Question

Imagine that you are the founding entrepreneur of a software company that specializes in developing games for mobile devices. Customer demand for your games has increased so much that over the last year your company has grown from a busy one-person operation to one with 16 employees. In the next year, you expect to hire 30 new employees, and you are wondering how best to manage your growing company.

Keeping in view the case study, model your organization from an open system perspective. Identify its input, conversion, and output processes of your organization.

Answer 1

Modeling a software company as an open system involves identifying the input (resources like talent and materials), conversion (development and management processes), and output (finished games and revenue) processes. Special emphasis should be placed on the organization's structure and culture, including the promotion of initiative and adaptability. Diminishing returns in production must be managed through role differentiation and ongoing development of employee skills.

Step-by-step explanation:

From the perspective of an open systems model, the input process in your software company would include items such as human resources (talent and skills of both current and prospective employees), raw materials (software development tools and platforms), and financial resources (capital for development and operational expenses). The conversion process involves the transformation of these inputs into finished products through activities like game development, design, testing, and project management. Lastly, the output process includes the finished mobile games ready for market release, customer satisfaction, and revenue generated from sales. During expansion, consider utilizing an organizational chart to clearly define roles and responsibilities, making it easier for your employees to understand their individual expectations and how they fit within the wider organizational structure.

As the organization grows, it will be important to focus on role specialization, meaning that new positions may become necessary in areas like customer support or inventory management, reflecting diminishing returns in direct production roles. Cultivate a workplace culture that values initiative and proactive problem-solving, as well as develop a flat organizational structure that promotes communication and collaboration across all levels of the company. Setting measurable goals and adapting to change reflect the dynamic environment of a rapidly growing business and contribute to a successful organizational management strategy.