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The incentive systems approach to the study of organizations
Decision support systems reports and theses: Absiracts
89
Ralph H. Kilmann, Organization structure as a missing link to productivity, WP-473, Gladuate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1981).
William R. King, Strategic planning decision support systems: Planning, development and.evaluation, WP-440, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1981).
The particular design of organizational subunits is shown to have a moderating impact on productivity. Specifically, operationalizing long-term, corporate strategy down to day-to-day, task performance can be severely constrained by a structure that has the important task interdependencies occurring between rather than within subunit boundaries. Such a structure of subunits not only generates 'misdirected conversion costs' but prevents the organization from reducing these unnecessary costs - thereby limiting productivity. A method is proposed for assessing these costs for an organization along with recommendations on restructuring subunits for productivity improvements.
The rapidly developing fields of strategic planning and decision suppor~ systems have found a natural intersection in recent years. Whereas only a few years ago it was widely assumed that computer systems could play only a minor role in supporting strategic planning, reports of the successful development of various kinds of systems and the wider application of systematic methodologies to strategic management have led many to revise their thinking.
Author's Abstract
Ralph H. Kilmann, Toward parsimony and integration in the organizational sciences: Discovering the underlying dimensions of various contingency theories of organizations, WP-501, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1982). Numerous typologies have been offered for sorting the major contingencies of organizational functioning. Types of effectiveness, environments, technologies, structures, controls, strategies, goals, decision-making processes, leadership styles, job designs, and cognitive preferences, are just some examples. The paper proposes that the variations in each typology tend to follow a pattern, and that this pattern is defined by the more generic, underlying dimensions of closed vs open systems and technical vs social systems. It is argued that greater parsimony and integration of the organizational sciences are achieved by defining, sorting, and researching contingency variations according to the four resulting (meta) categories (closed technical system, closed social system, open technical system, and open social system), rather tfian developing a unique, catchy, and jargon-filled label every time a different topical area is investigated. Author's Abstract
Author's Introduction
Joachim Merz, Ein modifiziertes Newton.verfahren zur Loesung des Hochrechnungsproblems nach dem Prinzip des minimalen lnformationsverlustes, AP109, Sonderforschungsbereich 3, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt und Universitaet Mannheim, FRG (1983). For the adjustment of microdata based on the minimum information loss principle a non-linear equation system has to be solved. To solve such a non-linear system a modified Newton algorithm is proposed, which could reduce the expenses for adjustments of several micro databases by 767o. Author's Abstract
Barry M. Mitnick, Robert W. Backoff and Hal G. Rainey, The incentive systems approach to the study of organizations, WP-479, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1981). This paper proposes and begins development of a comprehensive, systematic, and integrative incentive systems approach' to the study of organizations. A key aspect is the introduction of the concept of the 'incentive relation'. After a discussion of the relevance of incentives to the performance of government organizations, a justification for an incentive systems approach to the study of organizations is presented. The rationale includes
90
Decision support systems reports and theses: Abstracts
both prescriptive/design and theoretical/explanatory reasons. The literature is then reviewed for the case of work organizations in order to identify lacunae in present approaches and to develop a suggested list of constituent elements of an incentive systems approach. After the definition of 'incentive relation', a conceptual framework for a micro or individual level incentive systems theory is presented. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of possible extensions and applications of the model. Author's Abstract
Barry M. Mitnick, Agents in the environment: Managing in boundary spanning roles, WP-490, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1982). The roles played by boundary spanning personnel (BSP) in managing business environments are examined, including informational and integrating and differentiating action transmission roles. In particular, the paper examines BSP as agents and as creators of agents in firm environments. Gains from augmenting environmental resource dependence models with agency concepts are discussed. In illustration, three brief cases based on interviews with fleet administrators are presented.
experiment. The advantages with respect to nonprocedural descriptions of 'operating characteristics' and the flexibility to design alternate simulation experiments are outlined and related to systems enforced data and process integrity conditions. Author's Abstract
Lawrence H. Nitz and Joachim Merz, Household production, consumption and savings- a FELES analysis of the effects of household characteristics, operating assets and human capita~ WP-102, Sonderforschungsbereich 3, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt and Universitaet Mannheim, FRG (1983). This study seeks to explicate production hypotheses for the non-market sector form microdata with relatively detailed measures of input and market values as output measures. Competition between the household production domain and consumption and saving on the market will be examined. The influence of household characteristics, operating assets and human capital are quantified by a cross section analysis of individual household behavior within a FELES (Functionalized Extended Linear Expenditure System) framework. Author's Abstract
Author's Abstract
Gerriet P. Mueller, Data structure requirements of microanalytic simulation models, WP-105, Sonderforschungsbereich 3, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt and Universitaet Mannheim, FRG (1983). A procedure to design Microanalytic Simulation Programs from their logical data structures is proposed. Logical abstraction of model entities (decision units) and relationships (interactions) serves to describe data at a meta level of assertions, so that an independence from the object level of manipulations, the 'operating characteristics', is derived. This results into a stable common reference structure, called 'global MSM-schema', that may be considered as a software-independent documentation of the minimal set of all the dependencies possibly used for any such simulation
W infried Schmaehl, Veraenderungen der Bemes. sungsgrundlage des Arbeitgeberanteils in der Rentenversicherung aus verteilungspolitischer Sich6 AP Nr. 91, Sonderforschungsbereich 3, J.W. GoetheUniversitaet Frankfurt und Universitaet Mannheim, FRG (1982).
In Germany in the last years it was often proposed to change the basis of employers contributions to the social security (especially retirement) system. Instead of the covered payroll (gross wage) for example, the net value added should be used. In this case the employers share of contribution payments would differ from the employees share, which would be based further on gross wage. The proposal for such a change of employer payments to the retirement system is based on assumptions about favorable effects especially on employment,
89
Ralph H. Kilmann, Organization structure as a missing link to productivity, WP-473, Gladuate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1981).
William R. King, Strategic planning decision support systems: Planning, development and.evaluation, WP-440, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1981).
The particular design of organizational subunits is shown to have a moderating impact on productivity. Specifically, operationalizing long-term, corporate strategy down to day-to-day, task performance can be severely constrained by a structure that has the important task interdependencies occurring between rather than within subunit boundaries. Such a structure of subunits not only generates 'misdirected conversion costs' but prevents the organization from reducing these unnecessary costs - thereby limiting productivity. A method is proposed for assessing these costs for an organization along with recommendations on restructuring subunits for productivity improvements.
The rapidly developing fields of strategic planning and decision suppor~ systems have found a natural intersection in recent years. Whereas only a few years ago it was widely assumed that computer systems could play only a minor role in supporting strategic planning, reports of the successful development of various kinds of systems and the wider application of systematic methodologies to strategic management have led many to revise their thinking.
Author's Abstract
Ralph H. Kilmann, Toward parsimony and integration in the organizational sciences: Discovering the underlying dimensions of various contingency theories of organizations, WP-501, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1982). Numerous typologies have been offered for sorting the major contingencies of organizational functioning. Types of effectiveness, environments, technologies, structures, controls, strategies, goals, decision-making processes, leadership styles, job designs, and cognitive preferences, are just some examples. The paper proposes that the variations in each typology tend to follow a pattern, and that this pattern is defined by the more generic, underlying dimensions of closed vs open systems and technical vs social systems. It is argued that greater parsimony and integration of the organizational sciences are achieved by defining, sorting, and researching contingency variations according to the four resulting (meta) categories (closed technical system, closed social system, open technical system, and open social system), rather tfian developing a unique, catchy, and jargon-filled label every time a different topical area is investigated. Author's Abstract
Author's Introduction
Joachim Merz, Ein modifiziertes Newton.verfahren zur Loesung des Hochrechnungsproblems nach dem Prinzip des minimalen lnformationsverlustes, AP109, Sonderforschungsbereich 3, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt und Universitaet Mannheim, FRG (1983). For the adjustment of microdata based on the minimum information loss principle a non-linear equation system has to be solved. To solve such a non-linear system a modified Newton algorithm is proposed, which could reduce the expenses for adjustments of several micro databases by 767o. Author's Abstract
Barry M. Mitnick, Robert W. Backoff and Hal G. Rainey, The incentive systems approach to the study of organizations, WP-479, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1981). This paper proposes and begins development of a comprehensive, systematic, and integrative incentive systems approach' to the study of organizations. A key aspect is the introduction of the concept of the 'incentive relation'. After a discussion of the relevance of incentives to the performance of government organizations, a justification for an incentive systems approach to the study of organizations is presented. The rationale includes
90
Decision support systems reports and theses: Abstracts
both prescriptive/design and theoretical/explanatory reasons. The literature is then reviewed for the case of work organizations in order to identify lacunae in present approaches and to develop a suggested list of constituent elements of an incentive systems approach. After the definition of 'incentive relation', a conceptual framework for a micro or individual level incentive systems theory is presented. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of possible extensions and applications of the model. Author's Abstract
Barry M. Mitnick, Agents in the environment: Managing in boundary spanning roles, WP-490, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA (1982). The roles played by boundary spanning personnel (BSP) in managing business environments are examined, including informational and integrating and differentiating action transmission roles. In particular, the paper examines BSP as agents and as creators of agents in firm environments. Gains from augmenting environmental resource dependence models with agency concepts are discussed. In illustration, three brief cases based on interviews with fleet administrators are presented.
experiment. The advantages with respect to nonprocedural descriptions of 'operating characteristics' and the flexibility to design alternate simulation experiments are outlined and related to systems enforced data and process integrity conditions. Author's Abstract
Lawrence H. Nitz and Joachim Merz, Household production, consumption and savings- a FELES analysis of the effects of household characteristics, operating assets and human capita~ WP-102, Sonderforschungsbereich 3, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt and Universitaet Mannheim, FRG (1983). This study seeks to explicate production hypotheses for the non-market sector form microdata with relatively detailed measures of input and market values as output measures. Competition between the household production domain and consumption and saving on the market will be examined. The influence of household characteristics, operating assets and human capital are quantified by a cross section analysis of individual household behavior within a FELES (Functionalized Extended Linear Expenditure System) framework. Author's Abstract
Author's Abstract
Gerriet P. Mueller, Data structure requirements of microanalytic simulation models, WP-105, Sonderforschungsbereich 3, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt and Universitaet Mannheim, FRG (1983). A procedure to design Microanalytic Simulation Programs from their logical data structures is proposed. Logical abstraction of model entities (decision units) and relationships (interactions) serves to describe data at a meta level of assertions, so that an independence from the object level of manipulations, the 'operating characteristics', is derived. This results into a stable common reference structure, called 'global MSM-schema', that may be considered as a software-independent documentation of the minimal set of all the dependencies possibly used for any such simulation
W infried Schmaehl, Veraenderungen der Bemes. sungsgrundlage des Arbeitgeberanteils in der Rentenversicherung aus verteilungspolitischer Sich6 AP Nr. 91, Sonderforschungsbereich 3, J.W. GoetheUniversitaet Frankfurt und Universitaet Mannheim, FRG (1982).
In Germany in the last years it was often proposed to change the basis of employers contributions to the social security (especially retirement) system. Instead of the covered payroll (gross wage) for example, the net value added should be used. In this case the employers share of contribution payments would differ from the employees share, which would be based further on gross wage. The proposal for such a change of employer payments to the retirement system is based on assumptions about favorable effects especially on employment,