Organizational structure

Question 1

What is organizational structure?

Answer 1

The way in which job tasks are hormally divided grouped and coordinated

Question 2

What is work specialisation?

Answer 2

The degree to which tasks are subdivided into seperate jobs. Leads to efficiency, but too much leads to stress low productivity poor quality, absenteeism and high turnover.
Nowadays breaks down into technoligy or expertese

Question 3

What is departmentalization?

Answer 3

How are jobs grouped
Function: efficiency by expertise
Product or service: more accountability for performance
Geographical: 
Proccess and costumor:

Question 4

What is chain of command?

Answer 4

Unbroken line of authority within an organization

Question 5

What is unity of command?

Answer 5

Idea of only one boss, else conflict might occur, dotted lines in reporting etc

Question 6

Span of control

Answer 6

Number of subordinates a manager has.
The wider with less levels the more efficient in costs
Drawbacks narrow: Expensive, vertical com. more complex, tight suppervision that discourages employees

Question 7

What is centralization?

Answer 7

The degree to which decisions are made in one place

Question 8

Explain the benifts of centralization/decentralization

Answer 8

Decentralization: quicker decisions, more people input, less communication errors, more flexible and innovative
centralization: less bad choices

Question 9

What is formalization?

Answer 9

Degree of standardization
High: uniform output, employees won’t consider alternatives
low: great deal of freedom, flexible innovative, interactive

Question 10

What is boundary spanning?

Answer 10

Form relationships outside of formally designed groups
Helps formal structures not becoming too ridget enhances creativity
Can be improved by committees etc, jobrotation, or showing overal organizational goals
Internal communication should be strong to be efficient

Question 11

What is a simple structure?

Answer 11

Low degree of departmentalization, wide span of control authority is centralized to one person. Short lifespan apps or innovative companies or startups
Flexible inexpensive and accountability is clear
If organizations grow you get an overload at the top

Question 12

Bureaucracy

Answer 12

Very formalized, rules and regulations, tasks are grouped in functional departments centralized and narrow span of control.
it’s highly efficient and only decisionmakers have to be innovative
Conflict between departments and obsessive concern with following rules is a problem

Question 13

Functional structure

Answer 13

Grouped by similar tasks or specialities.
many organizations use this, allows to become an export quickly. motivates employees because of clear career path.
ridget communications, because of hierarchy

Question 14

Divisional structure

Answer 14

highly departmentalized based on product, service

clear respo nsibility for activities, usefull for example with two teams in different countries

Question 15

Matrix structue

Answer 15

combines funcional and product structues
advertising agency.
breaks the unity of command, two bosses, one in functional department other in product management
creates confusion sometimes but is great for indipendant but complex tasks.

Question 16

virtual structure

Answer 16

outsources major business functions
It’s flexible and cheap (no office/hyrarchy)
drawback: roles goals a nd responsiblities unclear, no shared goals etc had to share information sometimes

Question 17

What is team structure

Answer 17

Empowered teams, no vertical/horizontal bounderies, no external bounderies with clients.
Participative decisionmaking, 360 degree appraisals.
Usefull since overseas teams can make decisions on their own.

Question 18

Circular structure

Answer 18

spread vision outwards, managers, specialist, employees
creative entrepreneurs
employees don’t know who is running the show

Question 19

Downsizing

Answer 19

creating a leaner organization, reduces costs, but has to restructure. Employees attidutes change and get stressed, comp needs to help employees

Question 20

Innovative strategy

Answer 20

ORGANIC risks rewarded, some mechanical model helps, for communication etc

Question 21

Cost minimization strategy

Answer 21

MACHINISTIC Tight cost controls, avoidance of innovation, price cutting

Question 22

Imitation strategy

Answer 22

MECHANISTIC AND ORGANIC minimize risk maximize opportunity for profit, move to new markets after proven.

Question 23

Bigger org size leads to:

Answer 23

More mechanistic structure

Question 24

What is environment?

Answer 24

Outside of org. that affects structure.
broaden structure to reduce threats 
Capacity: can it support growth?
Volatility: how much instability?
Complexity: how much hetrogeneity and concentration?

Question 25

What is the three dimensional model?

Answer 25

Discribes environment by:
stable>dynamic
Simple> complex
Abundant> scarce

Question 26

What are institutions

Answer 26

Cultural factors that lead organizations to have similar structures
biggest: regelatory pressure
think of culture: power distance> strong authority
or they just copy

Question 27

Work specialization and employees

Answer 27

At the start it increases productivity, but too much leads to dissatisfaction and lower productivity
org. should restructure if this happends, not add more supervision

Question 28

Span of control and employees

Answer 28

no relationship between the two

Depends too much on what people personally like, only managers job satisfaction increases if managers get more employees

Question 29

Centralization and employees

Answer 29

Less leads to more job satisfaction

Question 30

Predictability vs autonomy

Answer 30

organizations will select a good fit, because it’s important, also to remain identity

Question 31

culture and structure

Answer 31

It influences prefered structure, more power distance> more mechanistic structure.
downsizing leads to less career prospects