Ann Arbor Probation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ann Arbor Probation - Essay Example Due to this department being a state agency it reports directly to the governor and as a result, is indirectly influenced by citizen voters. This influence, fortunately, does not affect the day to day workings of the probation department. Management of the field operations administration falls directly on the correctional facilities management administration and then back to the director’s office. The political aspects rarely directly affect the workings of the probation department in this respect. The strengths of a tall hierarchy as seen in our local probation department is that they have the full power of the state of Michigan supporting their decisions and a clear chain of command allowing for a much better approach regarding efficiency. The weaknesses would originate from the political side and could potentially cause disruptions in service if allowed to directly affect the daily working of the department itself. Given the insulating effect of multiple layers of structure, the political leadership is, however, hampered in its ability to truly affect change at a base level within the organization itself. Would it be possible for this agency to move to a flat hierarchy and still maintain positive control of the daily workings within the department, the short answer would seem to be no. However, if the flat hierarchy was approached with a private mentality looking to a profit based outlay the possibilities begin to open up. For instance, using a flat hierarchy and a profit based structure for employees and management one could potentially prevent loss of command control through the use of financial motivation among the staff and individuals working there. The idea would be to base bonuses on a net profit/loss approach and drive productivity to reflect a desire for additional money.