GMS 200 Class 11 (Chapter 11) Key Terms 2025/2026

Adaptive organization

An organization that operates with a minimum of bureaucratic features and encourages worker empowerment and teamwork.

Agile organization

An organization structured to be fast moving, open to change, and internally connected top to bottom and side to side.

Authority-and-responsibility principle

The principle that authority should equal responsibility when work is delegated.

Boundaryless organization

An organization that eliminates internal boundaries among subsystems and external boundaries with the external environment.

Bureaucracy

A form of organization that emphasizes formal authority, order, fairness, and efficiency.

Centralization

The concentration of authority for most decisions at the top level of an organization.

Chain of command

The linking of all employees with successively higher levels of authority.

Cross-functional team

A team that brings together members from different functional departments.

Customer structure

An organization structure that groups together people and jobs that serve the same customers or clients.

Decentralization

The dispersion of authority to make decisions throughout all organization levels.

Delegation

The process of distributing and entrusting work to others.

Divisional structure

An organization structure that groups together people working on the same product, in the same area, with similar customers, or on the same processes.

Empowerment

Allowing others to make decisions and exercise discretion in their work.

Flat structure

An organization structure that has wide spans of control and few hierarchical levels.

Formal structure

The official structure of the organization.

Functional chimneys or functional silos problem

A lack of communication, coordination, and problem solving across functions.

Functional structure

An organization structure that groups together people with similar skills who perform similar tasks.

Geographical structure

An organization structure that groups together people and jobs performed in the same location.

Informal structure

The set of social networks found in unofficial relationships among the members of an organization.

Latent organization

A project-based structure based on connected people who are willing to work in a flexible environment.

Matrix structure

An organization structure that combines the functional and divisional approaches to create permanent cross-functional project teams.

Mechanistic design

An organization structure that is centralized, with many rules and procedures, a clear-cut division of labour, narrow spans of control, and formal coordination.

Network structure

An organization structure that uses information technologies to link with networks of outside suppliers and service contractors.

Organic design

An organization structure that is decentralized, with fewer rules and procedures, open divisions of labour, wide spans of control, and more personal coordination.

Organization chart

A description of the arrangement of work positions within an organization.

Organization structure

A system of tasks, reporting relationships, and communication linkages.

Organizational design

The process of creating structures that accomplish mission and objectives.

Organizing

The process of arranging, connecting, and integrating people and resources to accomplish a common purpose.

Process structure

An organization structure that groups jobs and activities that are part of the same processes.

Product structure

An organization structure that groups together people and jobs focused on a single product or service.

Project teams

Teams that are convened for a particular task or project and that disband once it is completed.

Self-enhancement bias

The tendency to view oneself as more capable, intelligent, and ethical than others.

Social network analysis or sociometrics

A tool that identifies the informal structures and their embedded social relationships that are active in an organization.

Span of control

The number of subordinates directly reporting to a manager.

Staff positions

Positions that provide technical expertise for other parts of the organization.

Strategic alliance

A cooperation agreement with another organization to jointly pursue activities of mutual interest.

Tall structure

An organization structure that has narrow spans of control and many hierarchical levels.

Team structure

A structure that uses permanent and temporary cross-functional teams to improve lateral relations.

Virtual organization

An organization that uses mobile IT to engage a shifting network of strategic alliances.

Work process

A group of related tasks that collectively creates a valuable work produc

Assign Responsibility Delegation

(NOT ON TEXTBOOK). 1st step of delegation which assigns responsibility and explains task and expectations.

Grant Authority Delegation

(NOT ON TEXTBOOK). 2nd step of delegation which grants authority and allows others to make decisions and act.

Create Accountability Delegation

(NOT ON TEXTBOOK). 3rd step of delegation which creates accountability by requiring others to report back on results.