2.2 Organizational Structure Flashcards
Accountability
Describes the extent a person is held responsible for the success or failure a task of job
Bureaucracy
The official administrative and formal rules of an organization that govern business activity
Centralization
Occurs when the majority of decision making is done by a very small number of people
Chain of command
Refers to the formal line of authority shown in an organization chart
Delayering
Process of removing levels in the hierarchy to flatten the organizational structure (widening the span of control)
A flat/Horizontal organizational structure
Means that there are only a few layers in the formal hierarchy
- managers have a relatively wide span of control
Decentralization
Occurs when decision making authority and responsibility are shared with others in the organization
Delegation
The empowerment of a person lower down in the organizational structure by passing on control and decision making authority to complete a certain task
Hierarchy
Refers to the organizational structure based on a ranking system.
- The higher the rank, the higher the authority
Levels of the hierarchy
Refers to the number of layers of formal authority in an organization
Line manager
Refers to the personal directly above an employee in the organizational structure
Managers
The people responsible for the day-to-day running of the business or a department within the organization
Matrix structure
Refers to a flexible try[e of organizational structure of representatives from different departments
- Temporality working together on a job
Organization by function
Refers to structuring a workforce according to business functions
- Specialized roles or tasks such as marketing
Organization by product
Refers to structuring a workforce according to the goods or services produced or sold
Organization by region
Refers to structuring a workforce according to different geographical areas
Organization chart
A diagrammatic representation of a firm’s formal structure of human resources
Organizational structure
Refers to the formal interrelationships and hierarchical arrangements of human resources within a business
Outsourced workers
The individuals or organizations hired on a contract basis to carry out specific but non core roles
Peripheral workers
Are the contingent workers consisting of part time and temporary staff hired by the organization to provide greater flexibility
Project based organization
Arranges human resources around particular projects, eahc led by a project manager
Professional core
The core workers consisting of full time specialists/professionals who are vital for the organization’s operation and survival
Responsibility
Refers to who is in charge of whom and in what role or capacity, can be seen in an organizational chart
Shamrock Organization
Refers to Charles Handy’s model that organizations are increasingly made up of core stuff who are supported by peripheral workers and outsourced workers
Span of control
Refers to the number of subordinates overseen by a manager
- The number of people who are directly accountable to the manager
Tall/Vertical organizational structure
Means that there are many layers in the hierarchy and therefore managers have a narrow span of control