Structure Flashcards
what does an organisational chart show
who has overall responsibility for the organisation
the levels of authority and responsibility
the lines of communication and chain of command
what is the span of control
the number of people, or subordinates, who report to a manager
what are the advantages of a narrow span of control
managers can build positive relationships with staff
communication between managers and staff is quick
managers can give employees recognition for their hard work
more opportunities for promotion
what are the disadvantages of a narrow span of control
managers may micromanage putting employees under pressure
managers may struggle solving problems, not enough people to share ideas with
managers may find it difficult to delegate tasks, not enough staff
workload issues for both employees and managers
what are the advantages of a wide span of control
managers can delegate more work to employees
can be motivational to managers as can be seen as having greater power
staff given more responsibility
what are the disadvantages of a wide span of control
managers put under pressure to manage all employees
workers rarely have time to meet with their managers to discuss ideas
communication can be slow
less opportunities for promotion
what is chain of command
the line in which instructions are passed down in an organisation from one level of management to another
what is authority
having the power to make decisions in an organisation
what is responsibility
being answerable for decisions and the actions taken
what is delegation
when somebody with greater authority assigns somebody with less, a task to complete
what are the types of organisational structures
tall
flat
centralised
decentralised
matrix
entrepreneurial
what is a tall structure
many levels of management, long chain of command
managers have narrow span of control
higher in the structure, more responsibility
what are the advantages of a tall structure
with many levels come many promotion opportunities
managers have a narrow span of control
what are the disadvantages of a tall structure
long chain of command, decisions take long time to make
slow to react to changes in the market
managers have a narrow span of control
what is a flat structure
few levels of management, short chain of command
managers have a wider span of control
helps make whole business more effective as a team
what are the advantages of flat structure
information quickly communicated between levels
employees can use their own initiative
managers have a wide span of control
what are the disadvantages of a flat structure
fewer opportunities for promotion
staff delegated more tasks, put under more pressure
managers have a wide span of control
what is a matrix structure
a project team created to carry out a specific task
team members can come from different functional areas in the business
members report to project, and their own manager
what are the advantages of a matrix structure
specialised staff with lots of experience in their line of work
good motivation and job satisfaction as employees have more responsibility and variety
good for tackling complex problems
what are the disadvantages of a matrix structure
expensive to have many teams
co-ordination problems between team members
confusion as to who reports to whom
can lose sight of overall business
what is an entrepreneurial structure
structure used by a small business
all decisions made by owner, very little input from other people
decisions allow for quicker decision making
what are the advantages of a entrepreneurial structure
decisions made quickly
staff know who they are accountable to
decision maker does not need to consult staff
what are the disadvantages of an entrepreneurial structure
difficult to use in large businesses
can create a heavy workload for decision makers
can demotivate employees as they are not involved in decision making
what is a centralised structure
associated with a tall structure, decisions made by senior management
subordinates have little to not authority at all
allows for standardisation within company
what are the advantages of a centralised structure
can benefit from strong leadership
decisions can be made for whole organisation
procedures can be standardised
what are the disadvantages of a centralised structure
employees feel less motivated as not involved in decision making
what is a decentralised structure
associated with a flat structure
authority to make decisions delegated to departments and subordinated further down chain of command
what are the advantages of a decentralised structure
motivates staff
empowers staff
decision making quicker
decisions can match local needs
what are the disadvantages of a decentralised structure
decisions may differ from other branches - lack of consistency
what is delayering
the removal of levels of management from the organisation
what effects does delayering have on an organisation
resistance from staff
each remaining manager has a wider span of control
leads to better communication
decision making quicker
reduces cost of salaries
what is downsizing
the reduction of operating costs for the organisation, by looking for what it doesnt need to spend money on
what effects does downsizing have on an organisation
becomes narrower
greater workload for departments
some posts will disappear
workers have more duties
