Top executives decide the end purpose the organization will strive for and determine
the direction it will take to accomplish it. It is this purpose and direction
that shapes how the organization is designed and managed. Indeed, the primary
responsibility of top management is to determine an organization’s goals, strategy,
and design, therein adapting the organization to a changing environment.3 Middle
managers do much the same thing for major departments within the guidelines provided
by top management. Exhibit 2.1 illustrates the relationships through which
top managers provide direction and then design