Reengineering: A new paradigm shift for organizational repositioning

This paper attempts an explanation of reengineering as a management concept aimed at improving organizational efficiency but more directed at customer satisfaction and competiveness. The literature reviewed indicates that reengineering is more rooted in the private sector and has as its benefits the identification of organizational elements that creates cost with view, to eliminating them. Reengineering is criticized for large scale layoffs and too much emphasis on the process as a factor that limits the effectiveness of an organization. It underestimates the resistance to change and laid too much emphasis on technology solutions. The paper concludes that though deep rooted in private sector, reengineering can be transplanted to the public sector bearing in mind the welfarist nature of modern governments and the need to effectively deal with the resistance resulting from reduction in bureaucratic size and layoffs. The paper recommends therefore that organizational member’s values and beliefs should not be neglected. To overcome the narrow approach of reengineering, it should be integrated with other systems through a new model called management by process.