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Organizational Structure
Organizational Structure
Way in which the company is organized and the consideration of its internal workings in
an attempt to find an efficient operational practice
Provides accountability (who is answerable for a specific job) and responsibility (who is
in charge of whom)
Necessary for: stability, consistency, continuity, unity, efficiency, etc.
Organizational chart
Shows different functional departments, chain of command, span of control, and
channels of communication
Ways to structure a business:
By function: production process (e.g. editing, printing, sales, etc)
By product or activity: organizing according to the different products made
By area: geographical or regional state
Role of Organizational Chart
Visual representation of business – see main line of communication
Shows promotion prospects
Shows immediate superior for clear communication
Shows employees their role in the business
Shows who to pass info to given a problem
Span of control
Refers to the number of people who are directly accountable to a manager
Affects whether an organization is wide/flat or narrow/tall
Factors:
Manager’s experience, competence, traits
Nature of management styles (amount of control needed)
Skills and dynamics of subordinates (better team, less people)
Nature of work
Type of production method used
Wide/flat organizations – wide span of control
Direct communication between different levels (fast and accurate)
Cost control (less managers needed)
Delegation is more important
Longer decision making
Eliminate feeling of alienation of workers from senior management
Narrow/tall organizations – narrow span of control
Easier to control smaller amount of subordinates
May be more productive/efficient (team cohesiveness and specialization)
Fast communication within team
More costly (more managers needed)
More motivation for employees – many promotion opportunities
Delegation
Extent a superior passes work down the hierarchy to subordinates
Can motivate and develop employees while saving time for managers
May lead to confusion and inadequacy (in case of failure)
This includes accountability but responsibility still stays with higher authority
Delegation Checklist (SMARTER)
Specific – tasks clearly defined
Measurable – quantifiable results
Agree – on amount of power and freedom
Realistic – depends on the ability to carry out the task
Time Bound – task completion
Ethical – tasks fairly delegated
Recorded – documented
Levels of hierarchy
Organizational structure based on rank
Shows clear lines of communication
Establish departments or teams (motivation and sense of belonging)
BUT
Rivalries may occur
Rigid in terms of scope and authority
Response to change may be slower
Departmentalization
Delayering/downsizing
Process of removing levels in the hierarchy/reducing managerial levels
Achieves flatter structure for more flexibility
Advantages
Reduce costs
Improve speed of communication
Encourage delegation
Disadvantages
Can cause job insecurity, demotion, redundancy
Overstretching of employees
Costs to train employees
Chain of command
The way authority and responsibility pass up and down the organization
Formal line of authority
Bureaucracy
Set of detailed methods and routines to carry out a specific activity
Involves clear division of roles for a hierarchical system in the organization
Follows several principles:
Prioritization of continuity (less risk)
Rules and regulations
Formal hierarchy
Accountability
Advantages
Authority and levels of responsibility are obvious
Standardization of processes to ensure efficiency
Turns employees into specialists rather than generalists
Loyalty to department
Disadvantages
May stifle creativity
Rivalries between departments may ensue
Less job satisfaction; high labor turnover
Slow decision-making process
Salaries for the different layers of management increases costs
Red tape
Centralization and decentralization
Centralized structures
Executive board handles major decision making of the company
Majority of decision making by minority (senior mgmt.)
Advantages
Rapid decision making on single projects
Better control over all company activity
Better sense of direction
Suited for smaller businesses
Decisions are more consistent
Cons
Slow decision making on multiple projects
Stress for senior staff
Inflexible
Demotivating
Exclusion of other people’s ideas that may be better
Decentralized structures
Some decision making is delegated
Freer communication process
All employees get to have a pitch in the decisions
Advantages
Input from employees
Speedier decision making
Improved Morale
Accountability
Teamwork
Cons
No control
Greater chance of mistakes
Reliance on communication
Redundancy
Lower standards of work (no governing body)
Inconsistency between company goals (regional managers)
Relevant factors
Size of organization
Scale of importance of decision
Level of risk
Corporate culture
Management attitude and competencies
ICT