organization structure essay

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Organization and Structure

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

There is no single organizational pattern that works well for all writing across all disciplines; rather, organization depends on what you’re writing, who you’re writing it for, and where your writing will be read. In order to communicate your ideas, you’ll need to use a logical and consistent organizational structure in all of your writing. We can think about organization at the global level (your entire paper or project) as well as at the local level (a chapter, section, or paragraph). For an American academic situation, this means that at all times, the goal of revising for organization and structure is to consciously design your writing projects to make them easy for readers to understand. In this context, you as the writer are always responsible for the reader's ability to understand your work; in other words, American academic writing is writer-responsible. A good goal is to make your writing accessible and comprehensible to someone who just reads sections of your writing rather than the entire piece. This handout provides strategies for revising your writing to help meet this goal.

Note that this resource focuses on writing for an American academic setting, specifically for graduate students. American academic writing is of course not the only standard for academic writing, and researchers around the globe will have different expectations for organization and structure. The OWL has some more resources about writing for American and international audiences here .

Whole-Essay Structure

While organization varies across and within disciplines, usually based on the genre, publication venue, and other rhetorical considerations of the writing, a great deal of academic writing can be described by the acronym IMRAD (or IMRaD): Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. This structure is common across most of the sciences and is often used in the humanities for empirical research. This structure doesn't serve every purpose (for instance, it may be difficult to follow IMRAD in a proposal for a future study or in more exploratory writing in the humanities), and it is often tweaked or changed to fit a particular situation. Still, its wide use as a base for a great deal of scholarly writing makes it worthwhile to break down here.

• Introduction : What is the purpose of the study? What were the research questions? What necessary background information should the reader understand to help contextualize the study? (Some disciplines include their literature review section as part of the introduction; some give the literature review its own heading on the same level as the other sections, i.e., ILMRAD.) Some writers use the CARS model to help craft their introductions more effectively.
• Methods: What methods did the researchers use? How was the study conducted? If the study included participants, who were they, and how were they selected?
• Results : This section lists the data. What did the researchers find as a result of their experiments (or, if the research is not experimental, what did the researchers learn from the study)? How were the research questions answered?
• Discussion : This section places the data within the larger conversation of the field. What might the results mean? Do these results agree or disagree with other literature cited? What should researchers do in the future?

Depending on your discipline, this may be exactly the structure you should use in your writing; or, it may be a base that you can see under the surface of published pieces in your field, which then diverge from the IMRAD structure to meet the expectations of other scholars in the field. However, you should always check to see what's expected of you in a given situation; this might mean talking to the professor for your class, looking at a journal's submission guidelines, reading your field's style manual, examining published examples, or asking a trusted mentor. Every field is a little different.

Outlining & Reverse Outlining

One of the most effective ways to get your ideas organized is to write an outline. A traditional outline comes as the pre-writing or drafting stage of the writing process. As you make your outline, think about all of the concepts, topics, and ideas you will need to include in order to accomplish your goal for the piece of writing. This may also include important citations and key terms. Write down each of these, and then consider what information readers will need to know in order for each point to make sense. Try to arrange your ideas in a way that logically progresses, building from one key idea or point to the next.

Questions for Writing Outlines

• What are the main points I am trying to make in this piece of writing?
• What background information will my readers need to understand each point? What will novice readers vs. experienced readers need to know?
• In what order do I want to present my ideas? Most important to least important, or least important to most important? Chronologically? Most complex to least complex? According to categories? Another order?

Reverse outlining comes at the drafting or revision stage of the writing process. After you have a complete draft of your project (or a section of your project), work alone or with a partner to read your project with the goal of understanding the main points you have made and the relationship of these points to one another. The OWL has another resource about reverse outlining here.

Questions for Writing Reverse Outlines

• What topics are covered in this piece of writing?
• In what order are the ideas presented? Is this order logical for both novice and experienced readers?
• Is adequate background information provided for each point, making it easy to understand how one idea leads to the next?
• What other points might the author include to further develop the writing project?

Organizing at the sentence and paragraph level

Signposting.

Signposting is the practice of using language specifically designed to help orient readers of your text. We call it signposting because this practice is like leaving road signs for a driver — it tells your reader where to go and what to expect up ahead. Signposting includes the use of transitional words and phrasing, and they may be explicit or more subtle. For example, an explicit signpost might say:

This section will cover Topic A­­ and Topic B­­­­­.

A more subtle signpost might look like this:

It's important to consider the impact of Topic A­­ and Topic B­­­­­.

The style of signpost you use will depend on the genre of your paper, the discipline in which you are writing, and your or your readers’ personal preferences. Regardless of the style of signpost you select, it’s important to include signposts regularly. They occur most frequently at the beginnings and endings of sections of your paper. It is often helpful to include signposts at mid-points in your project in order to remind readers of where you are in your argument.

Questions for Identifying and Evaluating Signposts

• How and where does the author include a phrase, sentence, or short group of sentences that explains the purpose and contents of the paper?
• How does each section of the paper provide a brief summary of what was covered earlier in the paper?
• How does each section of the paper explain what will be covered in that section?
• How does the author use transitional words and phrases to guide readers through ideas (e.g. however, in addition, similarly, nevertheless, another, while, because, first, second, next, then etc.)?

WORKS CONSULTED

Clark, I. (2006). Writing the successful thesis and dissertation: Entering the conversation . Prentice Hall Press.

Davis, M., Davis, K. J., & Dunagan, M. (2012). Scientific papers and presentations . Academic press.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

9.3 Organizing Your Writing

Learning objectives.

• Understand how and why organizational techniques help writers and readers stay focused.
• Assess how and when to use chronological order to organize an essay.
• Recognize how and when to use order of importance to organize an essay.
• Determine how and when to use spatial order to organize an essay.

The method of organization you choose for your essay is just as important as its content. Without a clear organizational pattern, your reader could become confused and lose interest. The way you structure your essay helps your readers draw connections between the body and the thesis, and the structure also keeps you focused as you plan and write the essay. Choosing your organizational pattern before you outline ensures that each body paragraph works to support and develop your thesis.

This section covers three ways to organize body paragraphs:

• Chronological order
• Order of importance
• Spatial order

When you begin to draft your essay, your ideas may seem to flow from your mind in a seemingly random manner. Your readers, who bring to the table different backgrounds, viewpoints, and ideas, need you to clearly organize these ideas in order to help process and accept them.

A solid organizational pattern gives your ideas a path that you can follow as you develop your draft. Knowing how you will organize your paragraphs allows you to better express and analyze your thoughts. Planning the structure of your essay before you choose supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and targeted research.

Chronological Order

In Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , you learned that chronological arrangement has the following purposes:

• To explain the history of an event or a topic
• To tell a story or relate an experience
• To explain how to do or to make something
• To explain the steps in a process

Chronological order is mostly used in expository writing , which is a form of writing that narrates, describes, informs, or explains a process. When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions. This method requires you to use words such as first , second , then , after that , later , and finally . These transition words guide you and your reader through the paper as you expand your thesis.

For example, if you are writing an essay about the history of the airline industry, you would begin with its conception and detail the essential timeline events up until present day. You would follow the chain of events using words such as first , then , next , and so on.

Writing at Work

At some point in your career you may have to file a complaint with your human resources department. Using chronological order is a useful tool in describing the events that led up to your filing the grievance. You would logically lay out the events in the order that they occurred using the key transition words. The more logical your complaint, the more likely you will be well received and helped.

Choose an accomplishment you have achieved in your life. The important moment could be in sports, schooling, or extracurricular activities. On your own sheet of paper, list the steps you took to reach your goal. Try to be as specific as possible with the steps you took. Pay attention to using transition words to focus your writing.

Keep in mind that chronological order is most appropriate for the following purposes:

• Writing essays containing heavy research
• Writing essays with the aim of listing, explaining, or narrating
• Writing essays that analyze literary works such as poems, plays, or books

When using chronological order, your introduction should indicate the information you will cover and in what order, and the introduction should also establish the relevance of the information. Your body paragraphs should then provide clear divisions or steps in chronology. You can divide your paragraphs by time (such as decades, wars, or other historical events) or by the same structure of the work you are examining (such as a line-by-line explication of a poem).

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that describes a process you are familiar with and can do well. Assume that your reader is unfamiliar with the procedure. Remember to use the chronological key words, such as first , second , then , and finally .

Order of Importance

Recall from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” that order of importance is best used for the following purposes:

• Persuading and convincing
• Ranking items by their importance, benefit, or significance
• Illustrating a situation, problem, or solution

Most essays move from the least to the most important point, and the paragraphs are arranged in an effort to build the essay’s strength. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to begin with your most important supporting point, such as in an essay that contains a thesis that is highly debatable. When writing a persuasive essay, it is best to begin with the most important point because it immediately captivates your readers and compels them to continue reading.

For example, if you were supporting your thesis that homework is detrimental to the education of high school students, you would want to present your most convincing argument first, and then move on to the less important points for your case.

Some key transitional words you should use with this method of organization are most importantly , almost as importantly , just as importantly , and finally .

During your career, you may be required to work on a team that devises a strategy for a specific goal of your company, such as increasing profits. When planning your strategy you should organize your steps in order of importance. This demonstrates the ability to prioritize and plan. Using the order of importance technique also shows that you can create a resolution with logical steps for accomplishing a common goal.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that discusses a passion of yours. Your passion could be music, a particular sport, filmmaking, and so on. Your paragraph should be built upon the reasons why you feel so strongly. Briefly discuss your reasons in the order of least to greatest importance.

Spatial Order

As stated in Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , spatial order is best used for the following purposes:

• Helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it
• Evoking a scene using the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound)
• Writing a descriptive essay

Spatial order means that you explain or describe objects as they are arranged around you in your space, for example in a bedroom. As the writer, you create a picture for your reader, and their perspective is the viewpoint from which you describe what is around you.

