Environmental Factors

There are four external environmental factors and six internal environmental factors that help organizations achieve optimal function. The four external environmental factors according to Chapter3: Understanding the Organization from a Systems Perspective are economic factors, sociological factors, technological factors, and political and professional factors (Ch.3, pg. 66). An economic factor is the knowledge of where the finical backing is coming from as well as any funding that is being given. Sociological factors is planning and insuring the needs of the organizations clients by knowing what the targeted client demographic is. Technological factor is have the understand and resources to staying up to date on new treatment for clients, new software to run, and equipment that will improve any aspect of the organization. Political and professional factors is staying informed about all laws and regulation held by the city, state in which the organization is in as well as any federal guidelines that all need to be met.

The six internal environmental factors also according to Chapter3: Understanding the Organization from a Systems Perspective are organizational purpose, mission, and philosophy, Organizational planning, Organizational operations, Human resources, Technological resources, Financial resources. (Ch.3, pg. 71) organizational purpose, mission, and philosophy is having a good outlook on the motive behind the mission statement and propose to keep it going strong but also being sure and people see and understand the goal behind it all. Organizational planning is just as it sounds to have a planned out future for the organization, meaning everything for dates that need to be met to scheduling for clients and so on and so forth. Organizational operations is for every aspect of the organization for what is needed to in each area to what funding goes where and how to regulate it all. Human resources is personal of the organization so this is the overseeing of staff and volunteers as well as supervisors and management. Technological resources is all of the technology that is needed to run the offices or the equipment need to help clients, this includes computers, phones, software and soon on the run the organization.

Lastly, Financial resources is the over view of every part of the financial standing this in the organization as well as the funding that comes with it , this is the documenting of funds money spent and coming in all so the a planned out estimates of future earning and or funding that will be needed. The factors that are most important to the success of a human service organization in my own eyes is organizational purpose, mission, and philosophy and economic factors or Financial resources. Any organization needs to know and feel strongly about the mission they are setting out to due, to have a great understanding of the purpose and meaning to it all because without it the organization will fall short of what it originally set out to do or worse fail those it is trying to help. But no organization can make it without money, but having a good clear view of what is financially expected and where to get the backing when needed, this will keep the organization afloat while it gets started as well as staying afloat in its future.

References

Chapter3: Understanding the Organization from a Systems Perspective in the Management of Human Services Organizations, by Peter M. Kettner. Copyright © 2002 by Allyn and Bacon, an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc.