A Concept of Administrative Futures

Abstract

The problems of development in new organizations are examined by considering a case study — Radio-Québec, the educational television authority of the Canadian province of Quebec.

The typical process of organizational growth and development is one wherein the initial confusion, uncertainties, and inefficiencies come to be replaced by a degree of goal certainty, efficiency in the performance of the organization's tasks, and more 'self- confidence' with respect to the organization's role in its operating environment.

Yet in Radio-Québec these 'normal' processes of bureaucratic growth and development seemed not to occur. Instead of development leading to less confusion in the perfor mance of organizational tasks, it led to a breakdown of internal consensus. The Radio-Québec managing elite was forced, in effect, to create an entirely 'new' organiza tion a second time.

The study demonstrates that growth of maturity may be accompanied by dysfunctions produced by attempts to bring about more rapid developments of the organization.