The view must move in an orderly, logical progression, giving the reader clear directional signals to follow from place to place. The key to using this method is to choose a specific starting point and then guide the reader to follow your eye as it moves in an orderly trajectory from your starting point.

Pay attention to the following student’s description of her bedroom and how she guides the reader through the viewing process, foot by foot.

Attached to my bedroom wall is a small wooden rack dangling with red and turquoise necklaces that shimmer as you enter. Just to the right of the rack is my window, framed by billowy white curtains. The peace of such an image is a stark contrast to my desk, which sits to the right of the window, layered in textbooks, crumpled papers, coffee cups, and an overflowing ashtray. Turning my head to the right, I see a set of two bare windows that frame the trees outside the glass like a 3D painting. Below the windows is an oak chest from which blankets and scarves are protruding. Against the wall opposite the billowy curtains is an antique dresser, on top of which sits a jewelry box and a few picture frames. A tall mirror attached to the dresser takes up most of the wall, which is the color of lavender.

The paragraph incorporates two objectives you have learned in this chapter: using an implied topic sentence and applying spatial order. Often in a descriptive essay, the two work together.

The following are possible transition words to include when using spatial order:

• Just to the left or just to the right
• On the left or on the right
• Across from
• A little further down
• To the south, to the east, and so on
• A few yards away
• Turning left or turning right

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph using spatial order that describes your commute to work, school, or another location you visit often.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Key Takeaways

• The way you organize your body paragraphs ensures you and your readers stay focused on and draw connections to, your thesis statement.
• A strong organizational pattern allows you to articulate, analyze, and clarify your thoughts.
• Planning the organizational structure for your essay before you begin to search for supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and directed research.
• Chronological order is most commonly used in expository writing. It is useful for explaining the history of your subject, for telling a story, or for explaining a process.
• Order of importance is most appropriate in a persuasion paper as well as for essays in which you rank things, people, or events by their significance.
• Spatial order describes things as they are arranged in space and is best for helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it; it creates a dominant impression.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

123 Organizational Structure Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Organizational structure is a critical aspect of any business or organization, as it dictates how tasks are divided, roles are assigned, and communication flows within the organization. Choosing the right organizational structure can have a significant impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization as a whole.

If you are struggling to come up with a topic for your organizational structure essay, look no further! Here are 123 organizational structure essay topic ideas and examples to help inspire your writing:

• The impact of organizational structure on employee morale
• The role of organizational structure in fostering innovation
• Comparing and contrasting different types of organizational structures (e.g., functional, matrix, divisional)
• The influence of organizational structure on decision-making processes
• How organizational structure affects communication within an organization
• The relationship between organizational structure and organizational culture
• The importance of aligning organizational structure with organizational strategy
• The role of leadership in shaping organizational structure
• The challenges of implementing a new organizational structure in a well-established organization
• The impact of organizational structure on employee motivation and job satisfaction
• Exploring the concept of organizational agility and its relationship to organizational structure
• The role of organizational structure in promoting diversity and inclusion within an organization
• The impact of organizational structure on organizational performance and productivity
• The benefits and drawbacks of a hierarchical organizational structure
• Examining the concept of organizational design and its relationship to organizational structure
• The role of organizational structure in promoting collaboration and teamwork
• The impact of organizational structure on employee engagement and retention
• The relationship between organizational structure and organizational change
• The role of technology in shaping modern organizational structures
• Exploring the concept of organizational flatness and its impact on organizational structure
• The influence of external factors on organizational structure (e.g., industry trends, market conditions)
• The impact of globalization on organizational structure
• The role of organizational structure in promoting accountability and transparency
• The relationship between organizational structure and organizational performance metrics
• The impact of organizational structure on organizational learning and knowledge sharing
• Exploring the concept of organizational silos and their impact on organizational structure
• The role of organizational structure in promoting agility and adaptability in a fast-paced business environment
• The influence of organizational structure on cross-functional collaboration and innovation
• The relationship between organizational structure and organizational resilience
• The impact of organizational structure on organizational risk management
• Exploring the concept of organizational complexity and its relationship to organizational structure
• The role of organizational structure in promoting organizational sustainability
• The influence of organizational structure on organizational governance and decision-making processes
• The relationship between organizational structure and organizational leadership styles
• The impact of organizational structure on organizational culture and values
• Exploring the concept of organizational hierarchy and its impact on organizational structure
• The role of organizational structure in promoting organizational transparency and accountability
• The influence of organizational structure on organizational communication practices

These are just a few examples of the many topics you could explore in an organizational structure essay. Whether you are interested in the theoretical aspects of organizational design or the practical implications of different structures on organizational performance, there is no shortage of ideas to explore in this field. Happy writing!

Want to create a presentation now?

Instantly Create A Deck

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Hassle Free

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2023 Pitchgrade

Essay on Organizational Structures

Introduction

The existence of various internal and external factors shape organizations in the corporate world. These factors determine the strengths and weaknesses of an organization. The organization’s success is also based on strategies used to develop and sustain a good relationship among organizational stakeholders. When starting a company, choosing a relevant structure that suits the organization is the best idea, although these structures present some challenges. This paper explores various concepts, theories, and frameworks, which form part of organizational structures.

Factors Determining Stability and Uncertainty in an Organization

Organizational success or failures are based on various factors that determine stability and uncertainty in an organizational setting. Factors include socio-cultural differences, organization legal frameworks, technological aspects, political environment, shareholders, and economic base influence organization stability and uncertainty. Madinda (2014) classified four environmental forces: competitive environment, internal environment, external environment, and general environment, as forces that influence the organizational environment. Below is descriptions of these forces.

Technological Factor

Technology is an emerging trend in the organizational setting and the entire corporate world. Technology involved processes in which various kinds of work in an organization are conducted. It comprises machines, devices, operating systems, hardware, or software. Technology improves access and provision of organizational services to benefit customers, employees, and business associates. Technology enhances the organization’s stability by producing high-quality products and services, allowing the organization to remain competitive in the market. In contrast, technology leads to uncertainty, especially to administrators, when deciding on technological choices due to dynamic and ever-changing technology (Madinda, 2014).

Legal Factor

Madinda (2014) explores legal factors by demonstrating the significance of employment laws that regulate employee’s lives at the organization. These laws safeguard employees from exploitation, including financial, unfair dismissal, discrimination, safety environment, and unbiased decision. These laws protect the welfare of employees, thus increasing their productivity in the workplace. However, these laws present uncertainties to the organization since they are not fixed. The laws subject to amendments over and again based on the employee’s well-being. Besides, these laws are characterized by concerns like inequalities in employment relationship between employers and employees.

Socio-Cultural Factor

Social factors, including leadership approaches and attitudes towards work, are attributed as leading factors to environmental uncertainty. Also, the issues of gender sensitivity and equality pose a challenge to policymakers and administrators. In the workplace, there is a challenge in maintaining an optimum balance between men and women in a leadership position (Madinda, 2014).

Political Factor

The introduction of political systems and reforms has significantly influenced the organizational environment. For example, the introduction of deregulation policies and privatization has negatively undermined various organizations. For example, privatization has given the private sector more freedom to venture into productions initially controlled by the government. As a result, this has motivated investors to impose a high cost of products and services, thus undermining some organizations’ operations and existence, leading to uncertainties (Madinda, 2014).

Comparisons between Open and Closed Systems

As open or closed, the classification of systems in organization is based on systems capacity to interrelate with the environment. An open system can describe as a system that interrelates with its environment and exchanges resources and information with the environment. An open system can be ascribed a ‘self-organizing,’ since the system changes the organization according to changing situations. In contrast, a closed system is one that does not correlate with its environment (Allen & Sawhney, 2015).

From the humanistic management perspective, an open system depicts workers as a team of work organizations that contribute to external influences through values and behaviors, which positively reinforce internal organizational functioning. At the heart of this system, an organization forms part of the external environment. The models of open systems are entrenched on human relations theory, whose characteristics differentiate the open system models from models of closed systems, such as mutual respect, human dignity, motivation, and individual difference. In contrast, the closed system models assume that the external environment, including technological advancement, legal decisions, and demographic features, does not affect the organization’s functioning. As such, models of close systems do not rely on the external environment to solve managerial issues or provide any other explanations. The strategies of central management are believed to be key to solving any issue. In open systems, the external environment contributes significantly to solving organizations’ issues (Allen & Sawhney, 2015).

Additionally, unlike closed systems, open systems are very difficult to understand because of complexities and dynamic interrelationships from external factors. Moreover, employees in an open system are driven by the desire to achieve more for the organization. In case of any issue, every employee expresses commitment to the solution to the issue. However, employees in a closed system do not participate actively in development and providing a solution to problems. This model states that organizational problems shall be addressed only by the management; hence employees have no role. Lastly, a closed system is associated with Max Weber’s bureaucratic model. This model emphasized that highly rational bureaucracy is important in attaining the objectives of the society. In a closed system, bureaucracy gives departments and those in authority to developed mentality that departments and management are more important than the organization. In contrast, open system theorists have a different perception of organizational structure and its role in society. To them, models of open systems perceive organization roles in society to be interrelating and interlocking (Allen & Sawhney, 2015).

Strategies for Enhancing Inter-Organizational Relationships

Building and maintaining a good relationship are at the heart of every organization. Strong inter-organizational relationships among employers, employees, and other stakeholders is key to attaining or organizational goals. The strength of an organization is anchored on the power of connections among organizational stakeholders. Below are ways of building and sustaining the inter-organizational relationship.

A good relationship is based on understanding and learning about other people’s cultures. Knowing one another could lead to increase concern and caring for each other. This will minimize cases of oppression or discrimination in the workplace. A strong relationship is built when employees act boldly on behalf of one another. Besides, establishing collaboration enhance good relations. Collaboration fosters good relations in which individuals communicate effectively and share their thoughts and emotions without any concerns or fear. Likewise, collaboration allows workers to make more informed and profitable decisions. Also, establishing trust among workers is key to creating a healthy setting where relationship-building can be nurtured. Trust builds transparency by enabling employees to understand organizations’ strategies, goals, expectations, and paths for individual development (University of Kansas, 2018).

