Conclusion and Future Directions

Organizations are complex, interconnected, and dynamic entities comprised of formal rules, policies, and protocols. Organizations also employ, serve, house, and/or host people. If you thought organizations were complex, people are even more multifaceted. The people, whether organizations like it or not, do not always follow the formal rules, policies, and protocols. Sometimes, this is because they simply do not want to or do not agree with them, but other times, it may be because they do not know what those rules and policies are or they do not understand them. Both aspects—the formal and the informal—components of organizations are critical, yet difficult to assess and comprehend. This creates a challenge for individuals working within or receiving services from organizations and for scholars and researchers who are trying to understand how these systems and organizations operate. It is also incredibly difficult for anyone to think about how to change and/or improve organizations, as the first step in implementing change is often assessing the current form and processes to decide what to change and how best to do so.