'institution' vs 'organization'

Conversation started Sep 21, 2011 at 19:44.

rumtscho

Sep 21, 2011 19:44

but what is the difference between institution and organization?

user19161

@GraceNote We'll

Grace Note

I had a spare L

I mean, if I said "We'll see aboult that!", it'd just be awkward, neh?

user19161

@GraceNote Now you are just MSU.

rumtscho

I am writing a paper on software engineering, and my prof doesn't like it that I say that the users of the software work for an "organization"

Grace Note

No, not making anything up. I see 3 Ls in a sentence that should only have two Ls, so that's quite literally a spare L.

user19161

Sep 21, 2011 19:46

@rumtscho Then tell him to go away.

rumtscho

She wants me to say that they work for an "institution", because she finds it confusing to speak of software with the support dimension "organization" (like software for TODO lists)

Grace Note

I might need it in the future, too, so if some time comes and I find myself bereft of a sufficient quantity of Ls, I'll know, "Hey, back on 1994226, I've got a spare L there!"

Matt Эллен

@rumtscho ?? if they work for an organisation, what else can you say? a company? a group of like minded individuals who want to make software?

rumtscho

I can't say "a company", because they could be working for a hospital or a university.

But "institution" sounds like a mental hospital to me.

Grace Note

It turns out "organization vs institution" is a common Google search.

Matt Эллен

Sep 21, 2011 19:48

institution works for hospitals and universities, but what if they're working for a company? companies are not institutions.

@GraceNote LOL

@GraceNote interesting

aedia λ

@rumtscho Many people would find it less friendly because of such connotations. I would stick to "organization" unless someone forced me into "institution".

Grace Note

I'm a bit werked on this because I went to school at an "Institute"

Matt Эллен

werked?

rumtscho

Why is a company not an institution?

Matt Эллен

@rumtscho it's just not

why is a hospital not a company?

Grace Note

Sep 21, 2011 19:50

Let's look at the constituent roots of the words here.

An organization is a group of people that are organized together for a purpose.

rumtscho

@MattЭллен I read (at least diagonally) the Wikipedia articles first, it says that corporations are a type of institution.

Grace Note

An institution, then, would logically be a group of people that are instituted together for a purpose.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I'm with the others when I say "institution" brings up notions of "mental institute", and thus I'd go with organization.

rumtscho

Institution

An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human community. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions, and with the making and enforcing of rules governing cooperative human behavior. The term "institution" is commonly applied to customs and behavior patterns important to a society, as well as to particular formal organizations of government and public service. As structures and mechanisms of social order among humans,...

aedia λ

@rumtscho Maybe if it's like, a really well established company. The esteemed Smith & Smith Bros, an institution in business in our town since the 1700s...

Matt Эллен

Sep 21, 2011 19:52

"mechanism of social order and cooperation" - there you go: businesses are built on politics and back stabbing - there's no cooperation! ;-)

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

You could also check here: thesaurus.com/browse/organization

Matt Эллен

@rumtscho sorry - my native speaker brain has no reason; it just knows :)

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I'd say that a company is an institution but you wouldn't normally refer to it as such, because "institution" also connotes "big" (to me, anyway)

rumtscho

@MattЭллен The chat boxes the beginning of the article, but I'm quite sure I linked to the list for "types of institutions", which contains "Industry - businesses, including corporations - see financial institution, factory, capitalism, division of labour, social class"

But my non-native speaker brain raised a red flag at the substitution as a whole, so I'll try to keep organisation.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Google defines "institute" as (esp scientific or educational)

Matt Эллен

Sep 21, 2011 19:55

@rumtscho Well, I would recommend doing what your prof. says, since she is marking your work ;)

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

and google defines "institution" as A society or organization founded for a religious, educational, social, or similar purpose
- a certificate from a professional institution
An organization providing residential care for people with special needs
- an institution for the mentally ill
An established official organization having an important role in the life of a country, such as a bank, church, or legislature
- the institutions of democratic government
A large company or other organization involved in financial trading

drɱ65 δ

Close this:

rumtscho

@MattЭллен No, she isn't. She is a co-author. The reviewers from the program commitee of the conference decide if the work is worth publishing. And when they read the paper, it will be too late to exchange single words they don't like.

drɱ65 δ

Q: Ending sentences with "etc"

What is the proper way to end a sentence with "etc."? Should there be two periods or just one?

Matt Эллен

@drɱ65δ Finish him!!

aedia λ

Sep 21, 2011 19:58

@rumtscho Then now is the time to nitpick!

rumtscho

@aediaλ That's what I've been doing the last three days.

Thank you all for your help nitpicking!

Matt Эллен

@rumtscho ah, well then I don't know. To me organisation works in all instances, but institution does not. I'm not an expert mind you.

drɱ65 δ

@Mr. Shiny: Thanks!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@drɱ65δ Just doing my job. Or rather, doing EL&U when I should be doing my job.

Matt Эллен

:-D

drɱ65 δ

Sep 21, 2011 19:59

:-D

Matt Эллен

@Kit - waiwai correctified the blog :)

aedia λ

@MattЭллен @rumtscho I agree with what Matt says here. The only reason I can think not to use "organization" is if you had to use the word a lot in the same piece of writing, with the meaning of sorting things, and a substitute there was not acceptable.

But I can't imagine why you would do that unless you were intentionally trying to confuse people. Organizational customers: New closet organization tools, organized just the way you want them, and tailored for your organization's organizational needs!

rumtscho

@aediaλ That's roughly what happens here. The paper explains a lot about what different IT systems support, and one of the things is organization (so rememberthemilk is a system which supports organization, while skype supports communication). But I don't think there is a single sentence where the reader will mistake which one I mean. The prof is very touchy about synonyms.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@rumtscho "supporting organization" is very different from "supporting AN organization"....

Conversation ended Sep 21, 2011 at 20:13.

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