These relationships can be sustained through various approaches. For example, paying attention to another and helping each other in accomplishing the organizational task. Also, communicating openly encourages good relations by avoiding misunderstandings that could build tensions among workers. Also, scheduling regular meetings sessions brings together workers to share their ideas, perspectives, and suggestions to improve operations within the organization. Regular meetings allows organization stakeholders to read from the same script and provide a win-win relationship among them. Lastly, loyalty is an important value that sustains a healthy relationship. Regardless of the disagreement, with loyalty, workers would respect each other’s opinions (University of Kansas, 2018).

Implications of Organizational Structures

The four basic organizational structures include functional, divisional, matrix, and flatarchy structures. Each organizational structure has different advantages and disadvantages, as discuss below;

This structure is based on an organization being subdivided into smaller units with certain roles and responsibilities. For instance, an organization may have a unit working in finance, another in information technology, and another in public relations. Each unit has a manager or supervisor who reports to an executive. One of the advantages of a functional structure is that employees are clustered according to their skills and experience, thus allowing them to concentrate and contribute their competencies. Also, workers are dedicated and committed to a single role. However, one of the challenges presented by this structure is the lack of inter-departmental communication, whereby decision-making only occurs in the managerial position (Point Park University, 2019).

Many larger corporate institutions use this structure. The divisional structure offers more autonomy to employees within the organization. Also, every unit functions by controlling its financers and resources, thus providing more flexibility to the organization. Under this structure, sub-division can be established geographically, with many units in various parts of the world. This structure is disadvantageous on issues to do with high tax implication and accounting practices.

Matrix structure comprises the functional structure blending with the projected structure. Employees can report to more than one boss, including project managers and department managers. Also, this structure has a lot of flexibility and well-adjusted to decision-making. Employees can also share their expertise across various divisions, leading to the widening of their professional development. However, reporting to various managers lead to confusion. Failure to establish clear functions causes employees to get confused about their duties (Point Park University, 2019).

Flatarchy structure works well with startups or small organizations. This structure provide foundation for more decision making process since there is no bureaucracies or hierarchies involved. Also, this structure encourages innovation since employees are constantly motivated to suggest ideas. Just like other structures, flatarchy could be confusing and inconvenient, especially when everybody is involved in decision-making disagree (Point Park University, 2019).

Various structures influence modern businesses or companies in an organization. Factors including technology, social-cultural factors, among others, determine the company’s stability and uncertainty. The company’s success is also based on developing strategies that create and maintain a good inter-organizational relationship. Based on the basics of organizational structures, each structure has benefits and limitations, as discussed in the paper.

Allen, J. M., & Sawhney, R. (2015). Chapter 2: Open Versus Closed Systems.  SAGE Publications, Inc ,  9781483350707/ , 27–43.  https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/33001_2.pdf

Madinda, A. S. (2014). THE UNCERTAINTY OF ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.  International Journal of Emerging Trends in Science and Technology ,  1 (5), 774–782.  https://doi.org/ISSN 2348-9480

Point Park University. (2019, January 28).  4 Types of Organizational Structures . Point Park University Online.  https://online.pointpark.edu/business/types-of-organizational-structures/

The University of Kansas. (2018).  Chapter 14. Core Functions in Leadership | Section 7. Building and Sustaining Relationships | Main Section | Community Tool Box . Ku.Edu.  https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/leadership/leadership-functions/build-sustain-relationships/main

Cite this page

Similar essay samples.

• Critique on Consultation Between Nursing Prescribers and Patients
• A Paired report on PeerDB and PIER Systems.
• An understanding of semantics with reference to subjectification, inte...
• Essay on Life Relationship in Diverse Organizations
• “Keep My Memory Green”: Recycling in Dickens’ Ghost Stories
• Essay on Social Security Act

10.1 Organizational Structures and Design

• What are mechanistic versus organic organizational structures?

First, an organizational structure is a system for accomplishing and connecting the activities that occur within a work organization. People rely on structures to know what work they should do, how their work supports or relies on other employees, and how these work activities fulfill the purpose of the organization itself.

Second, organizational design is the process of setting up organizational structures to address the needs of an organization and account for the complexity involved in accomplishing business objectives.

Next, organizational change refers to the constant shifts that occur within an organizational system—for example, as people enter or leave the organization, market conditions shift, supply sources change, or adaptations are introduced in the processes for accomplishing work. Through managed change , leaders in an organization can intentionally shape how these shifts occur over time.

Finally, organizational development (OD) is the label for a field that specializes in change management. OD specialists draw on social science to guide change processes that simultaneously help a business achieve its objectives while generating well-being for employees and sustainable benefits for society. An understanding of OD practices is essential for leaders who want to maximize the potential of their organizations over a long period of time.

Together, an understanding of these concepts can help managers know how to create and direct organizations that are positioned to successfully accomplish strategic goals and objectives. 1

To understand the role of organizational structure, consider the experience of Justin, a young manager who worked for a logistics and transportation company. Their success at leading change in the United States gave their leaders the confidence that Justin could handle a challenging assignment: organize a new supply chain and distribution system for a company in Northern Europe. Almost overnight, Justin was responsible for hiring competent people, forming them into a coherent organization, training them, and establishing the needed infrastructure for sustained success in this new market.

If you were given this assignment, what would you do? How would you organize your employees? How would you help them understand the challenge of setting up a new organization and system? These are the kinds of questions that require an understanding of organizational structure, organizational design, organizational change, and organizational development.

One of the first issues Justin will need to address deals with how they will organize the system. “The decisions about the structure of an organization are all related to the concept of organizational design. There are two fundamental forms of structure to remember when designing an organization.

To address these questions, we need to be familiar with two fundamental ways of building an organization.

The formal organization is an officially defined set of relationships, responsibilities, and connections that exist across an organization. The traditional organizational chart, as illustrated in Exhibit 10.2 , is perhaps the most common way of depicting the formal organization. The typical organization has a hierarchical form with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

When Justin sets up the formal organization, they will need to design the administrative responsibilities and communication structures that should function within an organizational system. The formal systems describe how flow of information and resources should occur within an organization. To establish the formal organization, they will identify the essential functions that need to be part of the system, and they will hire people to fill these functions. They will then need to help employees learn their functions and how these functions should relate to one another.

The informal organization is sometimes referred to as the invisible network of interpersonal relationships that shape how people actually connect with one another to carry out their activities. The informal organization is emergent, meaning that it is formed through the common conversations and relationships that often naturally occur as people interact with one another in their day-to-day relationships. It is usually complex, impossible to control, and has the potential to significantly influence an organization’s success.

As depicted in Exhibit 10.3 , the informal organization can also be mapped, but it is usually very different than the formal organization. The chart you see in this example is called a network map, because it depicts the relationships that exist between different members of a system. Some members are more central than others, and the strength of relationships may vary between any two pairs or groups of individuals. These relationships are constantly in flux, as people interact with new individuals, current relationships evolve, and the organization itself changes over time. 2

The informal organization in Justin’s design will form as people begin interacting with one another to accomplish their work. As this occurs, people will begin connecting with one another as they make sense of their new roles and relationships. Usually, the informal organization closely mirrors the formal organization, but often it is different. People quickly learn who the key influencers are within the system, and they will begin to rely on these individuals to accomplish the work of the organization. The informal organization can either help or hinder an organization’s overall success.

In sum, the formal organization explains how an organization should function, while the informal organization is how the organizational actually functions. Formal organization will come as Justin hires and assigns people to different roles. They can influence the shape of the informal organization by giving people opportunities to build relationships as they work together. Both types of structures shape the patterns of influence, administration, and leadership that may occur through an organizational system.

As we continue our discussion of structure and design, we will next examine different ways of understanding formal structure.

Types of Formal Organizational Structures

Now, Justin will need to choose and implement an administrative system for delegating duties, establishing oversight, and reporting on performance. They will do this by designing a formal structure that defines the responsibilities and accountability that correspond to specific duties throughout an organizational system. In this section, we’ll discuss the factors that any manager should consider when designing an organizational structure.

Bureaucracy

One of the most common frameworks for thinking about these issues is called the bureaucratic model . It was developed by Max Weber, a 19th-century sociologist. Weber’s central assumption was that organizations will find efficiencies when they divide the duties of labor, allow people to specialize, and create structure for coordinating their differentiated efforts, usually within a hierarchy of responsibility. He proposed five elements of bureaucracy that serve as a foundation for determining an appropriate structure: specialization, command-and-control, span of control, centralization, and formalization. 3

Specialization

The degree to which people are organized into subunits according to their expertise is referred to as specialization —for example, human resources, finance, marketing, or manufacturing. It may also include specialization within those functions. For instance, people who work in a manufacturing facility may be well-versed in every part of a manufacturing process, or they may be organized into specialty units that focus on different parts of the manufacturing process, such as procurement, material preparation, assembly, quality control, and the like.

Command-and-Control

The next element to consider is the reporting and oversight structure of the organization. Command-and-control refers to the way in which people report to one another or connect to coordinate their efforts in accomplishing the work of the organization.

Span of Control

Another question addresses the scope of the work that any one person in the organization will be accountable for, referred to as span of control . For instance, top-level leaders are usually responsible for all of the work of their subordinates, mid-level leaders are responsible for a narrower set of responsibilities, and ground-level employees usually perform very specific tasks. Each manager in a hierarchy works within the span of control of another manager at a level of the organization.

Centralization

The next element to consider is how to manage the flows of resources and information in an organization, or its centralization . A highly centralized organization concentrates resources in only one or very few locations, or only a few individuals are authorized to make decisions about the use of resources. In contrast, a diffuse organization distributes resources more broadly throughout an organizational system along with the authority to make decisions about how to use those resources.

