Introduction
The organization that was chosen to be the topic of the organizational performance analysis process was the Eltham East Primary School (which will be referred to in this paper using the acronym EEPS). So, far, the expected finding is a positive one. That is, the author of this paper expects that the results of the organizational performance analysis for the EEPS would be a positive one. The information and analysis would be based on two things: the Systems Theory, and the actual programs being implemented in the EEPS. The author of this paper aimed to write the findings in a descriptive way, focusing on objectivity when it comes to making inferences and interpretations.
Overview of the Systems Theory and its Application to Eltham East Primary School’s Case
There are numerous ways how an organization’s performance can be analyzed. In this case, the goal was to do it in an objective manner so as to find the least biased findings possible. In order to do this, the analytical process should be based on a standardized concept or theory. The chosen theory that would serve as the backbone of the analytical process was the Systems Theory. In some textbooks and literatures (e.g. previously published researches), the systems theory may be referred to as the systems management theory or systems theory of management. Either way, they refer to the same thing and should not be a cause of confusion. According to a lecture presented by Grimsley (2016), the Systems Approach to Management treats an entire organization as a system. But what more importantly, what exactly is a system? A system, based on how experts in this theory would suggest, is a collection of distinct parts that interact with each other to create a process or in this case, an entire organization. A perfect and commonly known example of a large and complex system that fits this description would be the universe. The universe is a system that is made up of various other systems—albeit smaller ones, like the galaxies, star systems, planetary systems, among other things. It also has small parts that can be as small as subatomic parties. Needless to say, it is composed of various components.
An organization can be looked at using the same way. An organization is composed of various distinct parts such as its employees, products, assets, resources, and even intangible things such as patents, information, and research and development progress. All in all, it is a complex system.
These distinct parts would, in adherence to the definition of terms used in systems theory, pertain to inputs, actors, processes, and outputs that are looped together to create a continuous cycle or stream of feedbacks . These feedbacks, in turn, are what power an organization to change and evolve. This description generally describes a closed system. There are two forms of system being described in the Systems Theory. The other type would be the open system. There are instances wherein it may be beneficial for an organization’s future to use the open system approach. As in any other situation wherein there is more than one choice, each one would have its own set of pros and cons.
The performance of the Eltham East Primary School as an Organization
When an organization is treated as an open system, it often makes use of a combination of inputs, throughputs, and outputs to interact with its environment . An organization that uses a closed system or approach is not affected, in any way, by its environment. Most organizations, like the EEPS, can be directly affected by its environment. Hence, it is an open system. Most, if not all, other organizations out there are open systems because they, in theory, are all affected by their environments. Inputs pertain to the work of the employees, their ideas, and the various types of resources needed for the throughput or the production process needed to come up with outputs. Outputs generally pertain to the products and services that are the result of the combination of inputs and the strategies and technologies (i.e. throughput) needed to create them. Almost all organizations that create a product or deliver a service behave this way. Feedback loops are another component. They are created when outputs are connected to inputs in order to create feedback that the organization can use to improve and evolve.
When applied to the case of EEPS and its performance analysis, the inputs would be classified as the works of the parents, teachers, administrators, and all of the staff from its different departments. The throughout would mainly involve the teaching practices being used by the employed educators and the management practices being used by the administrators. The outputs would come mainly in the form of education. The feedbacks then can be referred to as the evaluation programs and surveys that it releases to its students (i.e. its main stakeholders) and the actual adjustments that it does in its professional and administrative departments to adhere to whatever the feedbacks that they receive suggests.
Performance Analysis
Using the systems approach, the author of this paper assesses the performance of EEPS as an organization. The EEPS is a primary school located 22k from Melbourne, Eltham VIC. As of the latest census that was done in 2015, the school had a total of 625 students, a number which the administrators are expecting to increase. It is a publicly funded school meaning it sources its funding from the government. It has an attendance rate of 94%, a value which is high enough but can still be improved further. It has a total of 40 full time staff, 3 of which belong to the principal class; 33 were teachers, and 7 were educational support staff members.
The main feedback looping mechanism (identified as one of the most important components of an open system) being used by the EEPS, according to information obtained from its myschoo.edu profile (2016), is its policy that requires parents, teachers, and students to participate in the organization’s annual report programs. The said programs are conducted annually. They are composed of student and parent surveys, the aim of which is to identify whether the school is on par with the standards of education in the country and other national education averages . The said surveys are also aimed at identify the strong and weak points of the school from an organizational management perspective, as well as the threats and opportunities that they could focus on. They do this every year to determine how satisfied the parents, teachers, and students have been with the past year’s performance.
Even though the EEPS is a just a small publicly funded school, it can be seen that it is striving to make significant improvements every year, to keep up with the same standards that other more prestigious, bigger, and more generously funded primary schools are following. This is by far the greatest and most reliable indicator that the organization being reviewed in this paper is showing commendable performance as far as organizational management and existence is concerned. It follows the textbook definition of a feedback loop mechanism as explained in the systems approach to management. More importantly, it uses those feedbacks to improve the inputs, throughputs, and outputs.
The school also tries to keep a host of uniquely crafted policies that make it unique from other schools. Some of the examples include but may not be limited to the enrollment, teaching resources, supervision, curriculum, and social and school environment policies .
In the end, it is the organization’s stakeholders who benefit from such a process. In this case, the organization also plays a vital role in making sure that all of the stakeholder groups’ concerns are addressed. In other not so competent organizations, the management approach may be one-sided—wherein one stakeholder group may appear to be more favored than the others. The case is different for the EEPS because every stakeholder group’s interests are checked and reviewed carefully: from the students, their parents, teachers, and the educational support staff.
Conclusions: How useful was the My School data in assessing the performance of the School
Bibliography
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. 2016. Eltham East Primary School, Eltham, VIC. My School, http://www.myschool.edu.au/SchoolProfile/Index/97532/ElthamEastPrimarySchool/44897/2015.
Eltham East Primary School. 2016. Policies Notices. EEPS, http://www.elthameastps.vic.edu.au/policies-notices/#.
Grimsley, S. 2016. Systems Approach to Management: Theory and Concepts. Introduction to Management: Help and Review: Business Courses.
Kerzner, H. 2013. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. John Wiley and Sons.
Riachard, S., & Davis, G. (2015). Organizations and Organizing Rational, Natural, and Open Systems Perspectives. Routledge.
