This leads us to the second strength of the metaphor: The management of organizations
can often be improved through systematic attention to the “needs” that must be satisfied if
the organization is to survive. The metaphor emphasizes survival as the key aim or primary
task facing any organization. This contrasts with the classical focus on specific operational
goals. Survival is a process, whereas goals are often targets or end points to be achieved. This
reorientation gives management an increased flexibility, for if survival is seen as the primary
orientation, specific goals are framed by a more basic and enduring process that helps
prevent them from becoming ends in themselves, a common fate in many organizations. The
focus on the use and acquisition of resources also helps emphasize that the process of
organizing is much broader and more basic than the task of achieving specific goals.