organizational structure Flashcards
(33 cards)
What is organizational structure?
How jobs and tasks are divided, coordinated, and supervised.
How does structure impact organizations?
Affects communication, power distribution, and work views.
What are the 5 major elements of organizational structure?
Work specialization, chain of command, span of control, centralization, formalization.
Define work specialization.
Degree to which tasks are divided into specific jobs.
What are the pros of work specialization?
Increases productivity and simplifies training.
What are the cons of work specialization?
Reduces flexibility and job satisfaction.
What does the chain of command dictate?
Who reports to whom.
What is a narrow span of control?
Close supervision with fewer employees per manager.
What is a wide span of control?
Encourages autonomy but may reduce supervision.
What is centralization?
Location where decisions are formally made.
What is formalization?
The use of rules to standardize behaviors and decisions.
What factors influence organizational design?
Environment, strategy, technology, size.
How does a stable environment affect design?
Promotes mechanistic structures.
How does a dynamic environment affect design?
Promotes organic structures.
What is a simple structure?
A flat hierarchy used by small organizations.
Define a bureaucratic structure.
Mechanistic structure used by large organizations.
What is a matrix structure?
Combines functional and product-based structures.
What is the advantage of a matrix structure?
Flexibility in team formation and adaptability.
What is the disadvantage of a matrix structure?
Dual reporting relationships cause stress.
What is restructuring?
Process of changing an organization’s structure.
How does restructuring affect job performance?
Negative short-term effects due to role confusion.
How does restructuring affect commitment?
Reduces emotional attachment to the organization.
How can managers mitigate restructuring stress?
Increase transparency, communication, and employee input.
Define organizational structure and its elements.
Structure dictates task division; key elements include work specialization, chain of command, span of control, centralization, formalization.
