Abstract This paper states that decentralized organizations are more successful at adapting to the global environment and maintaining their competitive edge than centralized organizations. The author discusses self-managed teams and boundary-less organizations. The paper relates that the management of uncertainty is part of the new decentralization paradigm. Includes an abstract.
From the Paper "The structure of organizations is an important factor in whether they can respond appropriately to challenges that arise. The traditional centralized organization has long been favored as offering standardization ..."
Tags:decentralization, centralization, self-managed teams, management of uncertainty, argumentative essay, globalization
An examination of empowering communities through decentralization and enlisting participation for capacity building for sub-national governance in developing countries.
Abstract This paper explores critically and comprehensively strategies that enhance empowerment of communites within a framework of sub-national governance through some techniques of decentralization and quality participation. Developing countries are the main units of analysis. However, the role of the International Development Community is examined and the discourse is concerned with creating a special legal, economic, social, political, geographic and fiscal space for sub-national groups that act autonomously, though in association with the state, private sector and other factors in society.
From the Paper "Since the 1970s and 1980s, the character and form of public service delivery has extended far beyond provision through central government towards the empowerment of local governments, hence, sub-national groupings involving much decentralization for empowering particularly communities. The idea has been the growing focus on not only, political and economic development, but also, and more importantly, social and human development where it has been recognized that central government alone, within the vortex of globalization cannot promote development in all respects. The United Nations Development programme (1998) has noted that decades of development assistance have countenanced the notion that economic development alone will not bring about equitable and lasting development because there was much focus on the economy, which meant an exclusion of political, social, environmental and cultural factors. As the report noted, ?"in the face of continued and devastating poverty and rapid environmental deterioration, more and more policy-makers are acknowledging that development progress must be people-centered, equitably distributed and environmentally and socially sustainable" (UNDP, ibid, 1998, p. 1). Nevertheless, the implementation, activity and even the concept of sub-national governance have been problematic and have developed a distinct set of formidable concerns. This is so, as some of the very problems found with central governments that propelled the idea and practise of decentralization and empowerment for sub-national groups, in particular communities, have again and have continually resurfaced and in some ways just as and even more troubling. Problems relate in part to information asymmetry, institutional deficiencies, and problems of targeting technical, managerial, professional and otherwise resources in addition to problems of accountability and capacity generally, as some would argue (Turner and Hulme 1997 : World Bank Report, June 2001 )."
Abstract This paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of a decentralized IT system and management information systems (MIS). It discusses the need for greater time-to-market and competitiveness and the factors affecting cost reduction and efficiency. The paper also compares decentralization with centralization for organizations.
Table of Contents:
Executive Summary
Advantages of Decentralized Management Information Systems (MIS)
Disadvantages of Decentralized Management Information Systems (MIS)
Summary
From the Paper "- When organizations have organized teams into specific functional areas, for example logistics, supply chain planning and execution, marketing or engineering, a centralized IT structure is typically the best possible IT infrastructure to support the specific business strategies of these functional groups. CIOs who have specifically used this approach report clearer job descriptions and higher levels of morale, as employees are clear with regard to what is expected of them, according to CIO Magazine (2001). US Space Alliance's CIO Kathy Tamer reports that the centralization of strategic planning and integration, platform engineering and operations, application engineering services, data and documentation management, IT security, and user support services have made it possible to trim 17% of total staff levels through job re-assignment and attrition. The US Space Alliance anticipates savings of $300,000 per year due to centralization of these vital functions. What is impressive about this centralization strategy on the part of US Space Alliance is that there has been no need to relocate any member of the core centralized teams."
Abstract This paper examines the political and theoretical motivations behind the argument for decentralized arts funding. Also discussed are views on decentralization trends in arts funding and the potential effects on artists, arts organizations and arts audiences as well as on rural, urban and suburban areas.
