CH. 13: Organizational Structure Flashcards
defines how job tasks are formally divided, grouped, and coordinated
Organizational structure
Degree to which tasks in the organization are subdivided into separate jobs (division of labour)
Work Specialization
Basis on which jobs are grouped together
Departmentalization
Types of Departmentalization
- Functional
- Product
- Geographic
- Process
- Customer
Continuous line of authority that extends from upper org. lvls to lowest level & clarifies who reports to whom
Chain of Command
who has rights to give orders & expect them to be obeyed
Authority
Assignment of authority to another person to carry out spec. duties, allowing employee to make some of the decisions
Delegation
of subordinates efficiently & effectively managed
Span of Control
Degree to which decision making is concentrated @ a single point in the organization
Centralization
Degree to which decision making is distributed to lower level employees
Decentralization
Degree to which jobs w/in the org. are standardized
Formalization
Strengths & Weaknesses of a Bureaucracy
Strengths: - standardizes activities efficiently
Weaknesses: - subunit conflicts, with obsessive concern w/ following rules
Breaks unity of command principle- 2 bosses
Matrix Organization
Breaking internal boundaries, with use of teams as its central coordination device
Team Structure
Breaking external boundaries, units of diff. firms joining together in motives to pursue common strategic objectices
Virtual Organization
Breaking boundaries internally & externally, seeks to eliminate chain of command, has limitless spans of control, & replace dpts w/ empowered teams
Boundaryless org.
Systematic effort to make org. leaner by selling business units, closing locations, or reducing staff
Downsizing
Strategies for downsizing
Communication
Investment
Participation
Assistance
Highly standardized processes for work, high formalization, & more managerial hierarchy
Mechanistic model
Flat with fewer formal procedures for making decisions, multiple decision makers, & favours flexible practices
Organic model
Three strategy dimensions
Cost Minimization
Innovation
Imitation
Major causes of an organization’s structure
Strategy
Organizational Size
Technology
Environment
Dimensions of an organization’s Environment
Capacity- degree of growth support
Volatility- degree of instability
Complexity- degree of concentration