Formalization

The last element of bureaucracy, formalization , refers to the degree of definition in the roles that exist throughout an organization. A highly formalized system (e.g., the military) has a very defined organization, a tightly structured system, in which all of the jobs, responsibilities, and accountability structures are very clearly understood. In contrast, a loosely structured system (e.g., a small, volunteer nonprofit) relies heavily on the emergent relationships of informal organization.

Mechanistic and Organic Structures

Using the principles of bureaucracy outlined above, managers like Justin have experimented with many different structures as way to shape the formal organization and potentially to capture some of the advantages of the informal organization. Generally, the application of these principles leads to some combination of the two kinds of structures that can be seen as anchors on a continuum (see Table 10.1 ).

On one end of the continuum is mechanistic bureaucratic structure . This is a strongly hierarchical form of organizing that is designed to generate a high degree of standardization and control. Mechanistic organizations are often characterized by a highly vertical organizational structure , or a “tall” structure, due to the presence of many levels of management. A mechanistic structure tends to dictate roles and procedure through strong routines and standard operating practices.

In contrast, an organic bureaucratic structure relies on the ability of people to self-organize and make decisions without much direction such that they can adapt quickly to changing circumstances. In an organic organization, it is common to see a horizontal organizational structure , in which many individuals across the whole system are empowered to make organizational decision. An organization with a horizontal structure is also known as a flat organization because it often features only a few levels of organizational hierarchy.

The principles of bureaucracy outlined earlier can be applied in different ways, depending on the context of the organization and the managers’ objectives, to create structures that have features of either mechanistic or organic structures.

For example, the degree of specialization required in an organization depends both on the complexity of the activities the organization needs to account for and on the scale of the organization. A more organic organization may encourage employees to be both specialists and generalists so that they are more aware of opportunities for innovation within a system. A mechanistic organization may emphasize a strong degree of specialization so that essential procedures or practices are carried out with consistency and predictable precision. Thus, an organization’s overall objectives drive how specialization should be viewed. For example, an organization that produces innovation needs to be more organic, while an organization that seeks reliability needs to be more mechanistic.

Similarly, the need for a strong environment of command-and-control varies by the circumstances of each organization. An organization that has a strong command-and-control system usually requires a vertical, tall organizational administrative structure. Organizations that exist in loosely defined or ambiguous environments need to distribute decision-making authority to employees, and thus will often feature a flat organizational structure.

The span of control assigned to any specific manager is commonly used to encourage either mechanistic or organic bureaucracy. Any manager’s ability to attend to responsibilities has limits; indeed, the amount of work anyone can accomplish is finite. A manager in an organic structure usually has a broad span of control, forcing her to rely more on subordinates to make decisions. A manager in a mechanistic structure usually has a narrow span of control so that they can provide more oversight. Thus, increasing span of control for a manager tends to flatten the hierarchy while narrowing span of control tends to reinforce the hierarchy.

Centralization addresses assumptions about how an organization can best achieve efficiencies in its operations. In a mechanistic structure, it is assumed that efficiencies will occur in the system if the resources and decisions flow through in a centralized way. In an organic system, it is assumed that greater efficiencies will be seen by distributing those resources and having the resources sorted by the users of the resources. Either perspective may work, depending on the circumstances.

Finally, managers also have discretion in how tightly they choose to define the formal roles and responsibilities of individuals within an organization. Managers who want to encourage organic bureaucracy will resist the idea of writing out and tightly defining roles and responsibilities. They will encourage and empower employees to self-organize and define for themselves the roles they wish to fill. In contrast, managers who wish to encourage more mechanistic bureaucracy will use tools such as standard operating procedures (SOPs) or written policies to set expectations and exercise clear controls around those expectations for employees.

When a bureaucratic structure works well, an organization achieves an appropriate balance across all of these considerations. Employees specialize in and become highly advanced in their ability to perform specific functions while also attending to broader organizational needs. They receive sufficient guidance from managers to stay aligned with overall organizational goals. The span of control given to any one manager encourages them to provide appropriate oversight while also relying on employees to do their part. The resources and decision-making necessary to accomplish the goals of the organization are efficiently managed. There is an appropriate balance between compliance with formal policy and innovative action.

Business Structures

Aside from the considerations outlined above, organizations will often set structures according to the functional needs of the organization. A functional need refers to a feature of the organization or its environment that is necessary for organizational success. A business structure is designed to address these organizational needs. There are two common examples of functional structures illustrated here.

Product structures exist where the business organizes its employees according to product lines or lines of business. For example, employees in a car company might be organized according to the model of the vehicle that they help to support or produce. Employees in a consulting firm might be organized around a particular kind of practice that they work in or support. Where a functional structure exists, employees become highly attuned to their own line of business or their own product.

Geographic structures exist where organizations are set up to deliver a range of products within a geographic area or region. Here, the business is set up based on a territory or region. Managers of a particular unit oversee all of the operations of the business for that geographical area.

In either functional structure, the manager will oversee all the activities that correspond to that function: marketing, manufacturing, delivery, client support systems, and so forth. In some ways, a functional structure is like a smaller version of the larger organization—a smaller version of the bureaucracy that exists within the larger organization.

One common weakness of a bureaucratic structure is that people can become so focused on their own part of the organization that they fail to understand or connect with broader organizational activities. In the extreme, bureaucracy separates and alienates workers from one another. These problems can occur when different parts of an organization fail to communicate effectively with one another.

Some organizations set up a matrix structure to minimize the potential for these problems. A matrix structure describes an organization that has multiple reporting lines of authority. For example, an employee who specializes in a particular product might have both the functional reporting line and a geographic reporting line. This employee has accountability in both directions. The functional responsibility has to do with her specialty as it correlates with the strategy of the company as a whole. However, her geographic accountability is to the manager who is responsible for the region or part of the organization in which she is currently working. The challenge is that an employee may be accountable to two or more managers, and this can create conflict if those managers are not aligned. The potential benefit, however, is that employees may be more inclined to pay attention to the needs of multiple parts of the business simultaneously.

Concept Check

• What is an organizational structure?
• What are different types of organizational structures?
• What is organizational design?
• What concepts should guide decisions about how to design structures?

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/principles-management/pages/1-introduction

• Authors: David S. Bright, Anastasia H. Cortes
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Principles of Management
• Publication date: Mar 20, 2019
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/principles-management/pages/1-introduction
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/principles-management/pages/10-1-organizational-structures-and-design

© Jan 9, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

Organizational structure - List of Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

Organizational structure refers to the way a company or organization arranges its personnel and roles to meet its needs and goals. Essays on organizational structure could delve into different types of structures such as hierarchical, flat, or matrix structures, and how each impacts communication, productivity, and innovation. They could also explore the process of organizational design, and how various factors like size, environment, strategy, and technology influence the choice of organizational structure. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Organizational Structure you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

The Organizational Structure of Walmart

Walmart Stores Incorporated is an international publicly traded general merchandise store from Rogers, Arkansas U.S.A. Walmart stores has made over $485 million USD during the 2017 fiscal year. Walmart operates over 11,200 stores under 55 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. Walmart employs approximately 2.2 million associates around the world ?” 1.5 million stateside. Walmart owns and operates retail stores that offer a variety of food options, household and personal products, paper items, electronics, auto accessories, […]

Organizational Structure and Corporate Social Responsibility of Amazon Fresh

Introduction Grocery shopping tends to be tiresome and time-consuming, especially if you live in a major city due to traffic delays on your way to the store or waiting in long lines at the store. To make grocery shopping easier just, most people opt to pick up fast food, eat at a restaurant or order takeout. However, all these options are not healthy and can harm one's health. Some businesses have established online grocery delivery services. This helps maximize time […]

Board of Directors for Apple Company

Organizational structure outlines a system which is used to achieve goals of an organization. The activities within a system include rules, roles, responsibilities and it also determines how information is spread throughout different levels within a company. Apple used an organizational structure which can be best defined as a hierarchical structure. Hierarchical organization structure “contains a direct chain of command from the top of the organization to the bottom” This structure was developed by the founder of the company and […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

Organizational Structure: Building a Successful Business Model

Organizational Study of Chick Fil A Chick-Fil-A is a restaurant chain that found its beginnings in a small suburb of Georgia. The growth of the business lies heavily on the organizational culture, structure, and business practices that have propelled the business forward and made it a success throughout the United States. The following analysis will help describe the business and how the organization is built in order to create a successful business model for the restaurant chain. Description of the […]

Organizational Structure and Success of DonorsChoose

An organization that strives for teamwork over personal gain would be a good setup as an organizational structure. Structural similarity to a standard business organization has proven to be useful because you can build up teams made up of consistent board members as well as volunteers. For DonorsChoose specifically, it has been effective through its funding and making a meaningful difference in the effectiveness of public education, especially in schools for children. DonorsChoose’s success has inspired other Internet-based charities to […]

Understanding Organizational Effectiveness, Culture, and Team Development

An organization's effectiveness is dependent on its open skills and morals; the interpretation of 'organizational effectiveness' can be affected accordingly with the idea of hierarchical development, particularly when used as the name of a division or part of a company's Human Resources. Thus, organizational culture is about the set of values and beliefs that form the behavioral components of an employee's organization. Cultural leaders are the individuals who influence the extent to which those beliefs and values are shared throughout […]

Organizational Structure: the Backbone of Business

In landscape administration spacious business, structural organizational stands so as project, framework, on that meat an enterprise is, equalized he. It draws a skeleton roles, responsibilities, and terms, that appoint, that working, coordinated and takes place in borders organization. In manner from veins and arteries organism, it directs the river report, methods, and confirmation decision in one flow from the system, deeply influences his effectiveness, applicable, and complete success.In his kernel, an organizational structure incarnates a division business and hierarchy […]

