Bess and Dee Volume 2 Chapter 8

 Organizational Effectiveness   and Organizational Efficiency 

“Effectiveness evaluates the extent to which multiple goals – whether official or operative – are attained” (Daft, 1995, p. 53). “Organizational efficiency is the amount of resources used to produce a unit of output” (Daft, 1995, p. 53). Bess and Dee (2012) describe nine conceptual models that help organizations explain effectiveness.

To determine which effectiveness model should be used to determine organizational effectiveness Bess and Dee (2012) suggest the following questions be considered:

1. Whose perspective should dominate the assessment of organizational effectiveness?

2. Which domain of activity is the focus of the evaluation?

3. What is the appropriate level of analysis?

4. To what use will the results of the effectiveness evaluation be put?

5. What should be the appropriate time frame, i.e., long term or short term, and who should set the parameters of the time frame?

6. What are the appropriate types and sources of data?

7. What is the standard or benchmark against which effectiveness is to be assessed?

Additionally, an efficiency assessment should consider the perspective of the observer and the observer's understanding of the priorities of the organization.

The nine models and the corresponding measure of effectiveness are shown in the table below. <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Social Construction Model:    <span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Organizational effectiveness is based on values versus measureable objectives (Scott, 1998).

<p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Postmodern Perspective: <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Organization effectiveness is framed based on surfacing and discussing the various narratives of the organization (Buchanan, 2003).