Organizational structure and design - What are the 6 key elements in organizational design?

5 important questions on Organizational structure and design - What are the 6 key elements in organizational design?

Explain organizing and organizational design.

  • Organizing: the function of management that creates the organization's structure.
  • Organizational design: when managers develop or change the organization's structure. Involves making decisions bout how specialized jobs should be. Usually made by top-managers.

What is work specialization? Does it increase productivity?

  • Work specialization is the division of work activities into separate job tasks.
  • It does increase productivity, but only to a certain point. After that point, human diseconomies outweigh economic advantage.

What is departmentalization and what are the 5 common forms?

Departmentalization is grouping jobs together. Common forms are:
  1. Functional - groups based on work performed (e.g. accounting, human resources)
  2. Product - groups based on major product areas in the organization (e.g. men's footwear, accessories)
  3. Customer - groups based on customer's problems and needs (e.g retail, wholesale, government)
  4. Geographic - groups based on location serves (e.g. North, Midwest, Asia)
  5. Process - groups based on the basis of work or customer flow (e.g. testing, payment)
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What are cross-functional teams?

Cross-functional teams are teams made up of individuals from various departments that cross traditional department lines.

Explain chain of command, authority, responsibility and power.

  • Chain of command: the line of authority extending from upper organizational levels to lower levels, which clarifies who reports to whom.
  • Authority: the rights inherent in a managerial position to give orders and expect the orders to be obeyed.
  • Responsibility: when employees are given rights, they also assume a corresponding obligation to perform, which they will be held accountable for.
  • Power: an individual's capacity to influence decisions.

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