During the autumn of 2014, I wrote this sequence about organisation theory. These days web consultants must have some understanding of organisations, which is more important than many of the traditional web design skills.
At the same time I wrote two other strands in this blog:
- I explored local economy in the Mutuality category and suggested we need a national localised economy as an alternative to neo-liberal market models, and
- under Marketing I explored some of the worldviews shared by small businesses and their compatibility with third sector worldviews.
In these posts I explored the need for an understanding of organisation in the design of websites. I went on to explore some key characteristics of third sector organisations.
How Organisation Theory Informs Website Design
Organisation Theory is important because it informs your website’s development. Indeed these days organisation and website development should go together.
The Anatomy of Organisations shows how there are four things every organisation must manage and they apply as much to their online as to their offline presence.
If you want to build a website that is effective for your organisation you need to understand your organisation. You don’t need html! We’ve moved From Coding to Plug-ins …
The change From Publicity to Marketing is from the website as a static shop window to the website as central to an organisation’s online marketing.
Five Reasons Organisations Lose Their Sense of Purpose
A good website will belong to a healthy organisation with a clear sense of purpose. It works when you Know Your organisation’s Purpose
Is Your Organisation the Web Designer’s Job? Many still think of their website as analogous to a brochure and do not appreciate the impact it can have on their organisation. You can find website designers who are not interested in your organisation. They’re desperate for work …
It is easy to build your own site because You Don’t Need Coding or Mark-up. The real problem is knowing what is possible and choosing the right solution for your organisation.
Your Website is Not an Advert This post explores three misapprehensions many organisations have about their websites.
Five Reasons Why So Many Sites Lack Purpose This title says it all really. The reasons why finding a purpose can become painful!
Common Issues in Third Sector Organisations
Whilst these issues may not be exclusive to third sector organisations, they are common and it can be helpful to be aware of them. My aim is to show how third sector organisations differ from small businesses.
Third Sector Organisations: Outputs and Outcomes Whilst outputs can be helpful they are effectively meaningless unless you are also aware of outcomes. Why? Because it is through outcomes that you are in touch with your customers real needs or experience.
Third Sector Organisations: Legalistic Practices Excessive legalism results from the nature of voluntary organisations. What would be a simple small business can easily become bogged down in bureaucracy because of the need to protect public finance and the interests of the people involved.
Third Sector Organisations: Unable to Take Responsibility Or indeed to make decisions. The committee structures and that most committee members are very part-time means that decisions making is slow and often does not happen!
Paid Staff in Third Sector Organisations For small organisations paid staff are not always good news, especially in the long-term. What happens when you hand responsibility for implementing your vision to a stranger?
Third Sector Organisations in the Marketplace Here are three mindsets that often sabotage community groups and small businesses working together.
Building Capacity Capacity building should be the goal for all organisations and it is often where many organisations fail.
Capacity for Website Development This post reviews the implications of restrictions imposed by finance, personnel, time and knowledge or information.