2.2 Organizational structure Flashcards
Delegation?
✓ occurs when a manager gives authority for a particular decision to someone else but he still holds responsibility for the outcome of that decision.
The span of control ?
✓ Points to how many employees/subordinates are directly under the authority of a particular manager.
Mostly, various assistants and juniors are not included in the span of control
A level of hierarchy?
✓ A level of responsibility within a business.
Levels range from most senior, the chief executive officer (CEO), to the most junior, the “junior” working in the marketing department.
The chain of command?
✓ The formal route though which a decision must travel. Usually, decisions are made at the highest level and are communicated down.
Bureaucracy ?
✓ An organization that is “bureaucratic” has many rules and procedures. Is associated with businesses that are well established and have been operating for many years
✓ may have neutral (clear rules) or negative (flexible thinking and delegation are not expected) meaning
Is more related to a tall structure rather then to a flat structure
Characteristics of Centralization?
✓ When the majority of decisions are made by a small group of individuals in a senior position within the business.
✓ usually many levels of hierarchy and
✓ narrow spans of control – for effective control of their subordinates.
✓ delegation rarely happens and
✓ leadership is more likely to be autocratic.
Decentralization?
✓ Decisions are made by middle managers. Senior management is likely to retain control of key strategic decisions.
De-layering?
✓ Reduction of the levels of hierarchy by removing layers of management.
Characteristics of a flat structure?
✓ Few levels of hierarchy
✓ Wider span of control.
✓ Decentralized decision making. and delegations
✓ short command chains
A tall structure
✓ has many levels of hierarchy and
✓ narrow spans of control
✓ autocratic leadership (probable) and
✓ decision making is centralized, with less delegation.
✓ long chains of command
What is a PA of the CEO in hierarchy?
The personal assistant (PA) to the CEO is not included in the levels of hierarchy
Line managers ?
A line manager is the first layer of management above the front line workers. They’re accountable for their department, or part in the business.
A project-based organizational structure or a MATRIX
Usual for IT, architects etc.
✓ Business’s human resources are organized around many projects.
✓ Project managers run teams of employees focusing on individual projects.
✓ After the project is completed, the team is split up and reassembled to begin another project.
✓ Each team “borrows” members of different departments such as accountants, operations managers and marketing specialists.
The shamrock model (Charles Handy)
● The first leaf represents the core managers, technicians and employees essential to the business.
● The second leaf is the contractual fringe, because non-core activities are subcontracted out to specialist businesses.
● The third leaf consists of a flexible/unskilled/seasonal workforce
The process of communicating a message
The sender - encoding the message - the appropriate media - the receiver - decoding - feedback.
Importance of feedback
feedback ensures that the message has been understood and acted upon successfully.
What may be cause disruptions in communication?
● The wrong code of the massage
● The wrong receiver
● The wrong media
● A background noise.
What may cause disruptions in a communication?
● The wrong code of the massage
● The wrong receiver
● The wrong media
Communication forms?
Formal/informal:
● Verbal
● Visual
● Written
A background noise in communication?
Also called interference - anything that interferes with the communication process between a speaker and an audience.
Examples of causes - different perception of the same messages due to different culture, age etc;
A hierarchical organization?
Also used synonymously to tall structure:
Pyramidal with many layers (workers>supervisors>managers>senior managers>executives>CEO) or long chain of command with usually a narrow span of control.
Individuals tend to have specialized skills.
Decision-making typically has to go through many layers and is therefore not a quick process.
Which type of structure is characterised with:
Decisions flow from top down and information - from the bottom up.
Authority/decision-making is centralized and delegated authority, if any, is narrowly defined.
Tall/hierarchical
Which type of structure is characterised with:
Individuals tend to have specialized skills.
Decision-making typically has to go through many layers and is therefore not a quick process.
Tall/hierarchical
Which type of structure is characterised with teamwork?
Matrix
