Identifying Organizational Patterns: Normative and Empirical Criteria for Organizational Redesign

Abstract

Public service organizations (PSOs) function in patterns that endure over time. Derived from the study of complex systems, the observation of patterns is important for public policy and organizational change. Although the notion of organizations having cultures is now well accepted, organizational patterns involve more than culture—they are the product of the interaction of dynamic multidimensional factors at work in organizations. These dynamics are explored through the three factors of individual motivation, organizational culture, and the challenge of implementing a change. When these three factors interact, they form eight organizational patterns. Based on a case study of each pattern, the character of each pattern is explored. Advantages and disadvantages of each organizational pattern and the context in which each pattern functions best are identified, the implications of an understanding of patterns are explored, their impact on new entrants to the workplace is identified, and suggestions for teaching the patterns are offered.