In the work of Clarissa Dias and Michael Vaughn, the authors use examples from case studies to demonstrate how “administrative breakdown and managerial disorganization” can be analyzed through the lenses of six organizational elements.

Discuss each organizational element and your experiences with the application of the organizational element in an organization, preferably a bureaucracy, with which you’ve been involved. Depending on the element, your may have experienced efficient and effective use of the element, administrative breakdown because of ineffective or inappropriate use of the element, or something in between. The goal is to synthesize the author’s explanation of the organizational element and supplement that with your own experiences and, if necessary, outside academic sources. Because the elements discussed are present in all sorts of organizations, it should not be necessary for you to have been involved in a public safety organization to complete the assignment. If you have no personal experiences related to the organizational element, you can supplement the authors discussion with research which may include interviewing someone who has had such experiences. The organizational elements are:

Goals and Objectives
Division of Labor
Hierarchy of Authority
Command and Control
Accountability
Communication
Your instructor will be looking for you to use critical thinking skills, demonstrate that you understand the concepts of organizational elements, and for you to make thoughtful connections between the theory and real world experiences.