Harmony in the Hierarchy: Composing the Perfect Organizational Structure

Imagine you're sketching out the ultimate game plan for how a company should run. That's pretty much what diving into organizational structure is all about. It's figuring out the secret sauce that makes companies tick, ensuring everything from the daily grind to the big-picture goals runs as smooth as a jazz ensemble. But here’s the kicker: there's no magic formula. Crafting an organizational structure is like mixing art with science—each company needs to find its own rhythm and vibe. Think […]

Decoding Organizational Structure: Essential Strategies for Smarter Management

When you strip away all the buzzwords and academic jargon, the concept of organizational structure is really about how we set up the shop to get things done. It's the skeleton of a business, the blueprint that shows who's doing what, who's in charge of whom, and how everyone is supposed to communicate and collaborate. Think of it as the architecture of a building: get it right, and you create a space that's both functional and inviting; get it wrong, […]

Deciphering the Chain of Command: a Closer Look at Organizational Structures

In any organization, whether it's a multinational corporation, a military unit, or a local volunteer group, the concept of a chain of command plays a pivotal role in ensuring efficiency, clarity, and accountability. At its core, the chain of command is the formal line of authority, responsibility, and communication that is established within an organization to achieve its goals. It's the backbone that supports the organization, ensuring that decisions and instructions flow smoothly from top-level management down to the rank-and-file […]

Additional Example Essays

• Dogs Are Better Than Cats Essay
• Personal Narrative: My Family Genogram
• The Road not Taken Poem Analysis
• Reasons Why I Want to Study Abroad
• Homeschooling vs Public School
• "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes
• Are Electric Cars Better Than Petrol Diesel Cars?
• Personal Philosophy In Teaching
• Hamlet's Psychoanalytic Analysis
• The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis
• Resilience Unearthed: Victor Davis Hanson's Philosophy Transformative Accident
• Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Analysis

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Masterlinks

• About Hunter
• One Stop for Students
• Make a Gift
• Access the Student Guide
• Apply to Become a Peer Tutor
• Access the Faculty Guide
• Request a Classroom Visit
• Refer a Student to the Center
• Request a Classroom Workshop
• The Writing Process
• The Documented Essay/Research Paper
• Writing for English Courses
• Writing Across the Curriculum
• Grammar and Mechanics
• Business and Professional Writing
• CUNY TESTING
• | Workshops
• Research Information and Resources
• Evaluating Information Sources
• Writing Tools and References
• Reading Room
• Literary Resources
• ESL Resources for Students
• ESL Resources for Faculty
• Teaching and Learning
• | Contact Us

Many types of writing follow some version of the basic shape described above. This shape is most obvious in the form of the traditional five-paragraph essay: a model for college writing in which the writer argues his or her viewpoint (thesis) on a topic and uses three reasons or subtopics to support that position. In the five-paragraph model, as illustrated below, the introductory paragraph mentions the three main points or subtopics, and each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence dealing with one of those main points.

SAMPLE ESSAY USING THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH MODEL

Remember, this is a very simplistic model. It presents a basic idea of essay organization and may certainly be helpful in learning to structure an argument, but it should not be followed religiously as an ideal form.

Document Actions

• Public Safety
• Website Feedback
• Privacy Policy
• CUNY Tobacco Policy

Search form

• Table of Contents
• Troubleshooting Guide
• A Model for Getting Started
• Justice Action Toolkit
• Best Change Processes
• Databases of Best Practices
• Online Courses
• Ask an Advisor
• Subscribe to eNewsletter
• Community Stories
• YouTube Channel
• About the Tool Box
• How to Use the Tool Box
• Privacy Statement
• Workstation/Check Box Sign-In
• Online Training Courses
• Capacity Building Training
• Training Curriculum - Order Now
• Community Check Box Evaluation System
• Build Your Toolbox
• Facilitation of Community Processes
• Community Health Assessment and Planning
• Section 1. Organizational Structure: An Overview

Chapter 9 Sections

• Section 2. Creating and Gathering a Group to Guide Your Initiative
• Section 3. Developing Multisector Task Forces or Action Committees for the Initiative
• Section 4. Developing an Ongoing Board of Directors
• Section 5. Welcoming and Training New Members to a Board of Directors
• Section 6. Maintaining a Board of Directors
• Section 7. Writing Bylaws
• Section 8. Including Youth on Your Board, Commission, or Committee
• Section 9. Understanding and Writing Contracts and Memoranda of Agreement
• Main Section

What is organizational structure?

Why should you develop a structure for your organization, when should you develop a structure for your organization.

By structure, we mean the framework around which the group is organized, the underpinnings which keep the coalition functioning. It's the operating manual that tells members how the organization is put together and how it works. More specifically, structure describes how members are accepted, how leadership is chosen, and how decisions are made.

• Structure gives members clear guidelines for how to proceed. A clearly-established structure gives the group a means to maintain order and resolve disagreements.
• Structure binds members together. It gives meaning and identity to the people who join the group, as well as to the group itself.
• Structure in any organization is inevitable -- an organization, by definition , implies a structure. Your group is going to have some structure whether it chooses to or not. It might as well be the structure which best matches up with what kind of organization you have, what kind of people are in it, and what you see yourself doing.

It is important to deal with structure early in the organization's development. Structural development can occur in proportion to other work the organization is doing, so that it does not crowd out that work. And it can occur in parallel with, at the same time as, your organization's growing accomplishments, so they take place in tandem, side by side. This means that you should think about structure from the beginning of your organization's life. As your group grows and changes, so should your thinking on the group's structure.

Elements of Structure

While the need for structure is clear, the best structure for a particular coalition is harder to determine. The best structure for any organization will depend upon who its members are, what the setting is, and how far the organization has come in its development.

Regardless of what type of structure your organization decides upon, three elements will always be there. They are inherent in the very idea of an organizational structure.

• Some kind of governance

Rules by which the organization operates

• A distribution of work

The first element of structure is governance - some person or group has to make the decisions within the organization.

Another important part of structure is having rules by which the organization operates. Many of these rules may be explicitly stated, while others may be implicit and unstated, though not necessarily any less powerful.

Distribution of work

Inherent in any organizational structure also is a distribution of work. The distribution can be formal or informal, temporary or enduring, but every organization will have some type of division of labor.

There are four tasks that are key to any group:

• Envisioning desired changes . The group needs someone who looks at the world in a slightly different way and believes he or she can make others look at things from the same point of view.
• Transforming the community . The group needs people who will go out and do the work that has been envisioned.
• Planning for integration . Someone needs to take the vision and figure out how to accomplish it by breaking it up into strategies and goals.
• Supporting the efforts of those working to promote change . The group needs support from the community to raise money for the organization, champion the initiative in the state legislature, and ensure that they continue working towards their vision.

Common Roles

Every group is different, and so each will have slightly different terms for the roles individuals play in their organization, but below are some common terms, along with definitions and their typical functions.

• An initial steering committee is the group of people who get things started. Often, this group will create plans for funding, and organizational and board development. It may also generate by-laws, and then dissolve. If they continue to meet after approximately the first six months, we might say they have metamorphosed into a coordinating council .
• A coordinating council (also referred to as a coordinating committee, executive committee , and executive council ), modifies broad, organization-wide objectives and strategies in response to input from individuals or committees.
• Often, one person will take the place of the coordinating council, or may serve as its head. Such a person may be known as the Executive Director, Project Coordinator, Program Director, or President . He or she sometimes has a paid position, and may coordinate, manage, inspire, supervise, and support the work of other members of the organization.
• Task forces are made up of members who work together around broad objectives. Task forces integrate the ideas set forward with the community work being done.

For example, from the director of a coalition to reduce violence in a medium-sized city: "Currently, we have three operational task forces. Members of each have an ongoing dialogue with members of the coordinating council, and also with their action committees. The oldest was formed with the goal of eliminating domestic violence about fifteen years ago, when a local woman was killed by her husband. Then, after several outbreaks of violence in the schools a few years back, our group offered to help, and a second task force sprung up around reducing youth violence. We've just started a third, with the goal of increasing gun safety. "All of it is interrelated, and all of it applies to our mission of increasing the safety of residents of South Haven, as well as that of our visitors. But each task force is contributing to that mission in vastly different ways, with different objectives, and using different strategies. 'Cause, you know, the strategies you use to stop a ninth grader from bringing a gun to school just aren't the same as the ones you use to stop a 40-year-old man on unemployment from beating his wife."

•   Action committees bring about specific changes in programs, policies, and practices in the sectors in which they work.

For example, the task force on domestic violence mentioned above has the following action committees: A government and law enforcement committee . Members include police officers, lawyers, a judge, and a state representative. Currently, they are trying to pass laws with stronger penalties for those convicted of domestic violence, especially repeat offenders. They are also training officers to be better able to spot an abusive relationship, and better able to inform a victim of his or her options. A social services committee . Members (who include representatives from most of the service agencies in town) work to assure that staff members know where to send someone for the resources he or she needs. They are also trying to increase the number of trained volunteer counselors who work at the battered women's shelter. A media committee . Members include local journalists, writers, and graphic designers. They keep the project and the issue in the public's minds as much as possible with editorials, articles and news clips of events, as well as advertisements and public service announcements.

•   Support committees are groups that help ensure that action committees or other individuals will have the resources and opportunities necessary to realize their vision. Financial and media committees are examples of committees formed to help support or facilitate your work.
• Community trustees , also known as the board of trustees or as the board of directors , provide overall support, advice, and resources to members of the action groups. They are often either people who are directly affected by the issue or have stature in the community. That way, they are able to make contacts, network with other community leaders, and generally remove or weaken barriers to meeting organizational objectives.
• Grantmakers are another part of the picture. Grantmakers exist on an international, national, state, and local level and may be private companies and foundations, or local, county, state, or federal government organizations (for example, block grants given by the city would fall into this category).
• Support organizations (not to be confused with the support committees listed above) are groups that can give your organization the technical assistance it needs.
• Partner organizations are other groups working on some of the same issues as your organization.

