Organizational Life Cycles & Redundant Government Policies

Organizational Life Cycles & Redundant Government Policies

Looking at transoceanic travel, again the speed of society has all but eliminated ocean ship liners. The ship companies have been able to, to some degree, adapt and use their vessels as floating hotels for vacation travelers rather than the primary mode of travel across the seas.

According to Geva-May (2004), Kaufman (1976), examining life cycles of organizations, points out that, unlike living organisms, organizations go through the process of birth and maturation but very rarely through the process of death. This is mainly because of their high adaptability. In his 1987 study, much like the social ecologists, he views organizations through evolutionary glasses and refers to their inertial and adaptability forces. He considers inertia, in this context, ''the inflows of energy and other resources necessary for them to keep their activities going, to keep their engines running'' (1987, 27). Death is possible only when these inflows and resources ''dry up'' and mainly when organizations are no longer able to evolve and adapt to their environment.

Regarding government policy cases such as these would there even need to be any alternative policies? Why or why not? Can you give an example?

Geva-May, Iris. (2004). Riding the Wave of Opportunity: Termination in Public Policy. Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, 14(3), 309-333.