Observing Organizational Environments: A Systematic Approach for Information Analysts

Information Analysts observe the elements of an organization in order to gain information unavailable through interviewing and the investigation of hard data. In the past the process of observation has been intuitive at best. This article describes and develops a systematic methodology for analyzing the internal organizational environment. The approach is based on a framework used in film criticism called mise-en-scène analysis. Seven major concrete and abstract elements which influence organizational decisions are identified: office lighting and color; office design, space, and location; clothing of decision makers; individual and group decision making; abilities of decision makers; attention to multiple objectives; and cognitive maps of decision makers. The systematic framework for observation developed in this article is an alternative to the common sense approach to observation. The major advantage of the mis-en-scène approach is that it allows the Information Analyst to classify, document, and interpret important factors which usually remain at the subconscious level.