Although this list is pretty extensive, your organization may only use two or three of the above mentioned roles, especially at the beginning. It's not uncommon for a group to start with a steering committee, ask others to serve as board members, and then recruit volunteers who will serve as members of action committees. In this broad spectrum of possibilities, consider: Where does your organization fit in? Where do you want to be?

Examples of Structure

So how can all of these pieces be put together? Again, the form a community group takes should be based on what it does , and not the other way around. The structures given are simply meant to serve as examples that have been found to be effective for some community-based organizations; they can and should be adapted and modified for your own group's purposes.

  A relatively complex structure

Example - The Ste. Genevieve's Children's Coalition The Ste. Genevieve's Children's Coalition is a relatively large community-based group. They have a coordinating council, a media committee, and three task forces, dealing with adolescent pregnancy, immunization, and child hunger. Each of the task forces has action committees as well. For example, the adolescent pregnancy reduction task force has a schools committee that focuses on keeping teen parents in school and modifying the human sexuality curriculum. A health organizations committee focuses on increasing access and use of the youth clinic. The media committee works to keep children's issues in the news, and includes professionals from the local television stations, radio stations, newspaper, and a marketing professional. The coordinating council is composed of the executive director, her assistant, the media committee chair, and the chairs of each of the three task forces. A board of directors has been invaluable in helping keep the coalition financially viable.

In diagram form, a complex organization might look like this:

And in diagram form:

As smaller size means fewer people, these groups are usually less complex, as they have less need for a formal hierarchy and instead have governance that is consensus-based. A diagram of such a small group might look something like this, with each of the circles representing an individual member:

What type of structure should you choose?

First, decide upon the formality your organization will have. The following table, adapted from The Spirit of Coalition Building can help you make this first decision.

Organizational structure is something that is best decided upon internally, through a process of critical thinking and discussion by members of the group.

In your discussions, your answers to the following list of questions may guide your decisions.

• What is your common purpose? How broad is it? Groups with broader purposes often have more complicated structures, complete with many layers and parts, than do groups with more narrow purposes.
• Is your group advocacy oriented or service oriented? Service organizations use "top down," one-person-in-charge structure much more often than do advocacy based groups.
• Is your organization more centralized (e.g., through the work of a specific agency ) or decentralized (e.g., different neighborhoods working independently on the same problem)? A decentralized group might find a "top-down" structure inappropriate, as such a group often has several peers working together on an issue.
• How large is your organization? How large do you envision it becoming? A very small organization may wish to remain relatively informal, while a community-wide group might require a more formal structure. A related question, with similar consequences, is:
• How large is the community in which you work?
• How old is your organization? How long do you envision it lasting? A group formed to resolve a single issue might not need a formal structure at all, while an organization with long-term goals may want something more concrete, with clearer divisional responsibilities and authority.
• Is the organization entirely volunteer, or are there (or will there be) paid staff? How many? An organization with many paid staff members may find it more necessary to have people "in charge," as there are generally more rules and responsibilities for paid staff members, and thus, there must be more supervision in carrying out these roles.
• Should yours be a new organization, or part of an existing structure? Do you really need to form a new structure, or would it be better to work within existing structures? Sometimes, your goals may be better met if you are part of (or linked with) another organization.

Structure is what ensures that your organization will function smoothly and as you intended. You should think about structure early in the development of your organization, but be aware that the type that fits best may change as your organization grows.

Online Resources

How to Develop an Organization Structure , by Tara Duggan, Demand Media, is an informational article on how to develop organization structure with a short step-by-step analysis.

It's All About the Base: A Guide to Building a Grassroots Organizing Program   from Community Catalyst.

Module 2: Organizational Structure , by Pathfinder International, is a concise manual describing pros and cons, together with suggestions for how one might change the organizational structure one has.

Print Resources

Berkowitz, W., & Wolff, T. (1999). The spirit of coalition building. Washington , DC: American Public Health Association.

Unterman, I. & Davis, R. (1984). Strategic management of not-for-profit organizations: From survival to success . New York, NY: Praeger.

Module 6: The Writing Process

Essay organization, learning objectives.

• Examine the basic organization of traditional essays

What are some ways that you can organize your essays in college. One standard structure for expository essays is to offer the main idea or assertion early in the essay, and then offer categories of support.

One way to think about this standard structure is to compare it to a courtroom argument in a television drama. The lawyer asserts, “My client is not guilty.” Then the lawyer provides different reasons for lack of guilt: no physical evidence placing the client at the crime scene, client had no motive for the crime, and more.

In writing terms, the assertion is the  thesis sentence , and the different reasons are the  topic sentences . Consider this following example:

• Topic Sentence (reason) #1:  Workers need to learn how to deal with change.
• Topic Sentence (reason) #2:  Because of dealing with such a rapidly changing work environment, 21st-century workers need to learn how to learn.
• Topic Sentence (reason) #3:  Most of all, in order to negotiate rapid change and learning, workers in the 21st century need good communication skills.

As you can see, the supporting ideas in an essay develop out of the main assertion or argument in the thesis sentence.

The structural organization of an essay will vary, depending on the type of writing task you’ve been assigned, but they generally follow this basic structure: The thesis and the topic sentences are all concerned with workers and what they need for the workforce.

Introduction

The introduction provides the reader with context about your topic. You may be familiar with the cliché about how first impressions are important. This is true in writing as well, and you can think of your introduction as that first impression. The goal is to engage the readers, so they want to read on. Sometimes this involves giving an example, telling a story or narrative, asking a question, or building up the situation. The introduction should almost always include the thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs

The body of the essay is separated into paragraphs. Each paragraph usually covers a single claim or argues a single point, expanding on what was introduced in the thesis statement. For example, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, the two main causes of schizophrenia are genetic and environmental. Thus, if you were writing about the causes of schizophrenia, then you would have a body paragraph on genetic causes of schizophrenia and a body paragraph on the environmental causes.

A body paragraph usually includes the following:

• Topic sentence that identifies the topic for the paragraph
• Several sentences that describe and support the topic sentence

Figure 1 . College instructors require more than just “the end” at the close of a paper. Take the time to revisit your thesis statement, bringing all of your claims and evidences together in your conclusion.

• Remember that information from outside sources should be placed in the middle of the paragraph and not at the beginning or the end of the paragraph so that you have time to introduce and explain the outside content
• Quotation marks placed around any information taken verbatim (word for word) from the source
• Summary sentence(s) that draws conclusions from the evidence
• Transitions or bridge sentences between paragraphs.

If you began with a story, draw final conclusions from that story in your conclusion. If you began with a question, refer back to the question and be sure to provide the answer.

A concluding paragraph:

• summarizes final conclusions from the key points
• provides a brief comment on the evidence provided in the paper
• ties in the introduction

Contribute!

Improve this page Learn More

• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Writing an Essay. Provided by : QUT Cite Write. Located at : http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/essay.jsp . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Image of Choosing Paragraph Patterns. Authored by : GrinnPidgeon. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/a9oiLS . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Essay Structure. Authored by : Marianne Botos, Lynn McClelland, Stephanie Polliard, Pamela Osback . Located at : https://pvccenglish.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/eng-101-inside-pages-proof2-no-pro.pdf . Project : Horse of a Different Color: English Composition and Rhetoric . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Traditional Structure. Provided by : Excelsior OWL. Located at : https://owl.excelsior.edu/writing-process/essay-writing/essay-writing-traditional-structure-activity/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of writing in the sand. Authored by : Michitogo. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/photos/the-end-sand-end-beach-text-1544913/ . License : Other . License Terms : https://pixabay.com/service/terms/#license

• Undergraduate
• High School
• Architecture
• American History
• Asian History
• Antique Literature
• American Literature
• Asian Literature
• Classic English Literature
• World Literature
• Creative Writing
• Linguistics
• Criminal Justice
• Legal Issues
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Political Science
• World Affairs
• African-American Studies
• East European Studies
• Latin-American Studies
• Native-American Studies
• West European Studies
• Family and Consumer Science
• Social Issues
• Women and Gender Studies
• Social Work
• Natural Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Earth science
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Studies
• Computer Science
• IT Management
• Mathematics
• Investments
• Engineering and Technology
• Engineering
• Aeronautics
• Medicine and Health
• Alternative Medicine
• Communications and Media
• Advertising
• Communication Strategies
• Public Relations
• Educational Theories
• Teacher's Career
• Chicago/Turabian
• Company Analysis
• Education Theories
• Shakespeare
• Canadian Studies
• Food Safety
• Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
• Movie Review
• Admission Essay
• Annotated Bibliography
• Application Essay
• Article Critique

Article Review

• Article Writing
• Book Review
• Business Plan
• Business Proposal
• Capstone Project
• Cover Letter
• Creative Essay
• Dissertation
• Dissertation - Abstract
• Dissertation - Conclusion
• Dissertation - Discussion
• Dissertation - Hypothesis
• Dissertation - Introduction
• Dissertation - Literature
• Dissertation - Methodology
• Dissertation - Results
• GCSE Coursework
• Grant Proposal
• Marketing Plan
• Multiple Choice Quiz
• Personal Statement
• Power Point Presentation
• Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
• Questionnaire
• Reaction Paper
• Research Paper
• Research Proposal
• SWOT analysis
• Thesis Paper
• Online Quiz
• Literature Review
• Movie Analysis
• Statistics problem
• Math Problem
• All papers examples
• How It Works
• Money Back Policy
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• We Are Hiring

Organizational Structure, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 592

Hire a Writer for Custom Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

The organizational structure that should be adopted by companies is one that will maximize the firm’s performance by attaining balance between the technical and the social requirements. Since an organization entails coordination of activities amongst different stakeholders of the company, there is the need to develop powerful communication network and make sure that there is apparent understanding of interdependencies and relationships among the different members of the organization (Baligh, 2006). This will make the organization process simple and meet the objectives of the organization in a cost-effective manner. The system managers in a given organization should ensure that the managers are allocated different responsibilities in their different departments of the company and their responsibilities coordinated by the systems managers.

