Criminal Justice Organizations: Structure and Systems

Flashcards covering the structure, control, and system components of criminal justice organizations based on the provided lecture notes.

What significant role does organizational structure play?

It plays a significant role in an organization's ability to achieve its mission and strategic goals.

What are the three types of organizational complexity discussed?

Vertical, Horizontal, and Spatial.

What is 'Formalization' in the context of organizational control?

It refers to the degree to which an organization and its members are guided by written rules and procedures intended to produce organizationally prescribed behavior.

What is a key characteristic of 'formal organizations'?

They are 'rule bound'.

What is a limitation of relying heavily on rules in criminal justice environments?

Most criminal justice employees work in dynamic, unpredictable environments where behavior cannot be reduced to rules.

What does 'Centralization' refer to in an organization?

It refers to the location in the organization where important decisions are made.

Define 'Span of Control'.

It is the ratio of supervisors (at one level) to the number of workers (at the next lower level).

What are the four components of criminal justice organizations when viewed as systems?

Inputs, Activities, Outputs, and Feedback.