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GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE PRISON INDUSTRIES, VOLUME 3 - ISSUES IN MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION FOR PRISON INDUSTRIES

NCJ Number
60759
Author(s)
T N GILMORE; M D ZISSER
Date Published
1979
Length
45 pages
Annotation
THIS THIRD VOLUME OF THE GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE PRISON INDUSTRIES EXAMINES MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES WHILE VIEWING THE PRISON INDUSTRY AS A DYNAMIC ORGANIZATION FUNCTIONING IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT.
Abstract
KEY ORGANIZATIONAL AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES ARE THE UNIQUE MISSION OF THE PRISON INDUSTRY (THIS MAY BE FOUND IN STATUTES OF POLICY GUIDELINES, MAY BE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT TRADITION AND AFFECTS POLICY AND POLITICAL DECISIONS REGARDING THE ORGANIZATION, AND HAS CHARACTERISTICS SIMILAR TO MISSIONS OF ALL ORGANIZATIONS -- NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY AND CLOSENESS WITH GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, IS ONGOING, ETC.); THE ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN (PRESENTABLE AS A COMPLEX ENTITY MADE UP OF TASKS, STRUCTURE, PEOPLE, REWARD SYSTEM, AND DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES); AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE IN RESPONSE TO DIFFERENT NEEDS AND NEW PROBLEMS. THESE ISSUES ARE DEALT WITH IN DETAIL, AND THE DISCUSSION PROVIDES PRISON MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WITH AN OUTLINE FOR CONSIDERING FUTURE CRITICAL DECISIONS. OPTIONS FOR PRISON INDUSTRIES ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES ARE THEN ANALYZED IN THE CONTEXT OF PLACEMENT OF KEY ROLES IN THE PRISON INDUSTRIES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, FORMAL AND INFORMAL LINES OF AUTHORITY AND COMMUNICATION, AND GENERAL TYPES OF DECISIONS MADE AT THE MANAGEMENT LEVEL. OPTIONS INCLUDE HIERARCHIES WITH VARIATIONS FOR SMALL/SIMPLE ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPLEX/LARGE ORGANIZATIONS, GEOGRAPHIC AND FUNCTIONAL DISTINCTIONS, PYRAMID AND HORIZONTAL LINKAGES, AND SO ON. IMPORTANT CONCERNS ARE THAT THE MORE RIGID ARE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL LINES OF AUTHORITY, THE MORE PROBLEMS AN ORGANIZATION WILL HAVE WITH ORGANIZATIONAL TASKS, AND THE MORE COMPLEX A SYSTEM, THE MORE LIKELY IT WILL NEED BOTH HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL LINES OF AUTHORITY AND COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE (THEIR DECISIONS AND PLACE IN HIERARCHIES), CONFLICTS AND AMBIGUITIES IN LINES OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL AUTHORITY, AND TYPES OF DECISIONS (NORMATIVE, STRATEGIC, AND TACTICAL) TO BE MADE AT EACH STAFF LEVEL ARE ADDRESSED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. SEE NEY 60756-8, NCJ 60760-2, AND NCJ 87053 FOR OTHER SERIES VOLUMES. (DAG)