This question is composed of two parts; be sure to answer both. First, compare and contrast open and closed systems. Explain why almost all businesses today have an open system. Next, suppose you manage a business in which you hire young musicians to give lessons to school children. In what ways will you need your business to be open?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An open system continually interacts with its environment. A closed system has little interaction with its environment; that is, it receives very little feedback from the outside. The classical management viewpoint often considered an organization a closed system. So does the management science perspective, which simplifies organizations for purposes of analysis. However, any organization that ignores feedback from the environment opens itself up to possibly spectacular failures. For this reason, almost all organizations today are open systems. Open systems have the potential to produce synergy, which is the idea that two or more forces combined create an effect that is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

In your music business, your system will be open in that you will be continually interacting with your environment. You will be talking to parents whose children want to learn how to play a musical instrument, and you will be getting feedback from them to ensure that they are satisfied with the instruction their children are receiving. You will likely have a social media presence (Facebook, Twitter) to help you market your business and continue getting new students. You'll network with your employees to continue finding new employees who are musically talented and good teachers.