiative? If not, why not?
Where can improvements be made?
-In any endeavor you are involved with that you or others
are involved in, are individuals empowered to effect the way the organization (our
systems, procedures, rules, etc.) functions?
-Think about the organization(s) that you are associated
with in (in science, education, politics, economics, etc.), and think about the degree to
which values that are adhered to. Are there any recognizable strong values? What
other values from the list above could make the organization function better?
Additional Growth Online thoughts on Organization of Society
RELATED TOPICS
- To review the importance of organization for an individual,
please click here.
- To review the importance of organization in business, please
click here.
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