ABSTRACT
This chapter offers models to help describe organizations and explain how they work. It will take a system approach, using a closed systems model to explain how many medium-to-large organizations work within the context of a state. Then it takes an open systems approach to explaining how many medium-to-large work organizations transform their resources into goods, services and job satisfaction. When approaching the fiendish problem of explaining how organizations work the first thing to do is to place work organizations into their context and to identify the sources of influence on their activity. The most influential managers are at Level C, the State Managers, Politicians and Civil Servants. Their actions, decisions and skills, or lack of them, have a profound effect on work organizations. Managers at this level set the taxation policy of the country and establish how well it is applied through all sizes of organizations and kinds of work.
