Working Effectively Within a Changing Organisational Environment

Abstract

During recent years there have been many changes in organisations. The changes that have impacted on the structural framework of organisations include the size of the organisation, the core business of the organisation, the goals and strategies, the environment, information technology and the nature of the workforce. The ability to be flexible in response to customer needs is of paramount importance in organisations today. Such flexibility in responding has required adopting new boundaries as new partnerships are formed. This paper describes the impact of change on the structural framework of The University of Queensland in Australia at the overall organisational level and at the level of one of the Human Services departments, namely Student Support Services. In particular, the paper concentrates on the core business of both the University and Student Support Services and describes how the emphasis has changed in response to a new model for services delivery. Motivation for change, as it affected services delivery at both macro and micro level, is discussed. Implementation of the changes required a new way of thinking and demanded new approaches, both in operational style and evaluation. This paper describes some of the new ways of thinking and the new approaches taken in forming partnerships, involving stakeholders, becoming more accountable and striving for continuous improvement in a tertiary institution. It is suggested that a model which has been successfully applied in the business world can equally be applied within a tertiary institution.