ISSN: 2277-5536 (Print); 2277-5641 (Online)

ON THE ORGANIZATION: APPLICATIONS AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

ANALYSIS OF A FAMILIAR WORD
Patil Gupta Padhye, Samir Al Nassiri
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Department of Organization and Management, University of Puna, India

Department of Industrial Engineering, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to further elaborate the concept of the organization focusing on its key defining
elements, key definitions and typologies linked to each definitions. Reviewing the existing
literature and dictionaries, we highlight the roots, originality and historical development of the
term in the different contexts. Key definitions and their related conceptualizations and typologies
will be presented so that enables the reader to get on overall insight of the term and the broader in
depth understanding of its conceptions and applications.
KEYWORDS: Organization, Organize, Definition, Roots, Origins, Typologies
THE ROOTS AND ORIGINS
The existing sources indicate that the term organization goes to Late Middle English organizacion, and Medieval Latin- organiztin (stem of organizti) and the Old French of the
years 1375 to 1425. According to Websters Business Dictionary (2010), the first application of
the term in English has been from 1341 (accessed May 16, 2015).
To say more accurately, in Medieval Latin the term organization comes from organizationem
(nominative organizatio), noun of action from past participle stem of organizare, from Latin
organum "instrument, organ".
In the Old French conception, organize referred to your internal organs, your liver, heart, and so
on. This verb originally meant giving an organic structure to something: understanding the
function some part of the larger whole is supposed to fulfill, and making that happen. Figure 1
maps the origins of the term.

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Figure1. Origins of the Organization (Adopted from: dictionary.com assessed May 17, 2015).
DEFINITIONS:
Business dictionary defines the organization as a social unit of people that is structured and
managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals. All organizations have a management
structure that determines relationships between the different activities and the members, and
subdivides and assigns roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out different tasks.
Organizations are open systems--they affect and are affected by their environment (Retrieved
June

01,

2015).

Focusing on its process, manner, making and structure, the American Heritage Dictionary for
English Language (2010) defines the organization as:
1. The act or process of organizing.
2. The state or manner of being organized.
3. Something that has been organized or made into an ordered whole.
4. Something made up of elements with varied functions that contribute to the whole and to
collective functions.
5. A structure through which individuals cooperate systematically to conduct business.

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The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary (2003) adds a definition of the
organization in the medical context and defines it as: The conversion of coagulated blood,
exudate, or dead tissue into fibrous tissue.
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Collins English Dictionary (2009, 10th Ed.) has provided the following definitions for the
organization considering it features such as particularity of the ends, its public nature and its
systematic nature
1. The act of organizing or the state of being organized
2. An organized structure or whole
3. A business or administrative concern united and constructed for a particular end
4. A body of administrative officials, as of a political party, a government department, etc
5. Order or system; method
Merriam Websters Business Dictionary (10th Edition) defines the organization focusing on its
process, conditions, type and structure as below:
1: the act or process of organizing or of being organized
2: the condition or manner of being organized
3: association, society <charitable organizations>
4: an administrative and functional structure (as a business or a political party); also : the
personnel of such a structure (10th Edition, 361).
In the following tables. The authors have summarized the key aspects of defining organizations
as well as some types of applications in the English resources.

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Table1. The synonyms and typologies for the organization defined as An organized structure for
arranging or classifying
Definition as:

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An organized structure for arranging or classifying

Synonyms:
Arrangement, organization, system
Types:

explanations

classification system

a system for classifying things

contrivance

an artificial or unnatural or obviously

contrived arrangement of details or parts
etc.

coordinate system, frame of reference, reference a system that uses coordinates to

frame, reference system

establish position

Data structure

(Computer science) the organization of

data (and its storage allocations in a
computer)

Design, plan

An arrangement scheme

Kinship system

(Anthropology) the system of social

relationships that constitute kinship in a
particular culture, including the
terminology that is used and the
reciprocal obligations that are entailed

Lattice

an arrangement of points or particles or

objects in a regular periodic pattern in 2
or 3 dimensions

Living arrangement

an arrangement to allow people (or

ideas) to coexist

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hierarchical data structure, hierarchical

a structure of data having several levels

structure

arranged in a treelike structure

hierarchical classification system

a classification system where entries are

arranged based on some hierarchical

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structure
file system, filing system

a system of classifying into files

Table2. The synonyms and typologies for the organization defined as a group of people who
work together
Definition as:
a group of people who work together
Synonyms:
Social group
Types:

