TALL VS FLAT ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES Flashcards
What is organisational design
Organisational design is the way in which the workforce in a business is arranged in terms of job roles and communication flows. (also referred to as organisational structure)
What are tall organisational structures
Tall organisational structures are characterised by a long chain of command and short spans of control (short span of control means each manager isn’t in control of that many people). This is a tall organisational structure
What are flat organisational structures
Flat organisational structures are characterised by a short chain of command (short chain of command means that there are fewer layers in this organisation) and wide span of control (each manager could be in charge of quite a lot of people)
What is a key difference in between tall and flat structures
In a tall structure, each manager may only be in charge of 4-5 people, but in a flat structure a manager may manage 30 people due to them having a wide span of control.
What are some features of a tall structure
More managerial support (As the manager only has to manage a relatively small team, those people within the team can easily get in contact with their manager and get support, and oversea work etc)
Promotional opportunities (Plenty of managerial positions available - could be used to motivate staff)
Less stress for workers (As there are plenty of managers that can support the team that they are managing)
Consistency/ safety (A tool structure would be helpful in a situation where a decision needs to be made quickly - decisions will get made at the top, and then passed down the line)
Higher overhead costs due to the wage bill (Having to reward people in the managerial position, which can lead to higher/ more complex wage bills)
Potential for low morale and lack of commitment (It’s great that staff have managers in place to support them, but the employees may feel like they can’t be trusted, and they’re always being looked over like they can do their job - You might even have a micromanager that’s always trying to interfere with the work)
Training for skills (The training type in this structure is training people for skill development - The workers are very functional with their managers telling them what to do)
What are soem features of flat structures
Emphasis on delegation and empowerment (At the bottom there are a lot of roles that need to be fulfilled - The managers are required to trust their staff with completing their tasks, as the managers are busy managing a big group of people - This empowers staff, as they feel they are partly responsible for the organisation’s success, and they feel in control - allowing people to make decisions on their own, and allowing staff to have a say)
Potential for stress (If your manager is managing a big group of people, and you’re unsure on how to complete a task, that can become stressful, as the manager might not have time to help you, and you’re the person being held responsible for it)
Managers are much closer to the final consumers (Better decisions are more likely to be made, as their are fewer amounts of communication needed to get the result wanted)
This kind of environment might foster creativity (If you trust your staff allowing them to complete tasks, without telling them what to do every step of the way, staff have the potential to complete tasks in a more creative way - The company are coaching the staff into becoming empowered individuals
What does narrow span of control mean
Narrow span of control means that each manager has a relatively small group of people reporting back to them.
What does wide span of control mean
Wide span of control means that a manager will have a much bigger team reporting back to them
What does delegation mean
Delegation - when a manager gives authority for the completion of a task to a subordinate
What does authority mean
Authority - when the right to complete a certain task or goal is passed down the hierarchy
What does responsability mean
Responsibility - when someone is made accountable for the completion of a task or goal (can’t pass responsibility down to others)
What does span mean
Span - the number of people a manager line manages
