ESSENCE

Congruence is the degree to which the needs, goals, objectives and/or structures of one component are consistent with the needs, demands, goals, objectives and/or structures of another component

Other things being equal, the greater the total degree of congruence or fit between the various components, the more effective will be the organization, effectiveness being defined as the degree to which actual organization outputs at individual, group, and organization level are similar to expected outputs, as specified by strategy

It is not a question of finding the "one best way" of managing, but of determining the effective combination of components that will lead to congruent fits among them

SOME RELEVANT QUESTIONS

To what extent are individual needs (e.g., recognition, security, challenge, safety, fairness, accomplishement, leisure) met by the formal organizational arrangements (e.g., policies, procedures, work organization and job design, HRM systems)?

To what extent are individual needs met by the tasks?

To what extent are individual needs met by the informal organization (e.g., customs, practices, individual behaviors, intra- and inter-group relations, communication)?

To what extent is the informal organization consistent with the formal organization?  To what extent are the goals, rewards, and structures of the informal organization consistent with those of the formal organization (e.g., length of the work day, rewards, citizenship, mentorship/support)?