From the Paper "The Arts breathes life into any community, whether urban, suburban, or rural. How often have we heard of a ghost town, perhaps an old mining town, or a city's abandoned warehouse district, or a small farming community once remote but now only minutes away the city limits of a major city, that has been virtually transformed by becoming home for the arts. Art is a magnet. It draws people no matter their race, social or economic status. It is just as likely that a tobacco farmer, living a hundred miles from the nearest metropolitan area, enjoys the Boston Pops on PBS just as much as the executive living in a high-rise condo. "
This paper investigates the quality of health services provided to people in different geographical regions of Pakistan and India, based on factors such economy, society, and culture.
Abstract This paper explores how decentralization bears several new challenges for the health service sector. It explains how, with active participation of health managers in the decentralization process, sufficient national resource allocation and a continuous system for monitoring equity and quality of health care are vital in improving the level of service provided to people of all income groups.
Introduction
What is Decentralization?
Defining Decentralization Types of Decentralization Choosing the Correct Form of Decentralization Need of Decentralization Political Decentralization Decentralization and Health Care
Affects of decentralization on Human Resource Management
Conflict-Provoking Communication In Any Organization
Advantages of Decentralization The Promise of Decentralization Raising healthier people in Pakistan
Implementation of Decentralization in Pakistan
Impact of Decentralization in Pakistan
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "Globalization has helped in developing consensus on priority health concerns and establishing targets for handling them. Liberalization, economic reforms, trade agreements and democratization have created new avenues for international cooperation. The unprecedented progress made in information technology has brought people closer, through e-mail, computer, cell phones, and satellite TV. Information technology has also provided excellent opportunities to keep people involved and informed at all times. In the context of public service reforms, decentralization is regarded as an important means to achieve improved efficiency in the quality of services. One of the challenges in this context is the financing of such services, since tax and fee systems are often not charged simultaneously or sufficiently. Consequently, municipalities and local government institutions opt for a variety of approaches to privatizing services provided in the public interest. Decentralization affects the terms of employment and working conditions of municipal workers, as well as labor-management relations, in a number of ways."
Abstract The paper discusses, compares and analyzes the benefits and limitations of a centralized and decentralized organizational structure, specifically in the IT industry. The paper explains that both models portray attributes and shortcomings in terms of hardware and software procurement and responsiveness. The paper relates that senior executives in a centralized organization have the most power, whereas a decentralized corporation allocates responsibilities by each unit.
From the Paper "With increased global competition there is a need for organizational restructuring in order to meet the demands of the ever-changing IT industry. Now more than ever, companies are re-examining and comparing the benefits and limitations of centralized and decentralized organizational structures in an effort to determine which approach is most beneficial. IT companies are asking the fundamental question, "What is the best organizational structure for our IT operations?" As equipment and software remains expensive, and IT expertise is still difficult to find and manage, new issues have surfaced due to the increased creation of internal IT departments that are rapidly becoming an essential component of all business processes."
Abstract This paper explains that, while the Metropolitan General Insurance Co. is committed to a "decentralized operating structure" in its branches, this organizational structure is not replicated in its Oshawa branch, which contributes to its under-performance. The author points out that the problem of duplication is evident on the organizational chart of the Oshawa branch, where each of the product lines has its own clerical staff in addition to the management and administration staff that also has its own clerical staff. The paper stresses that a boundary-less organization model, instead of the present inflexible, mechanistic organization, is more suited to the decentralized environment dependent upon independent agents and brokers.
From the Paper "It may be argued that the organizational design that would be most successful in this environment is one that mirror Metropolitan's decentralized model on a local scale. One of the common themes of the cited branch senior staff meeting is blaming the brokers and the assertion that supporting them is "not my job". This is most evident in Tompkins complaints that the brokers requests are preventing her from being able to "move some paper" and Hood's complaint that he does not want the added work of determining who should be doing what tasks."
