What is an "organization", and what is the difference between organization and organizing?

An organization is a social group designed to achieve certain goals; organizing is the management function of creating that structure of relationships.

The classic definition: "Organization refers to a social group designed to achieve certain goals. It involves creating a structure of relationships among people working for the desired results."

The two senses of the word:

• Organization (noun) — the institution itself (the company, the agency, the security team)
• Organizing (verb) — one of the core functions of management: determining, grouping, and structuring activities, and allocating authority and responsibility

Why this matters for security: an ISMS never floats in a vacuum — it must be anchored in the organization's structure. Who owns risk? Who can issue security directives? Those are organizing questions, and getting them wrong undermines every technical control.