ICS 132 Organizational Information Systems
			     Winter 2004

		      Assignment 1 -- Metaphors

	      Due: Tuesday, January 20 (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 suggested in class
   (so, either Microsoft, the Red Cross, or the Mafia).

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

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.

In your answers, don't just list what parts of the metaphor apply, but
try to show what you can learn about the organization from seeing it
that way.