Chapter 8 Flashcards
1
Q
Downs’s (1967) “law of hierarchy.”
A
Large government bureaucracies have more elaborate centralized hierarchies compared to firms with “economic outputs.”
2
Q
Mainstream organization theory’s view of public vs. private organizations
A
size, environmental complexity, technology, and other factors are more important influences on structure than public or private status.
3
Q
Examples of what constitutes a structural measure
A
- Size - total organizational size (F/T employees)
- Centralization - degree [of] power, authority at higher levels
- Configuration -“‘shape’ of administrative apparatus (control, hierarchy, communications
- Specialization - division of labor (task)
- Interdependence of subsystems - task interdependence, autonomy (internal functions)
- Standardization of procedures - “[how] standardized (ad hoc)
- Complexity - subunits, levels, specializations
- Red tape - administrative rules, requirements
- Administrative burdens - “[personal] experience of policy implementation (onerous) (learning, psychological, compliance (costs))
4
Q
Influences on organization structure
A
- Size – “larger organizations structurally complex (levels; departments; job titles)
- Centralization/decentralization – “environmental turbulence, complexity are boundary conditions
- Configuration – “greater span of control, [then] production of higher value products (communication)
- Specialization – “hierarchies, specialization [help] organizations integrate
- Interdependence of subsystems – “complementarity is mitigated when interdependencies are grouped
- Complexity – “managers’ misperceptions [about] complimentary activities are costlier than substitute activities (performance)
- Red tape – “rules are designed ineffective or become ineffective during implementation
- Administrative burdens – “how citizens perceive government (trust, fair, participation)
- Information processing and decision making – “how [do you] organize to make decisions (process information) (Herbert Simon)
5
Q
Additional influences on organization structure
A
- Environment – formalized, centralized structure [is] best in stable environment (specialization; communication; authority)
- Technology and tasks – structure depends on work processes.
- Information technology – transformed organizations and [work] life.
- Strategic choice – managers’ strategic choices determine structure (divisions, departments; markets, products, challenges).
6
Q
Research about influences on structural dimensions indicates that
A
- Larger organizations tend to be more structurally complex (Kalleberg, Knoke, Marsden, and Spaeth)
- Larger organizations tend to have less administrative overhead (Parkinson)
- Environmental turbulence and complexity may be important boundary conditions for the advantages of such centralization (Siggelkowand Rivkin).
7
Q
negative impacts of red tape on organizational performance according to Sanjay Pandey and his associates
A
- Reduced services to clients
- Role ambiguity
- Managerial alienation
- Lower morale
8
Q
Jay Galbraith (1977) defines uncertainty as:
A
- the gap between the information that is required and the information that is possessed by the organization.
- when companies grow, the level of uncertainty grows. More uncertainty means more information is needed to make decisions
9
Q
Galbraith’s organizational information processing levels
A
- Organizational hierarchy - superiors direct subordinates, answering their question and specifying rules and procedures for managing information processing
- Managers make plans and goals and allow subordinates to pursue them with less referral up and down with fewer rules.
- Reduce span of control so managers have fewer subordinates and therefore fewer decisions (information processing)
10
Q
What are the components of Mitzenberg’s Model
A
“the sum total of the ways in which and organizations divides its labor into distinct tasks and then achieves coordination among them.”
- Operating core: people directly related to service/product production
- Strategic apex: serves needs of people who control the organization
- Middle line: managers who connect the strategic apex with operating core
- Technostructure: analysts who design, plan, train the operating core
- Support staff: specialists who provide support to the organization outside of cores activities
- Ideology: the traditions and beliefs that make the organization unique
11
Q
Mitzenberg’s design parameters
A
structures within the units (operating core; strategic apex; middle line; technostructure; support staff) that divide and coordinate the work within them fall into 4 categories
- Positions - Job specialization, behavior formalization
- Superstructures - Unit grouping (ex. criteria - knowledge and skills, function, time, output, clients, location.
- workflow interdependencies - phases of work required close communication
- process interdependencies - people perform the same type of work
- scale interdependencies - unit is large enough to need its own functional categories
- social interdependencies - facilitate social relations, morale, and cohesiveness
- Lateral linkages
- performance-control systems - general results as an indicator of effective coordination
- action-planning system - specific actions that people and groups must take
- liaison devices - liaisons from other units facilitate coordination
- Decision-making (through decentralization)
- Vertical decentralization - pushing decision-making authority down
- Horizontal decentralization - spreading decision-making authority across the unit
12
Q
Mitzenberg’s types of organizational structure
A
- simple (vertical, horizontal centralization, strong apex)
- machine bureaucracies (standardize political oversight, increased tecno-structure)
- professional bureaucracies [standardization of skills (rather than tasks), general decentralization]
- divisionalized forms (economies of scale)
- adhocacy (organic, fluid communication, [flexible].
13
Q
Functional structures (classic prototype)
A
- organization is structured around major functions (marketing and sales, manufacturing, finance, etc…)
- allows for economies of scale but concentration on specialization of functions weakens coordination with other functions
14
Q
Product and hybrid structures (organization design alternative)
A
- response when functional structures are too slow, hierarchical
- separate divisions to focus on products instead of functions
- maintains quality of product and allows more rapid response to environmental changes
- Hybrid includes a combination of product structures and functional structures (HR, finance)
15
Q
Matrix design structures (organization design alternative)
A
- purposely violate the “one master” and clear chains of authority rules
- product emphasis (high quality); functional (rapid and reliable)
- one line of authority for each
- Allows to shift resources across tasks in response to the environment
- requires massive investment in coordination and conflict resolutions
