The analysis of goals in complex organizations

Abstract

An understanding of organizational behavior requires close examination of the goals of the organization reflected in operating policies. To reach a first approximation of operative goals, a scheme is proposed which links technology and growth stages to major task areas—capital, legitimization, skills, and coordination—which predict to power structure and thence to limits and range of operative goals. The major illustration of the utility of the scheme is Provided by voluntary general hospitals; other voluntary and non-voluntary service organizations are discussed, in these terms, as well as profit-making organizations.