Organizational change is a tough activity to undertake, therefore, it is advisable to make announcement after consulting all the stakeholders in the company. Making announcements without informing all the members who will be affected by the announcement will spark some resistance. There is need before making any announcement to answer employees’ questions as well as responding to their issues and communicating all the elements contained in the announcement. Any appointment of the manager will be made during the announcement, which after consulting the entire major stakeholders in the company (Baligh, 2006).

While restructuring the organizational structure of the company it is essential that system managers invite all the stakeholders of the company and other consultants. This will ensure that feasible management decisions are made to avoid any conflict that may arise while implementing the management decisions.

In order to train people in the company concerning the organizational structure of the company, there is need to undertake it in an outside seminars. Outside seminars will eliminate the bore down on the usual environment and will impact the trainees on matters related to organization of the company (Hall & Tolbert, 2005).

The matrix organization structure has many complicated and it is not simple to adopt it. In this structure the organization is divided as per the functions and their services/products. For example, a company which produces consumer goods may have three functional divisions: personal care, foods, and cleaning products. In the same company, it may have three functional divisions, which include marketing, research and development, and distribution (Baligh, 2006). Therefore, every individual in the company serves two divisions, one product, and functional division. Consequently, this structure is confusing to both the employees and the managers. The matrix structure is extremely encouraging of knowledge sharing and collaboration between divisions. The matrix structure is not devoid of challenges, though. Since workers in a matrix organization report to two departments, there might be conflicts in their responsibilities.

Downfall of functional managers arises when these managers do not understand their responsibilities where their functions are not well defined in the organization. This will eventually lead to potential conflicts, which will affect their performance. Downfall among the functional managers develops poor reporting systems that do not meet the communication structures set by the company. This is true for the situation of matrix structure that has not clear structures. In some cases, the functional managers can delegate some management roles to inexperienced staff leading poor performance of tasks or projects being undertaken by the firm. Therefore, lack of understanding of their roles by the functional managers is the leading cause of downfall because conflicts always arise in such circumstances (Baligh, 2006).

Baligh, H. H. (2006). Organization structures: Theory and design, analysis and prescription . New York, NY: Springer.

Hall, R. H., & Tolbert, P. S. (2005). Organizations: Structures, processes, and outcomes. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Stuck with your Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

Non-State Actors, Essay Example

Self-Reflection Journal - Barry Nalls Case, Article Review Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Essay Samples & Examples

Voting as a civic responsibility, essay example.

Pages: 1

Words: 287

Utilitarianism and Its Applications, Essay Example

Words: 356

The Age-Related Changes of the Older Person, Essay Example

Words: 448

The Problems ESOL Teachers Face, Essay Example

Pages: 8

Words: 2293

Should English Be the Primary Language? Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 999

The Term “Social Construction of Reality”, Essay Example

Words: 371

The Amazon Firm’s Organizational Structure Essay

Being one of the largest multinational corporations in the world, Amazon.com has an organizational structure that reflects the complexity of governing a business on that scale. First and foremost, it is important to note that Amazon’s structure is functional rather than divisional. The company creates departments, such as “worldwide Consumer,” Web Services,” or “Media & Entertainment” based on their function rather than geographical affinity (Amazon, 2021). The advantage of this model is that it offers greater centralization than the divisional structure, in which regional divisions may even begin conflicting with each other to the detriment of global value creation (Luo & Shenkar, 2017). At the same time, functional structure, especially in the business of Amazon’s size, often comes at the cost of restricted adaptability to the specific conditions of regional markets (Luo & Shenkar, 2017). In short, Amazon’s functional structure reflects the leadership’s preference for centralized control and global guidance as opposed to the greater autonomy of regional divisions.

This preference also manifests in the company’s dedication to ensuring stable long-term leadership. Amazon is known for very limited turnover when it comes to its principal executives, such as Jeff Bezos, Andy Jassy, Jamie Gorelick, and others (Kim, 2019). Moreover, research indicates that the high level of trust and camaraderie built over the years among Amazon’s senior managers is one of the defining features of the company’s organizational structure (Kim, 2019). Maintaining a cohesive team with very little turnover signifies Amazon’s dedication to centralization and concentration of control on the top level at the expense of unit autonomy. With this in mind, one may conclude that Amazon maintains a functional organizational structure with a strong emphasis on centralization and top-down control.

Amazon. (2021). Org chart – The official board . Web.

Kim. E. (2019). Amazon’s executive org chart, revealed . CNBC. Web.

Luo, Y., & Shenkar, O. 92017). The multinational corporation as a multilingual community: Language and organization in a global context. In M. Y. Branen & T. Mughan (Eds.), Language in International Business (pp. 59-92). Springer.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, November 28). The Amazon Firm’s Organizational Structure. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-amazon-firms-organizational-structure/

"The Amazon Firm’s Organizational Structure." IvyPanda , 28 Nov. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/the-amazon-firms-organizational-structure/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'The Amazon Firm’s Organizational Structure'. 28 November.

IvyPanda . 2022. "The Amazon Firm’s Organizational Structure." November 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-amazon-firms-organizational-structure/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Amazon Firm’s Organizational Structure." November 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-amazon-firms-organizational-structure/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Amazon Firm’s Organizational Structure." November 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-amazon-firms-organizational-structure/.

• Jeff Bezos’ Managerial Philosophy
• “Invent and Wonder” by Jeff Bezos: Book Review
• Servant Leadership of Jeff Bezos
• Jeff Bezos: The Richest Man in Modern History
• Jamie Dodge Company’s Entry into Japanese Market
• Jeff Bezos and Gladwell’s Success Principles
• Invent and Wander: The Collected Writing of Jeff Bezos
• Jeff Bezos's Leadership and the Amazon Revolution
• Interesting Facts in “Invent & Wander” by Jeffrey Bezos
• "Bullied: The Jamie Nabozny Story" Documentary
• Target Costing Extent Profit: Critical Report
• Cameron Mechanical & Automation, Inc.
• Walmart Organizational Structure
• Holocracy, Heterarchy, and Fractal Organisation
• Business Plan on Fawz Olympic Academy

ESSAY SAUCE

FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY

Essay: Organisational structure

Essay details and download:.

• Subject area(s): Management essays
• Reading time: 9 minutes
• Price: Free download
• Published: 24 November 2015*
• File format: Text
• Words: 2,568 (approx)
• Number of pages: 11 (approx)

Text preview of this essay:

This page of the essay has 2,568 words. Download the full version above.

INTRODUCTION AND DEFINATION OF ORGANIZATION According to the (council dictionary fourth edition, p 1103) organisation means means union organization comprising parts and other people in a body (association, corporation, etc.) for specific purposes (mutual interest ). According to (Professor Schein (1973), the organization serves as a rational adjustment of human activity in order to achieve the goals set by the division of labor, and also functions through authoritative hierarchy ) . (Ralph Davis (1951) also quote that the organization is a group of a number of a group of large men who worked under one head or manager to achieve an objective) Chester Barnard in his book, “The Function of the Executive” published by Harvard University Press, 1938, said that the organization is a system of personal power activity, consciously coordinated to achieve organsation goal. (Ralph M. Stogdill, the author of “Dimensions of Organizational Design” output of Pittsbury University Press, 1966,) defines the organization as a system of work that is done with structure that contains position and feelings are shaped and determined in advance of the role and the position filled by actors or workers. However what is important in the definition of organization is that it is a group that has certain parts in it which consists of a group of people who work together and help each other and their surroundings are interwined with each other in order to achieve the objectives and goals of individuals, groups or organization. Based on the chart, the Department of YAYASAN TERENGGANU has established the functional structure of different tasks or work to achieve the objectives and goals of the plan. Refering to a functional structure that has formed above, the Director General of YAYASAN TERENGGANU has the highest function power where he is responsible for administering and directing an organization with established policies, rules, working methods, making legal advise, coordinate the activities of the organization, department or unit / interior and goals of the organization , There are two parts function under the direct order Director General which is the Deputy Director (Operations) and Director General (Development) where both the function serves as chairman of the unit / section below. The parts have different functions or tasks workflow. In addition, the functional structure is also designed to enable many individuals with expertise and experience in controlling and supervising the work of each taskforce . Besides, it can provide opportunities for member organizations to learn from other people and become more efficient in their job. Thus, indirectly it has facilitated the process of controlling and adjusting the good work. In addition, the functional structure has been set up to facilitate the work and service operation which is designed to run more smoothly. In addition, the functional structure serves as the focus and gather members or employees to facilitate organisational needed skills and use certain skills where the staff are needed. This functional structure allows the division of labor as a whole and indirectly facilitate the process of communication and interaction that can improve the ability and efficiency in producing the best technique in performing its obligations and is the best way to resolve any problem Moreover, it also facilitates the performance of some top managers know- how divisions, units or departments within an organization. The work done or carried as a whole can be adjusted for all activities and skills will be classified or grouped in one place / divisions under one head. In addition, the division function makes supervision easier because each unit has a chief and specific skills. In addition, the function can be used according to the change of the work, fast and effectively done

THE BENEFITS OF FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE 1) The task of supervision becomes easier because each head of department has and equipped with specific skills. 2) Any functional problem between units, departments and divisions can be easily identified and brought to attention immediately 3) Resources can be used efficiently 4) The functions and individual position is clear. 5) Expertise, knowledge, skills and experience can be consolidated or combined among individuals.

