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Question

Each reply must be a paragraph long of at least 550 words or more not including references which should supported by citing at least 4 peer-reviewed journal articles between 2017-2021 for each reply and a biblical reference. Your reply must be in current APA format and must include a reference list. Make sure that you are adding new and relevant information with each reply. Reference sample make sure to include DOI-Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active empathetic listening scale. Psychology & Marketing, 23(2), 161-180. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20105
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Network and Environment

Organizational systems develop and succeed based on the environment the organization functions within. A part of the environment in which an organization exists includes the networks developed within and outside of the organization. Networks can be defined as how individual groups interact with each other. In creating organizations, it is important to analyze the social networks, participant knowledge and resources available to an organization to ensure success in the organization’s environment.

Networks
Networks can be viewed as groupings of participants from an individual level up to organization levels of groups. Networks contain individual actors or nodes which connect to other nodes via a variety of methods. Organization networks can be both internal, department to department or supervisor to employee, and external networks, for example between suppliers and producers. Networks can be broken down into three analytical levels ego, overall, and network position to help analyze participants and groupings within the networks (Scott & Davis, 2007). An ego network is the direct connections between an individual actor and its surrounding groups. The ego network level of analysis can provide a view at how an organization functions with its immediate surroundings, how the organizations direct interactions with external groups happens and the impact the interactions have. The next level of analytics is the overall network which includes all direct and indirect participants in a network domain. The overall network level provides a view of how well connected an organization is as well as how dense an organizations network environment is (Scott & Davis, 2007). Analyzing the overall network of an organization can provide a view on areas of growth for an organization or define connections which can be made by an organization to streamline the organizations own ego network. Growing from the overall network the next analytical level is the network position of an organization. The network position of the organization shows where an organization falls into the overall network, for example is the organization the central fixture to the environments network it exists in or is the organization on the fringes of the overall network (Lis & Ptak, 2018). From the network analytical levels several measures have been developed to assist in examining organizational networks.

Measures related to networks include distance, centrality, equivalence, density, centralization, and clustering (Scott & Davis, 2007). Networks both social and organization can be measured in analyzing the distance between each node. Network distance can include direct contacts as well and indirect contacts through other network groups. Organization network distance can show organizations how separated the organization is from other actors within its overall network. An organization can analyze the distance or number of intermediaries between the organization and a supplier for example to determine if there are other options available closer in the organization’s overall network. The measure of centrality looks at how central or important a node is to the network, for example is the network built around the node or does the node exist on the outskirts of the network. A measure of centrality includes analyzing the connections both from an organization as well as the connections coming in from other organizations to the initial organizations (Scott & Davis, 2007). Clustering measures how connected all nodes of a network are to each other. For an organization clustering in the organization’s network can affect the overall impact an organization can have on the network (Rostek & Młodzianowski, 2018). In relation to clustering is the idea of structural holes or gaps in a network which can allow an organization to leverage itself as a bridge between other organizations within the network as a connector. Network equivalence is a measure of how many nodes within a network are equivalent to each other. Producers of the same product would be equivalent if each used the same suppliers of raw materials. For an overall network level, density is a measure of the possible connections of a network. Density measures an organizations overall network to identify how interconnected the network is. For an overall network measuring the centralization of the network can provide a view of how connected each member is in the network. In a network with low centralization each node has is equal in its connections, whereas a high centralization network has one central actor which has one actor or node at the center of the network.

Network Organizations
Network Organizations can be defined as falling into one of three types of organizational forms. The first type is a stable network organization. A stable network organization is one in which a central node or firm creates its network with a limited set of upstream and downstream vendors (Scott & Davis, 2007). In a stable network the connections between the central firm and the network tend to be long term connections, while allowing the outside firms to work with other groups to allow those firms to remain successful. It is important for members of the network to work with each other to allow for the continued success of each member of the network (Austen, 2018). A stable network will also contain strong ties between each node allowing for direct links between the members (Chamoso, Rivas, Rodríguez, & Bajo, 2018). The second type of network organization is a dynamic network. In a dynamic network the organizations create network groups with short lives to develop and produce products with short lifecycles. In a dynamic network the connections between organizations can change quickly brining in new members and removing old members of the network based on what is being produced. The third type of network organization is an internal network. In an internal network organization buy and sell products and services among each other. An organization’s internal network could be among the organization’s departments, each buying and selling products and services to other business groups within the same organization. Organizational networks are needed to ensure the continued growth of organizations and to sustain organizational growth (Lomovceva, Gerasimenko, & Sulimova, 2020).

