In organizations, tasks define the concrete work that contributes to fulfilling the purpose of the organization. They translate the broader intention of the organization into practical activities.

• A task is an activity considered necessary or beneficial for living up to the purpose of the organization.
• In other words, every task in an organization should ultimately serve the overall purpose of the organization.
• Because organizations perform a wide variety of activities, tasks are often distributed across different functions and roles. This distribution is defined through the organization’s operating system.
• If tasks are poorly defined or disconnected from the organization’s purpose, they can prevent the organization from effectively fulfilling its purpose.
• A task assigned to a role represents a specific piece of work that the role is responsible for delivering, supporting or completing.
• The tasks of a role therefore consist of activities and actions that contribute directly to fulfilling these responsibilities.