Refined 009 - organising Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is organising in management?
Arranging tasks, people, and resources to achieve goals efficiently through structured systems.
Example: A hospital creating departments for surgery, emergency, and admin.
What are key benefits of good organising?
Clear communication, efficient work, and accountability.
Example: A call centre using a structured shift and reporting hierarchy.
What leads to organising failures?
Poor delegation and overly wide span of control.
Example: Firestone’s lack of quality control led to a fatal tyre recall.
What is work specialisation?
Dividing tasks into specific jobs to increase efficiency.
Example: A bakery with separate decorators and mixers.
What is the chain of command?
A clear line of authority flowing top-down.
Example: CEO → VP → Department Manager.
What is authority?
Formal right to make decisions and allocate resources.
Example: A project manager approving budget use.
What is responsibility?
The obligation to carry out assigned tasks.
Example: A logistics officer ensuring deliveries are on time.
What is delegation?
Passing authority and responsibility to subordinates.
Example: A store manager asking an assistant to handle inventory.
What is span of control?
Number of direct reports a manager oversees.
Example: A flat structure with 10 reports vs. a tall one with 3.
Describe a tall vs. flat structure.
Tall = narrow span, more layers; Flat = wide span, fewer layers.
Example: Banks (tall), Startups (flat).
What is centralisation vs. decentralisation?
Centralised = top-down decisions; Decentralised = decisions at lower levels.
Example: Military (centralised); Google (decentralised).
What is formalisation?
Extent to which rules and procedures are documented.
Example: SOPs in a manufacturing plant.
What is a functional structure?
Organises by expertise (e.g., HR, Finance, Marketing).
Example: University departments by subject.
What are the pros and cons of functional structure?
Pros: specialisation, efficiency. Cons: silos, slow change.
Example: Deep finance skills, but poor marketing coordination.
What is a divisional structure?
Grouped by product, customer, or region.
Example: A clothing company with men’s, women’s, and kids’ divisions.
What are the pros and cons of divisional structure?
Pros: focused, accountable. Cons: resource duplication.
Example: Each division has separate HR.
What is a team structure?
Cross-functional teams aligned to goals.
Example: Agile software squads.
What is a matrix structure?
Dual reporting: functional and project managers.
Example: Engineer reports to R&D and Project Manager.
What is a network structure?
Core organisation outsources key functions.
Example: A fashion brand outsourcing manufacturing.
What is the difference between mechanistic and organic design?
Mechanistic = rigid, suited to stable environments; Organic = flexible, suited to change.
Example: Factory (mechanistic), Tech firm (organic).
What are the 6 dimensions of design?
Size & Age, Core Process, Environment, Strategy & Goals, IT, Workforce Nature.
Example: A fast-growing tech firm adapts structure as strategy evolves.
How does workforce nature affect design?
Skilled workers = more autonomy; unskilled = more supervision.
Example: Creative agencies have flexible design.