THE DISADVANTAGES OF FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE 1) The response time might be slow and interupted because of waiting above from higher authority 2) It does not encourage innovation between staff and its perspective of view is narrow 3) Recaiving feedback may be slow because of the units, departments and divisions current un-done task 4) It contributes unto the lack of communication between units, departments and divisions. 5) It is weak in addressing all individual needs because of the slowness might occured in terms of action plan that can leads to un-achievable organisational objectives

Retrieved from : http://www.airasia.com/iwov-resources/my/common/pdf/AirAsia/IR/annual-report-2007b.pdf1.2 THE GEOGRAFIC STRUCTURE OF AIR ASIA ORGANISATIONAL BRANCHES IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES

The organizational structure of geography divide the workers by geographical area designated as below at different part of its bracnches operation . It was formed on the request of customers who are far away or outside an organization’s operations center. The organizational structure of geography in operation among different staff is responsible for carrying out business activities in designated locations. The chart below shows an example of the organization of geographical structure adopted by The Air Asia Management . At below of the image, I also present the advantages and disadvantages of the organizational structure of geography. In this geographic structure, units and divisions based on the places and the geographical area. This structure is suitable when companies or offices operate in many different geographical areas in which the state, religion and country. In addition, the geographical structure is the coordination of work and workers in the unit or where different parts are all responsible for each of the organization or activity in a specific geographical area. Based on the geographical structure chart of the Air Asian Management , it has expanded its production in some specific geographical area. The advantage gained is the company able to expand its business across borders including financial markets, social relationships and the resulting product or products to the local market. In addition, the company is able to foster a closer relationship between places worldwide. The company is also able to expand the understanding and friendship between the peoples of the world with opportunities for personal conversion that is progressively emerged. Thus indirectly the company has formed or able to meet its own slogan which is “Now, Everyone Can Fly”. In addition, the company is also able to improve the standards prescribed or used in the ranking of global requirements such as the standards prescribed or used in the ranking of global requirements such as copyright law. The company on the other hand is also able to shape the universal’s value and get the technology needed to help in spreading its market (marketing) throughout the world. The company is also conducting management activities between the border and the processes of development which will be adopted when the emergence of a global market in the future. In addition, these companies are also more frequent use of advanced technologies because it often built connection or get connected between the border and to develop a global telecommunications infrastructure

ADVANTAGES OF GEOGRAFIC STRUCTURE 1) The whole organisation is able to use the expertise of all staff in ‘worldwide’ speaking according to the geographical location of the organization. 2) Products and services can be produced and marketed to different countries thus, make marketing job easier and effective 3) It is able introduce the organization to the world. 4) The organization becomes larger. 5) ) It can reduce organisation costs by putting the resources of the organization closer to the geographical area specified.

DISADVANTAGES OF GEOGRAFICAL STRUCTURE 1) There might be difficulty in coordinating the departments in the geographical area because its location that isfar from each other.

2) Lack of control might occur to each geographical department of the organization

3) Redundancies can happen

4) It can not guarantee the full loyalty of employees to the organisation

5) The existence of a change in products ( travelling ) and services as cultural factors, physical and weather

Retrieved from : http://kamarularnizam.blogspot.com/2015/02/contoh-pbs-pengajian-perniagaan.html

1.3 THE PRODUCT STRUCTURE OF SAMSUNG COMPANY The product is the output of an organization that can be produced in the form of goods or service . This refers to the coordination of work between workers in a unit or the other. This means each unit hold different responsibility to produce the output of products or services that have been set. The advantage of this section is to allow employers and employees to broaden their experience and expertise in relation to the overall activities of the products or services to be offerd. Accordingly, this allows management to assess the performance of work done in each work unit. From the image of product structure below , SAMSUNG company is capable of designing and producing a wide range of different products which generally meet the needs of everyone. All of these products are produced in different part or unit of work and function. Each division will be headed by a chairman and a chief that is responsible for coordinating the work or production activities as well as other activities such as purchasing, marketing and distribution of any products. Products produced by SAMSUNG company headed by a chairman with responsibility to ensure the product is produced in accordance with the criteria set and ensure marketing, distribution is done correctly. Thus working to produce each product is easy because each product will be distributed to the head that will manage it and supervise it The separation of individual products and these products have facilitated the production of such products. This separation is important because it can generate and collect ideas and brilliant creative in producing these products to market s. Each product has a function, purpose, use, benefits and advantages of its own. The resulting product is equipped with features such as it is psysicalll attractive, colorful, and the materials used to form the product . ( in eaxample: how a new I-Phone is formed with its colourful structure and its function) Apart from the physical characteristics SAMSUNG companies also produce products based on non-physical characteristics such the image, concept and its flexibility to use. These features make the users and buyers interested in purchasing. With the diversity of the products it can also solve the needs of purchasers or users and the importance of such a requirement in other words, the higher term needs of a person, the higher the consumer is willing to buy The company further then makes high quality products and good price comparable with other competitors after a thorough discussion of each of the products made

THE BENEFITS OF PRODUCTS STRUCTURE 1) Managers and employees can develop their talents, their experience and expertise in product development activities. 2) Managers in every department can monitor the activity of each unit and staff in the production of the product under operation. 3) A very clear lines of responsibility between departments. 4) The structure of the product is very suitable for large-sized organizations. 5) It is appropriate for organizations that produce various kind of products

THE DISADVANTAGES OF PRODUCTS STRUCTURE 1) The Manager is focused only in products management 2) There is a lack of communication between departments and its staff 3) The cost of the operation is big because each department has its own managers and experts. 4) It requires a high amount of workforces . 5) It does not promote cooperation which is a very important value because each department is of different expertise

Retrieved from : http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/apr05/hanford/

1.4 MATRIX STRUCTURE OF AN ORGANISATION DOING SITE PROJECT( IBM INTERNATIONAL COMPANY

Matrix structure is a result of two or more of the combined organization at the same time and the matrix structure is suitable for use when an organization has to handle a large project or task at a time. It is very complicated and complex structure as of individuals from different organizational structures work together to control and ensure the success of a project to achieve the intended purpose. There are some factors that distinguish this matrix structure that differentiates with other structures such workers report and work-related contact of two ifferent supervisors or managers. “Matrix structure developed as a way to improve horizontal coordination and information sharing” (Richard. L Daft, 2008). Managers have a responsibility to ensure the success of the projects undertaken while the departments of other acts to maintain technical competence in their work. (Harold Kerzner, 2003) also quote that there were certain rules that exist for the construction of a matrix structure 1) “participant must spend full time on this project to ensure the loyalty” 2) “there must be good communication channels between managers and independent access” 4) “there must be a quick and effective methodto resolve the conflict ”

For organizations like this ( image 1.4 ) that are experts iin commissioning employees from different units and parts to perform tasks for one or more projects led by a project manager. The project was carried out on a temporary or contract where its members consist of different functional departments that collaborate in carrying out the project. In this structure, the manager will be responsible to his supervisor or the head. There are lots of advantages to be obtained. Including the presence of matrix functions provide flexibility (flexibility) to the organization. Besides, it enable the employee to discipline themselves to do two or more tasks provided with full responsibility. It also stimulates the matrix function of co-operation between the employees and other employees in two or more work done. Among other advantages derived from this organizational structure is that they can learn new skill at one time during the working process. Matrix organizational structure also allows them to transfer skills to the other participant workers to the areas that are and this in turns help when desperation of skills workes are in demand in certain areas. In addition, the matrix structure of this organization can strengthen the relationship between each worker because they are connected and can carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements set. This organizational matrix structure will also be able to further develop desired goals and is of good use when the organisation need to use two or more employees to perform two or more tasks / work in an organosation ADVANTAGES OF MATRIX STRUCTURE IN AN ORGANISATION 1) It encourage the staff to use resources more effectively. 2) It provides more accurate and extensive information. 3) Collaboration between disciplines and expertise is available to all sections. 4) Flexibility and adaptation to the changing environment. 5) It fosters the spirit of cooperation which is an important asset for all organisation

THE DISADVANTAGES OF A MATRIX STRUCTURED’S ORGANISATION 1) Confusion can happen because there are two directions. 2) It can be a complicated approach because instructions can come between the two sides of different departments 3) More meetings and discussions need to be held to determine action plan 4) Distribution of resources becomes difficult when many projects are carried out simultaneously. 5) There will be a dominant power struggle when there are managers who are more prominent.

Each organization has a clearly established objectives and goals of its own. In general, the organizational chart has been used by many organizations to assist their operations. Without careful planning and the right implication or action plan, the organization would not be able to operate at the level best to achieve the goals set. It also requires knowledge and efficient management of the organization is to ensure great success. In short every organization should take into account every factors either internal or external to make sure every task is done accordingly and smoothly in line with the goals set

...(download the rest of the essay above)

About this essay:

If you use part of this page in your own work, you need to provide a citation, as follows:

Essay Sauce, Organisational structure . Available from:<https://www.essaysauce.com/management-essays/essay-organisational-structure/> [Accessed 20-04-24].

These Management essays have been submitted to us by students in order to help you with your studies.

* This essay may have been previously published on Essay.uk.com at an earlier date.

Essay Categories:

• Accounting essays
• Architecture essays
• Business essays
• Computer science essays
• Criminology essays
• Economics essays
• Education essays
• Engineering essays
• English language essays
• Environmental studies essays
• Essay examples
• Finance essays
• Geography essays
• Health essays
• History essays
• Hospitality and tourism essays
• Human rights essays
• Information technology essays
• International relations
• Leadership essays
• Linguistics essays
• Literature essays
• Management essays
• Marketing essays
• Mathematics essays
• Media essays
• Medicine essays
• Military essays
• Miscellaneous essays
• Music Essays
• Nursing essays
• Philosophy essays
• Photography and arts essays
• Politics essays
• Project management essays
• Psychology essays
• Religious studies and theology essays
• Sample essays
• Science essays
• Social work essays
• Sociology essays
• Sports essays
• Types of essay
• Zoology essays