Organizations as Open Systems

Organizations as Open Systems

Organizations transform raw materials into sellable products and services and operate as open systems. As open systems, they are affected by, and affect, their environments. In this activity you will consider different organizations, their products, and the inputs used in making those products.

Part of the way in which organizations are affected by and affect their environments is through their inputs and outputs. Organizations transform inputs such as raw materials and services into marketable products and services. Other types of inputs could include services, equipment, capital, and even information. Once these inputs are gathered and obtained by the organization, a variety of processes and procedures transforms these inputs into products and services from which consumers benefit. These products and services are referred to as the outputs of an organization.

The goal of this activity is to demonstrate the development of open systems.

This activity is important because, as a manager, you will need to understand the processes and procedures that transform inputs into products and services from which consumers benefit.

For Questions 1-6 below, select the input that each organization needs to produce their product and/or service.

1. General Mills

(Click to select) Oil Tax Returns Sheep's wool Flowers Gasoline Accounting Majors Envelopes Cheerios Wool jackets Oats Cars Trees Tires Rubber

2. Mohawk Paper Mills

(Click to select) Gasoline Oats Tires Oil Sheep's wool Cars Flowers Trees Accounting Majors Envelopes Rubber Tax Returns Wool jackets Cheerios

3. ExxonMobil

(Click to select) Rubber Trees Cheerios Accounting Majors Cars Flowers Tax Returns Sheep's wool Wool jackets Oats Envelopes Gasoline Tires Oil

4. Ernst & Young

(Click to select) Trees Wool jackets Gasoline Envelopes Rubber Flowers Accounting Majors Tires Tax Returns Oil Cheerios Cars Oats Sheep's wool

5. Goodyear

(Click to select) Flowers Tax Returns Gasoline Envelopes Rubber Accounting Majors Cars Tires Sheep's wool Cheerios Oil Oats Wool jackets Trees

6. L.L. Bean

(Click to select) Oil Accounting Majors Cars Oats Sheep's wool Rubber Flowers Tires Wool jackets Envelopes Tax Returns Gasoline Trees Cheerios

For questions 7-12 below, please select the output that each organization provides.

7. General Mills

(Click to select) Accounting Majors Tires Gasoline Cheerios Sheep's wool Envelopes Tax Returns Cars Trees Oats Wool jackets Flowers Oil Rubber

8. Mohawk Paper Mills

(Click to select) Trees Sheep's wool Cheerios Rubber Oil Tax Returns Envelopes Wool jackets Accounting Majors Flowers Gasoline Oats Cars Tires

9. ExxonMobil

(Click to select) Accounting Majors Oil Trees Wool jackets Tires Envelopes Gasoline Cheerios Cars Sheep's wool Tax Returns Flowers Oats Rubber

10. Ernst & Young

(Click to select) Oil Gasoline Envelopes Flowers Tires Oats Cars Sheep's wool Wool jackets Accounting Majors Rubber Cheerios Trees Tax Returns

11. Goodyear

(Click to select) Cheerios Rubber Oats Trees Sheep's wool Tax Returns Accounting Majors Gasoline Cars Envelopes Tires Flowers Oil Wool jackets

12. L.L. Bean

(Click to select) Cheerios Rubber Oats Trees Sheep's wool Tax Returns Accounting Majors Gasoline Cars Envelopes Tires Flowers Oil Wool jackets