This paper examines good governance in the prevention and mitigation of HIV/AIDS, specifically as evidenced in the HIV/AIDS program of Zamboanga City, a highly-urbanized city in the Philippines.
Abstract This paper stresses that stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS has to be made integral to any development endeavor aimed at improving the lives and well-being of citizens of the world. The author points out that the United Nations acknowledges that good governance has to be integrated into the creation and management of institutions, processes and programs aimed at beating the targets set forth in the "Millennium Declaration of 2000". The paper reviews and analyzes the present and future scenario of HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation in the Philippines and identifies some elements of intervention needed to operationalize a strategy for good governance. The author underscores that the HIV/AIDS program of Zamboanga city is built around improved capacities for public administration and civil service, decentralization in delivery of services, transparency and accountability, expanded role of civil-society, and the centrality of participation grounded on the rule of law and human rights.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Conceptual Framework
Related Literature
Pro-Poor Policy Framework
Public Administration and Civil Services
Decentralization and Delivery of Services
Accountability and Transparency Situations and Context of HIV/AIDS in the Philippines
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Socio-Economic Impact of HIV Aids
Participatory Approach
Cultural and Moral Dimensions
Grounding Development
Mobilizing the Cultural Resources
Key Lessons in Good Governance from the United Nations
Case in Point: Zamboanga City HIV/AIDS Program
Public-Civil Society Partnership
Organization and Management
Community-Oriented/ Community Based
Innovative Optimized Use of Infrastructure Support
Livelihood Assistance
Financial Resources
Lessons from HIV/Program Implementation
Conclusion
From the Paper "According to the United Nations, a critical requisite for achieving the MDG's is a conducive and coherent policy framework. This involves first, the contextualization of the goals by each country, and down to identifying sectoral concerns and on to effective local responses. Responses and interventions to HIVAIDS entails a national policy framework that provides for effective decentralization of action and one that effectively coordinate implementation and resource mobilization as well as achieve a critical mass of support from the public in a much cost effective way. The policy framework to be pro-poor means, that it recognizes the social and economic implications of HIV/AIDS and seeks to integrate social and economic interventions to mitigate the spread of the infection and disease."
Tags: contextualization national decentralization, policy framework, human rights
Abstract A router is used to manage network traffic and to find the best route for packets to be sent. This paper discusses the algorithms available in order to find the best route to destination for these packets in the network environment. The two main algorithms are "Global routing algorithms" and "Decentralized routing algorithms". The paper evaluates in detail these two methodologies together with their bottlenecks and illustrates examples with diagrams, graphs, tables and code.
From the Paper "In this step, routers should choose the best route for packets to every node. They do it by using an algorithm such as "Dijkstra Shortest Path Algorithm?. In this algorithm, router, based on information that has been collected from other routers, build a graph of network. This graph shows the location of routers in network and their links. Also every link will be labeled with a number that is called weight of link and is also known as cost of link. This number is a function of delay time, average traffic and sometimes simply, it is the number of hops between nodes. For example if there were two links between a node to destination, the router chooses the link with the least weight."
Explores the issue of decentralization in public administration and in the private sector to gain an understanding of its advantages and disadvantages.
2,700 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 15 sources, 1994, $ 95.95
Introduction
The history of public administration and management theory is one of changing understandings of the relationship between employees and managers, between the organization and the community, and between organizations. It is not a history in which theories are built incrementally, or additively, simply by adding new information to what has gone before. Instead, theories seem to be led by changes in political thought and cultural values, which influence the way in which relationships are conceptualized.
One current trend is toward a belief that decentralization is more efficient and effective than centralized administration."
