Organization and teamwork

1. Organizational Structure
2. Assigning tasks
   1. Specialization
   2. Departmentalization
3. Assigning Responsibility
   1. Delegation of Authority
   2. Degree of centralization
      1. Centralized organizations
      2. Decentralized Organizations
   3. Span of management
   4. Organizational Layers
4. Forms of Organizational Structure
   1. Line Structure
   2. Line-and-Staff Structure
   3. Matrix Structure
5. The role of Groups and Teams in Organizations
   1. Group
   2. Team
      1. Many kinds
   3. Group vs Team
   4. Committees
   5. Task Forces
6. The flow of Communication in an Organizational Hierarchy
   1. Types
      1. Emails
      2. Interpersonal
      3. Informal
   2. Monitoring Communications

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Organizational Structure

Defined as an arrangement of positions within an organization.

Structure is developed with:

• Managers who assign work tasks with specific individuals or groups
• Coordination of activities to reach the firm’s objectives

Assigning tasks

Specialization

• Divides labor into small, specific tasks
• Assigns tasks to relevant employees

Departmentalization

• Easier to manage

Common ways to departmentalize

• Function (e.g. Engineers, Sales, Accounting)
• Product (e.g. Swiffers, Tide)
• Region (e.g. Middle East, Europe)
• Customer (e.g. Corporate customers, Private customers)

Assigning Responsibility

Delegation of Authority

• Not only giving tasks to employees, but empowering them to do whatever is necessary to carry out those tasks
• Responsibility
• Accountability

Think of a truck manufacturer. They need mirrors, reflectors, lights, etc. If you miss a shipment, the truck company may never buy from them again.

If you delegate a task, you are delegating the responsibility, but you also have to delegate the authority

Degree of centralization

Defined as the Extent to which Authority is delegated throughout an organization

Centralized organizations

• Authority is concentrated at the top
• Little decision-making delegated to lower levels

Decentralized Organizations

• Decision-making authority delegated as far down chain of command as possible

Span of management

Defined as the number of subordinates who report to a particular manager

Organizational Layers

Defined as the levels of management in an organization

A company with many layers is considered, A company with few layers is considered flat.

Forms of Organizational Structure

Line Structure

• Simplest organizational structure
• Direct lines of authority extend from top management to employees at the lowest levels

Line-and-Staff Structure

• Traditional line relationship between superiors and subordinates
• Specialized managers assist line managers

Matrix Structure

• Sets up teams from different departments; creates 2 or more intersecting lines of authority
• Provides flexibility, enhanced cooperation, creativity
• Generally expensive and complex

The role of Groups and Teams in Organizations

All teams are groups, not all groups are teams

Group

• 2 or more individuals who communicate with one another, share a common identity, and have a common goal

Team

• Small group whose members have complementary skills; have a common purpose, goals and approach; and hold themselves accountable
• Virtual teams

Many kinds

• Project teams
  • Similar to task force, but run own operations and have specific control
• Product-development
  • Engineers make a product
  • Marketers design a plan
  • Finance take care of the money
• Quality-assurance teams
• Self-directed work teams

Group vs Team

Committees

• Permanent, formal group that performs a certain tasks
• Paralysis by analysis, when an idea gets stuck in an endless loop of committees

Task Forces

• Temporary group of employees responsible for bringing about a particular change
• Membership based on expertise rather than a position
• Typically from different departments and levels in an organization

The flow of Communication in an Organizational Hierarchy

Be thinking of if your communication is upward, downward, horizontal, or diagonal

Types

Emails

ESPECIALLY if they are long, people don’t read them.

Interpersonal

People tend to miss a considerable amount of information.

Informal

The grapevine, water-cooler talk

Monitoring Communications

• Technological advances and increased use of electronic communication have made monitoring communications in the workplace necessary
• Failure to monitor employees’ use of technology can be costly
• AI is significantly impacting workplace monitoring, benchmarking, and understanding how employees feel

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