Environment
Organizations develop and exist based on the environment in which they operate. Many different aspects of an organization’s environment play a role in the success or failure of the organization and the organization’s network (Burt, Opper, & Holm, 2021). The development of an organization relies on the initial actor’s ability to access knowledge, resources, and networks. Knowledge of the environment the organization is going to function in and general experience in business are important in the development of a successful organization (Alamsyah & Syawiluna, 2018). Institutional knowledge can play a role in developing and establishing relationships to create a strong network for a new organization (Lis & Ptak, 2018). Access to resources, or the ability to create networks to gain access to resources in an organization’s environment can affect the development of an organization. Lack of resources can cause an organization to fail. Lastly the organizations network development in the organization’s environment is an important measure of an organization’s success (Burt, Opper, & Holm, 2021). A strong network can allow for an organization to succeed in turbulent times. The development of an organization depends on the organizational populations which surround the business in the organization’s environment.

An organizational population is identified by organizations which are alike in some respects. An organizations population can be defined as having the same organizational form or network. In analyzing an organization’s population change and development can be affected by issues such as imprinting, technological change, ecological changes, and socio-political changes in the environment.

Imprinting can affect an organization in the organizations environment when the organization is in development. Imprinting revolves around the idea of a new organization creating its organization form based on current organizations in the industry pulling knowledge, resources, and networks to assist in the organization’s development (Scott & Davis, 2007). The organization form then retains the imprints from the initial development as the organization continues to grow and mature. Imprinting in an organization’s development in the organization’s environment can allow the organization to become competitive as the company matures and integrates new networks into the organization’s environment. (Scott & Davis, 2007) Along with imprinting at an organizations initial development technological change can force organizational environment and population changes.

Technological change in an organization’s environment can drive the need for organizations to change to ensure success in the new technological environment. New technological innovation can influence organizational environments in either positive or negative functions (Xu, 2021). On a positive side technological changes can drive organizations to streamline workflows and networks to continue to be successful. A negative impact from technological change is the possibility for an organization to become redundant or antiquated causing an organization to fail within the organization’s environment and population.

In an organization’s environment demographic changes can impact an organization. Demographic changes involve changes in an organization’s age and focus. As newer organizations are developing their networks and market, the organization may falter due to not being able to establish stable relationships with other organizations (Puente & Schneider, 2020). As organization’s mature there can be an impact due to the organization’s networks and products to become antiquated or no longer sought out by customers. The changes in an organizations age relative to the organizations network can affect the ease in which the organization can establish itself as a partner to new organizations and connections. For an organization not only is the age of the organization a factor in success in its environment there is an impact based on how specific the organization’s function is in the environment.

From an ecological point of view, for an organization to succeed in its environment it is important to analyze the organization’s specific niche and the density in the organization’s environment. An organization’s niche focuses on how specific the organization’s products or services are in the environment in which the organization operates. If an organization creates to specific of a niche in its environment, changes to items such as resource availability can cause the organization to fail. If the organization is broad in its offerings there is a possibility of failure or need to change due to oversaturation of competitors. An organization’s niche width can have a strong effect on the development of its network (Xu, 2021). Density dependence in an organization’s environment deals with the amount of previous organizational founding and failures within a specific organizational environment. As an organizations environment density increases resources can become scarce due to having many firms trying to use the same resources (Yang, 2019). In analyzing an organization’s environment, the number of new organizations being developed can indicate an availability of resource, where as a slowing or stop to new organizational development in an environment can indicate a lack of resources or oversaturation in a market of competitors.

An organizations environment can be affected by socio-political changes. Changes to governmental oversight and laws can cause a burden to an organization (Lomovceva, Gerasimenko, & Sulimova, 2020). Organizations should be cognizant of cultural and social impacts the organization can have on its environment. Organizations should strive to produce positive social impacts in their environment to ensure continued success and a positive image in their environment. Ensuring an organization is ready for socio-political changes can allow for the organization to continue to exist in its environment.

Personal Perspective
It is important for organization’s to be cognizant and knowledgeable of their environment to ensure success in the marketplace. Developing a strong network is important not just on an individual level but also for organizations to develop to be ready for the unknown in the current business environment. Identifying market need and density of products currently available can assist in guiding organizations to new products to ensure as the organization becomes more established, they continue to be successful. There is importance to maintaining and continually developing an individual’s network in a business environment.

In working in the software market, the importance of organizational networking and monitoring of organization environments for changes is an important part of the business. In the current business environment, the successful companies can identify trends and act on developing new technologies. For software companies the constant changing of technological capabilities has created an environment where established companies need to continually work on developing new network connections to ensure the organization is able to continue to be successful.

Biblical Perspective
The importance of monitoring your environment and working towards ensuring one’s network continues to be successful can be seen in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 9:5-6 states “Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (King James Bible, 1769/2017). It is important for an individual to ensure their organization works towards sowing the positive works of God in the environment the organization functions in. A common thread in the Bible among the kings of Israel mentioned in 1 and 2 Kings is the failure to look at the whole environment and benefits granted from God (Merida, 2015). It is important for our growth to remember to analyze our environment to identify places for growth as well as areas we can focus on for improvement.