This paper compares benefits and drawbacks of corporate centralization vs decentralization organization: Economics, decision making, examples (3M, Hewlett-Packard), specialization, products, goals and controls.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 8 sources, 1994, $ 63.95
From the Paper "All companies begin as centralized organizations. This is a function of size. Small companies may never leave the centralized structure, while larger companies eventually find that they are too unwieldy to function effectively in a centralized manner, and so they move to a decentralized structure. Historically, these movements have followed an evolution in the company itself, with the first moves toward decentralization happening as companies established facilities in more than one location. Sometimes, even the existence of just an off-site warehouse could lead to decentralization. Today, companies are taking a strategic look at whether they are centralized or decentralized, and what system is best for them. Instead of relying on the natural course of business to make the decision for them, companies are building the centralization ... "
Abstract The paper begins by discussing the concept of decentralized management, looking at its advantage for organizations in the corporate sector, at the reasons why it does not improve the situation of law enforcement agencies and at the importance of good leadership. Next the paper focuses on organizational communication. It discusses how a lack of this communication can affect efficiency and productivity and looks at this problem within the running of law enforcement agencies; focusing on inefficiencies in the criminal justice department. Finally, the paper explores problem solving, looking at the attempt by law enforcement agencies to identify and resolve problems. Crime analysis is discussed and the SARA (Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment) approach is explained. The paper concludes with a look at successful problem solving implementation by various law enforcement agencies.
From the Paper "Decentralized management is the buzzword these days, as it is believed that centralized management structures no longer produce positive results. It has been noticed that decentralization paves way for more autonomy among various units and leads to employee empowerment, one thing that has been the cornerstone of productivity in the 21st century. But does decentralized management really works in all types of organizations. That is not exactly true. While the corporate sector reaps the benefits of decentralized environment where various departments and units maintain almost complete autonomy and thus have control over decision-making process, law enforcement agencies have failed to extract the best out of this system of management. In the latter, it has actually resulted in more corruption and less accountability."
Abstract This paper discusses how over the years, the traditional bureaucratic, functional organizational structure has become less popular, with a range of forms taking its place and how there are many new forms that an organization can take. It identifies many options for an organization's management including a brief description followed by a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Outline
Centralization Versus Decentralization Horizontal Versus Vertical Structure
The Lean Company
Team-Based Structures
Virtual Organizations
Teleworkers
Outsourcing
Forming Alliances
Conclusion
From the Paper "The vertical structure is the classic organizational structure. It involves a top-down layering of employees, where authority decreases down the chain. This is the classic structure where authority flows from the CEO to the manager, to the supervisor, to the employees. This structure also generally includes divisions by functional area. The advantages of this structure include that control is effectively maintained and that the chain of command is efficient for top level managers. Top level manager can make the decisions and pass them on to the manager with no need to focus on how their decisions get to the lower level staff. The major disadvantage is that this can create a long and inefficient chain of command in a large organization."
Abstract This essay will argue that a strong element of decentralization in the Hungarian system under Communism was an important factor in easing the country's transition from Communism to Capitalism.
Abstract This paper explains that the concept, which years later became the EU, began in 1948 as the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), whose job it was to advance the rebuilding of war-torn Europe and to help distribute American financial aid (Marshall Aid) for Western Europe. The author points out that, while the overall trend is toward greater regionalization in Europe, there is a great deal of variation among countries, with the smaller countries such as Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark demonstrating little change. The paper concludes that all European countries need a more decentralized system that promotes effective and efficient public service, increased transparency, and accountability.
From the Paper "Basically, Belgium's commitment to the process of unification after the war has placed it in its current position of power (International Herald Tribune, 2003). At the heart of Europe since the 1950?s, Belgium has embraced most core EU polices, from the creation of a single currency to the abolition of passport controls within the Schengen zone (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain). A stable democracy with a decentralized government, Belgium has low inflation and slow but steady economic growth, forecast to reach 1.8 percent in 2004. The country has grown over the past three decades into a decentralized state, whose power rests with the three regional governments: Flanders in the north, Wallonia in the south and Brussels as an autonomous region near the center of the country. With one of the EU's most open economies, Belgium welcomes foreign investment, and its economic policies do not distinguish between domestic and foreign companies."
