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Abstract
This paper extensively reviews relevant literature on the complex and multidimensional nature and measure of effectiveness. After analyzing 15 perspectives on organizational effectiveness, it recommends that managers should appreciate the challenges inherent in striving for effectiveness [especially the multiple and contradictory goals constraints and constituents], adopt a multi dimensional mindset by applying various perspectives simultaneously and also adopt a contingency paradigm by aligning their peculiar circumstances to the choice of perspectives.
JEL classification numbers: D23
Keywords: Organisation, goals, effectiveness
1 Introduction
Organisational effectiveness is a complex and contentious concept. No two authorities agree on what constitutes effectiveness or on how it is measured although they all agree that it involves attention to goals, satisfaction of constituents and relationship with the external environment. But we live in a world tyrannised by effectiveness. Workers, managers, departments and organizations are always asked to be effective and that simply means to produce some form of results. Early management thinkers believe that effectiveness is the ultimate measure of managerial and organisational performance. Barnard (1964) believes that effectiveness relates to the accomplishment of the cooperative purpose which is social and non-personal in character, insisting that organisations cannot continue to exist without effectiveness and that this effectiveness can easily be measured. Drucker was more emphatic that the society and individuals within it cannot satisfy their needs without effectiveness. In his own words: "Only executive effectiveness can enable this society of ours to harmonise its two needs: the needs of organization to obtain from the individual, the contribution it needs and the need of the individual to have organisation serve as his tool for accomplishing his purposes" (Drucker, 1967:177).
Herbert Simon had earlier argued that the behavior of people in organisations should be integrated and purposive. In his words: "A great deal of behavior, and particularly the behavior of individuals within administrative organisations, is purposive- oriented towards goals and objectives. This purposiveness brings about an integration in the pattern of behavior, in the absence of which administration will be meaningless; for if administration consists in getting things done by groups of people, purpose provides a principal criterion in determining what things are to be done" (Simon, 1957 :4).
But while we all seek and demand effectiveness, its meaning is contentious and...