The discussion assignment provides a forum for debating topics that may not have one clear answer.

Before beginning work on this week’s discussion post, review the following resources:

Typologies, metaphors, and design factors lend some insight into understanding organizations and serve as a good basis to analyze cases (to analyze a particular organization or to compare organizations). However, by their nature, typologies and metaphors must remain fairly simple yet be complete enough to enable distinct categorization, understanding, and comparison of organizations. Because of a typology’s simplicity, it may be difficult to place organizations into just one category (or quadrant or design factor).

By the due date assigned, post your response to the Discussion Area by reviewing the following:

What are the dominant characteristics of the typologies you have studied in this seminar, and where have you struggled with overlapping areas? Be specific and use examples from the organization you are studying, ask for advice from your colleagues in the discussion.

Be very specific with the topic you choose:

• What are the main problems or challenges with the typology?