Both authors of our readings from week four discuss how basic management principles apply to public safety organizations and how straying from those principles can cause organizational failures.

In the work of Clarissa Dias and Michael Vaughn, the authors use examples from case studies to demonstrate how dministrative breakdown and managerial disorganization#an be analyzed through the lenses of six organizational elements.

For assignment two, you will discuss each organizational element and your experiences with the application of the organizational element in an organization, preferably a bureaucracy, with which you¥ been involved.  Depending on the element, your may have experienced efficient and effective use of the element, administrative breakdown because of ineffective or inappropriate use of the element, or something in between.   The goal is to synthesize the author’s explanation of the organizational element and supplement that with your own experiences and, if necessary, outside academic sources.  Because the elements discussed are present in all sorts of organizations, it should not be necessary for you to have been involved in a public safety organization to complete the assignment.  If you have no personal experiences related to the organizational element, you can supplement the authors discussion with research which may include interviewing someone who has had such experiences.   The organizational elements are:  

Goals and Objectives

Division of Labor

• Hierarchy of Authority
• Command and Control
• Accountability  
• Communication
• Your instructor will be looking for you to use critical thinking skills, demonstrate that you understand the concepts of organizational elements, and for you to make thoughtful connections between the theory and real world experiences.