Module 3: Organizational Concepts Flashcards
Social System
structuring events or happenings, it has no formal structure, apart from its functioning
What is the social system model sometimes referred to?
Sometimes referred to as informal component of an organization
Roles
+ expectations of others about appropriate behavior in a specific position
+ Impersonal
+ related to task behaviors
+ difficult to pin down, some people might define your role differently as how you define it or the other way around
+ learned quickly and can produce major behavior changes
Are roles and jobs the same?
roles and jobs are not the same, some people have several roles in one job (e.g., Head Manager, also specifically watches the production department, a mother)
What are the concepts under roles?
- Role Conflict
- Role Ambiguity
- Role Overload
- Role Differentiation
Role Conflict
when an individual is faced with incompatible or competing demands
Role Ambiguity
uncertainty about the behaviors to be exhibited in a role, or boundaries that define a role
Role Overload
when an individual feels overwhelmed from having too many responsibilities
Role Differentiation
the extent to which different roles are performed
Norms
+ shared group expectations about appropriate behavior
+ Establish the behavior expected of everyone in the group
+ There is “oughtness” or “shouldness”
+ Usually more obvious for behavior judged to be important for the group
What are the main types of norms?
- Descriptive norms
- Injunctive norms
Descriptive norms
developed through a process of observation
Injunctive norms
developed through a process of conforming to gain social approval
What must be first done with norms?
Norm must be first defined and communicated, either explicitly or implicitly
What must a group/organization do with norms?
+ The group must be able to monitor behavior and judge whether the norm is being followed
+ Group must be able to reward conformity and punish nonconformity
Organizational Climate
+ shared meaning organizational members attach to the events, policies, practices, and procedures they experience and the behaviors they see being rewarded, supported, and expected
+ how things are done within an organization
Organizational Culture
+ languages, values, attitudes, beliefs, and customs of an organization
+ complex pattern of variables that, when taken collectively, gives each organization its unique “flavor”
What are the 3 layers of organizational culture?
- Observable Artifacts
- Espoused Values
- Basic Assumptions
Observable Artifacts
symbols, language, narratives, and practices
Espoused Values
values endorsed by the management
Basic Assumptions
unobservable and are the core of the org
Organizational Culture Profile
organizational reps sort 54 “value statements” describing such things as organizational attitudes toward quality, risk taking, and the respect the organization gives to workers into meaningful categories to provide a descriptive profile of the organization
Organizational Practices Scale
designed specifically to measure organizational structure assesses the company’s culture in terms of dimensions such as whether the organization is “process versus result oriented,” etc.
Person-Organization Fit (Person Organization Congruence)
+ process of gauging the degree of fit between the two parties is mutual
+ people populating the organization who most define its culture
Downsizing
+ decision to cut jobs, one of the most radical and tumultuous ways an organization can change in response to pressures
+ reducing cost
+ reduction-in-force
+ greatest losses come from middle line, technostructure, and support staff
What are the two types of downsizing?
- Horizontal Cut
- Vertical Cut
Horizontal Cut
involves the loss of jobs within a department, but the department remains within the organization
Vertical Cut
involves elimination of all jobs in the department
Outsourcing
company use external employees to perform internal functions which known to be less costly than hiring its own employees to perform these services
Offshoring
work performed domestically is exported to cheaper labor markets in overseas countries
Organizational Merger
marriage of two organizations of equal status and power
Acquisition
procurement of property by another organization
Hostile Takeover
dominant organization thus acquires an unwilling partner to enhance its financial status
Parent
acquiring organization
Talent
organization being acquired
What are the 3 phases of acquisition?
- Precombination
- Combination
- Postcombination
Precombination
emphasis on financial issues
Combination
clash between people as they focus on differences between partners
Postcombination
integrating two cultures
Organizational Structure
+ arrangement of positions in an organization and the authority and responsibility relationships among them
+ the division of labor as well as patterns of coordination, communication, workflow, and formal power that direct organizational activities
Division of Labor
subdivision of work into separate jobs assigned to different people
What does division of labor lead to?
