ICS 132 Organizational Information Systems
			     Winter 2003

		      Assignment 1 -- Metaphors

	      Due: Thursday, January 16 (at the lecture)


In class today, I covered a range of metaphors designed to provide you
with ways of seeing organizations -- their structure, operations,
interactions, and other properties. The goal of this exercise is to
have you apply these ideas and generate some similar ones of your own.

1. In class, I discussed UCI in terms of various metaphors. Pick one
   of the other three example organizations I used in Tuesday's class
   (so, either IBM, the Mafia, or the Apache Foundation.)

2. Then pick another organization that you're familiar with. It
   doesn't have to be a commercial organization, but can be any
   sort. It should be one you're reasonably familiar with.

3. In class, I discussed three metaphors (machines, organisms,
   cultures). Think up a new metaphor -- a new lens which you think is
   a useful way to think about organizations, similar to the ones that
   I presented.

4. For *each* organization, write a description of the organization
   according to each of the *four* metaphors (my three plus your
   one). Each description (e.g. IBM as a machine) should be roughly
   one page, so your answer should be about eight pages overall.