Explanations

adhocracy

an organization with little or no structure

affiliate

a subsidiary or subordinate organization that is

affiliated with another organization

bureaucracy

any organization in which action is obstructed by

insistence on unnecessary procedures and red tape

NGO, nongovernmental

an organization that is not part of the local or state or

organization

federal government

Tammany, Tammany Hall,

a political organization within the Democratic Party

Tammany Society

in New York City (late 1800's and early 1900's)

seeking political control by corruption and bossism

fiefdom

an organization that is controlled by a dominant

person or group

line of defense, line of defense

any organization whose responsibility it is to defend

against something

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line organization, line organization

the organizational structure of activities contributing

directly to the organization's output

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a formal organization of people or groups of people

association

Table3. The synonyms and typologies for the organization defined as the act of forming or
establishing something
Definition as:
the act of forming or establishing something
Synonyms:
constitution, establishment, formation,
organisation
Types:

Explanations

unionization

act of forming labor unions

collectivization

the organization of a nation or economy

on the basis of collectivism

communization

the organization of a nation of the basis of

communism

federation

the act of constituting a political unity out

of a number of separate states or colonies
or provinces so that each member retains
the management of its internal affairs

colonization, settlement

the act of colonizing; the establishment of

colonies

population

the act of populating (causing to live in a

place)

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In Medical Context:
Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers (2007) considers three main definitions for
the organization. Two of these definitions are adjusted to common conceptions of the term whilst
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the 3rd definition conceptualizes the organization as a treatment. Below we have presented these 3
definitions:
1. The process of organizing or of becoming organized.
2. An organized body, group, or structure.
3. The replacement of blood clots by fibrous tissue.
Whilst the existing literature and references doesnt provide a history for the 3rd application but it
seems fruitful to further investigate its historical development.

Consistent with the above

definitions, Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health,
Seventh Edition. (2003) has also provided the following definitions for the organization.
Interestingly it has focused on the immune system aspect of it. We can see the following
definitions:
a: the act or process of organizing or of being organized
b : the formation of fibrous tissue from a clot or exudate by invasion of connective tissue cells
and capillaries from adjoining tissues accompanied by phagocytosis of superfluous material and
multiplication of connective tissue cells.
However a look at the definitions provided by Mosby's Dental Dictionary (2008), Saunders
Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary (2007), and Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions
(2010) doesnt provide any different conception of the term in the medical sciences.

In Legal Context:
West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2 (2008) Defines the Organizations as A generic
term for any type of group or association of individuals who are joined together either formally or
legally. In this definition legitimacy and formality of the organization has been considered thus
makes a distinction with previous definitions of the term in general and medical context.

DAV International Journal of Science Volume-4, Issue-2, June 2015

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This is while Burton (2007) has a focus on the governance and the subordinates and states that an
organization can be defined as the acceptance of the order and rules of some people on another
people. This definition of the term is worth for further elaboration of the dimensions of the term.
Page | 21 The review of the other literature and references revealed that there is no other distinction between

the definitions in other contexts compared to legal context. Even if, there are some sources that
treat organization as a legal institution and include all legislated acts, rules, and established
customs and culture also as an organization (The Blacks Law, 2011).

REFERENCES
[1]

Dictionary-Complete, C. E. (1979). Unabridged 10th Edition 2009 William

Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. URL: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/(accessed May
26, 2015).
[2]

organization. BusinessDictionary.com. Retrieved June 05, 2015, from

BusinessDictionary.com website:
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organization.html
[3]

Obeng, M. K. (2003). The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary.

Journal of the National Medical Association, 95(7), 634.

[4]

Burton's Legal Thesaurus, 4E. 2007. William C. Burton. Used with permission of

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

[5]

Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers. (2007). Retrieved June 1

2015 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization

[6]

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied

Health, Seventh Edition. (2003). Retrieved April 25 2015 from http://medicaldictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization

[7]

Mosby's Dental Dictionary, 2nd edition. (2008). Retrieved May 5 2015 from

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization
[8]

Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary, 3 ed.. (2007). Retrieved May 30

2015 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization

[9]

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. (2002). Retrieved May 6

2015 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization

DAV International Journal of Science Volume-4, Issue-2, June 2015

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[10] Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary. (2012). Retrieved June 5 2015 from
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization
[11] Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing. (2012). Retrieved
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June 5 2015 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization

[12] Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions. (2012). Retrieved June 5 2015
from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization
[13] iMedix patient discussion forum. (2010). Retrieved June 5 2015 from
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organization
[14] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition
Copyright 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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