Both organizational philosophies are important. However, they differ in how they would like to implement them. Organizational philosophies generally focus on how people interact within an organization. Whereas, mechanistic philosophies look at how technology interacts with human organizations.
Basically, they both are bureaucratic organizations. Mechanistic organizations function quite well in uncomplicated, stable environments. The organic organizational structure is also quite flexible and the staff has to learn for themselves just what they need to do within the organization. For example, the decision to buy YouTube subscribers for a marketing campaign may depend on a marketing manager or it would depend on a team decision. However, there is no clear hierarchy of power in such organizations. A true organic structure, where there is a clearly defined chain of command, would be better suited.
Organizational Philosophies Generally Prefer Organic Structural Design
This means that the organizational structure must have the ability to adapt to change, without compromising the original functionality of the organization. Mechanistic structures can be quite robust and durable, but they cannot easily change to accommodate changing market conditions, environmental pressures, or other external factors.
Facilitation Is Very Important For Flexible Organizations
However, it is quite hard to achieve this when you have a small number of departments. The most famous facilitation case in the business world is the Ford Motor Company, which was able to maintain its rigid organizational structure despite the fact that it had many departments. Facilitation is difficult to achieve with a small number of departments because you end up with rigid structures that are very hard to change.
On the other hand, organic organizational structures are highly adaptive. They can easily adapt to changes, whether in technology or in the workforce. In fact, these organizations are usually able to introduce major innovations very quickly. Also, highly adaptive organizational designs tend to reduce costs significantly. An organization that uses too rigid an organizational structure will not only fail to respond quickly and effectively to any new developments within the business, but it will also cost more money in terms of resources because it will have to spend more on labor when it needs to make changes to the organizational structure.
On the other hand, highly modular and adaptive organizational structures tend to be less costly than their mechanistic counterparts. This is because the main components of these organizational structures do not require any modifications. Also, the cost of implementing the necessary modifications is highly unlikely. A standard case in this situation is the redesigning of computer systems. If you redesign a computer system from scratch rather than buying a new one, you will save a lot of money in the long run.
Differences
Another question that many people ask is what is the difference between a mechanistic organization and an organic one? The answer to this question is not a simple one. On one hand, the differences between a mechanistic and an organic organization are primarily cost and energy factors. In most cases, the energy factor is more important than the cost, although the cost can itself be mechanized, for example when production takes place at the shipping terminal where goods are loaded into trucks instead of being kept in a storage area like the garage. But the overall effect is that a mechanized structure consumes more energy.
On the other hand, organic organizations incorporate aspects of both the first two structures. Organic organizations are highly flexible, and their organizational structure can change according to local circumstances. They are also tightly controlled, and they cannot afford to be idle for any length of time. But even in these cases, the management tends to keep things as close to their original state as possible, in order to maintain efficiency and reduce costs.