Leads to job specialization to increase work efficiency
What does an organization’s ability to divide work depend on?
An organization’s ability to divide work among people depends on how well those people can coordinate with each other
What are the coordinating mechanisms in an organization?
- Informal Communication
- Formal Hierarchy
- Standardization
Informal Communication
sharing information on mutual tasks; forming common mental models to synchronize work activities
Formal Hierarchy
assigning legitimate power to individual, who then use this power to direct work processes and allocate resources
Standardization
creating routine patterns of behavior or output
Elements of Organizational Structure
- Chain of Command
- Span of Control
- Centralization and Decentralization
- Formalization
- Mechanistic vs. Organic Structure
Traditional Organizational Structure
have formally defined roles for their
members, very rule driven, and are stable and resistant to change
Traditional Organizational Concepts
a. Bureaucracy
b. Line-Staff Organizational Structure
(Principle)
Nontraditional Organizational Structure
+ less formalized work roles and
procedures (organic)
+ generally, have fewer employees and may also occur as a small organization that is a subunit of a larger, more traditionally structured organization
Team Organization
workers have defined jobs, not narrowly specialized positions common to traditionally structured organizations, collaborate among workers, and share skills and resources (e.g., group of psychologists working on a single case)
Project Task Force
temporary, nontraditional organization of members from different departments or positions within a traditional structure who are assembled to complete a specific job or project (e.g., Avengers)
Matrix Organization
structured of both product
and function simultaneously
Tall
managers have smaller span of control, longer chain of command, provide a clear, distinct layers with obvious lines of responsibility and control and a clear promotion structure
Flat
span of control is larger, fewer management levels, focused on empowering employing rather than adhering to the chain of command by encouraging autonomy and self-direction; common when the task is repetitive and requires minimal supervision
Functional
+ divides the organization into departments based on the functions or tasks performed
+ creates job specialists but overly focused on their own department and area of specialization
+ E.g., HR Dept., Executive, Judiciary, Production Dept., Sales
Divisional
+ based on type of products or clients
+ can easily expand products or services merely by adding new division but there is a duplication of areas of expertise
+ E.g., LVMH, houses Tiffany & Co., Dior, Fendi, Celine, Givency, Bulgari, Loewe, Louis Vuitton
Centralization
the degree to which decision-making authority is concentrated at the top of the organizational hierarchy
Decentralization
process of taking the decision-making power out of the hands of the top level and distributing it to lower levels
Formalization
the degree to which organizations standardize behavior through rules, procedures, formal training, and related mechanisms
Mechanistic
+ Characterized by narrow span of control and high degree of formalization and centralization
+ Have many rules and procedures, limited decision making at lower levels, tall hierarchies of people in specialized roles, and vertical rather than horizontal communication
+ Operate better in rapidly changing environments
Organic
+ Operate with a wide span of control, decentralized decision-making, and little formalization
+ Tasks are fluid, adjusting to new situations and organizational needs
Departmentalization
+ Specifies how employees
and their activities are grouped together
+ Establishes chain of command
+ Focus people around common mental models or ways of thinking
+ Encourages specific people and work units to coordinate through informal communication
What are the different ways of departmentalization?
- Simple
- Functional
- Divisional
- Team Based
- Matrix
- Network
Simple Departmentalization
few people minimal hierarchy
Functional Departmentalization
organizes employees around specific knowledge or other resources
Divisional Departmentalization
group employees around geographic areas, outputs, or clients
Team Based Departmentalization
built around self-directed teams that complete an entire piece of work
Matrix Departmentalization
overlays two structures to leverage the benefits of both
Network Departmentalization
design and build a product or serve a client though an alliance of several organizations
Organizational Development
planned, organization-wide effort to increase organizational effectiveness through behavioral science knowledge and technology