A Process-Based Assessment of Organisations

Abstract

The argument presented in this paper is that a process-based view is useful for identifying good management practices because of its holistic multi-dimensional view of organisations. This view involves identifying both the external and internal organisational factors affecting processes. With regard to the external environment two forces driving processes are discussed: (1) processes involve responding to the environmental influences; (2) processes focus on stakeholder satisfaction. On the internal environment, the relationship between processes and the internal environment is two-fold: (1) processes drive or are driven by the strategy of the organisation; (2) processes determine or should determine organisational structure. The theoretical model developed provides a useful tool for managers to consider in their thinking about and planning for the future of their organisations.