HIAD 7443 Chapter 3

Simpson

This chapter of Educating by Design looks at how organizations function and how
this may effect an environment and an individuals response to it (Strange & Banning,
2001). The text explains that organizations, specifically institutions of higher education,
are what Parsons (1960) described as deliberately constructed and reconstructed to seek
specific goals (as cited in Strange & Banning, 2001, p. 59). These environments with a
purpose are characterized by Etzioni (1964) as possessing three components, which
include divisions of labor, power, and communication, the presence of one or more power
centers, and substitution of personnel (Strange & Banning, 2001).
Most importantly, the text outlines seven structural components that shed light on
organizational dimensions and how it shapes the environment (Strange & Banning,
2001). Within the seven components, I was able to relate specific work environments or
situations to centralization and morale (Strange & Banning, 2001).
According to Hage and Aiken (1970), Organizational centralization refers to the
way in which power is distributed in a setting (as cited in Strange & Banning, 2001).
The degree of centralization differs depending on the type and culture of an institution.
Our campus, an extension of the larger main campus, has a unique organizational chart
and reporting structure due to the inability to duplicate positions. To some degree, faculty
and staff have the ability to make decisions within the leadership on the Lambuth
campus; however, ultimately the power still lies in the overarching leadership residing on
the Memphis campus. This distribution of power can at times cause conflict due to the
distance, lack of autonomy, or the perception we are second thought.
This degree of centralization specific to our campus can and does affect faculty,
staff, and student morale. The satisfaction of members and participants in an organized

HIAD 7443 Chapter 3

Simpson

system is vital when it impacts performance, motivation, and longevity (Strange &
Banning, 2001). If faculty, staff, and students do not feel valued or satisfied in their work,
they are not likely to persist in that environment. In the case of the Lambuth campus, the
organizational centralization can create dissatisfaction in the work environment, which
according to Strange and Banning (2001) may undermine the purposes and goals of the
organized system, as members cease to fulfill their roles and eventually withdraw from
the system. How might these organizational characteristics like centralization and
morale effect whether an environment is static or dynamic?

Strange, C., & Banning, J. (2001). Organizational environments: How institutional goals
are achieved. In Educating by design: Creating campus learning environments
that work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.