Organizational Structures and Systems

A set of 50 vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to organizational structures and systems.

Organizational Structure

Division of labor as well as patterns of coordination, communication, workflow, and formal power that direct organizational activities.

Division of Labor

The subdivision of work into separate jobs assigned to different people leading to job specialization.

Job Specialization

Results when subdivided work includes a narrow subset of tasks necessary to complete a product or service.

Coordination Mechanisms

Methods of coordinating work processes within organizations to ensure effective communication and workflow.

Mutual Adjustment

Coordination achieved through informal communication among employees involving sharing information on mutual tasks.

Concurrent Engineering

Organizing employees from several departments into temporary teams for simultaneous product development.

Direct Supervision

Coordination achieved through formal hierarchy, with one person responsible for directing the work of others.

Standardization

Creating routine patterns of behavior or outputs to achieve coordination in organizations.

Operating Core

Employees responsible for conducting the basic work duties that give the organization its defining purpose.

Strategic Apex

Executive leadership responsible for the overall success of the organization.

Middle Line

Employees who ensure that the overall goals set by the strategic apex are implemented by the operating core.

Technostructure

Employees with specific technical expertise that supports the organization's overall functions.

Support Staff

Employees providing services that aid the organization's basic mission.

Span of Control

The number of people directly reporting to a manager in an organizational hierarchy.

Narrow Span of Control

Situation where very few people report directly to a manager, necessary for novel or complex tasks.

Wide Span of Control

Situation where a manager oversees many employees, suitable for routine tasks.

Centralization

Where formal decision-making authority is held by a small group at the top of the hierarchy.

Decentralization

Dispersed decision authority and power throughout the organization.

Formalization

Degree to which organizations standardize behavior through rules and procedures.

Mechanistic Structure

Traditional structure characterized by a narrow span of control and high degree of formalization.

Organic Structure

Nontraditional structure with a wide span of control and decentralized decision-making.

Departmentalization

Specifies how employees and their activities are grouped together in an organization.

Functional Structure

Organizes employees around specific knowledge or resources for coordination.

Divisional Structure

Groups employees around geographic areas, outputs, or client groups.

Team-Based Structure

Organizational structure built around self-directed teams that complete entire work pieces.

Matrix Structure

Combines functional structure and team-based approaches for project management.

Network Structure

Designing and building products or services through alliances with several organizations.

Contingencies of Organizational Design

Factors like external environment that affect how an organization is structured.

Dynamic Environment

Characterized by high rates of change and lack of identifiable patterns.

Stable Environment

Characterized by regular cycles of activity and predictable changes.

Diverse Environment

Greater variety of products, clients, and regions requiring divisional structure.

Hostile Environment

Conditions of resource scarcity and intense competition affecting organizational structure.

Lawrence and Lorsch Model

Describes how differentiation and integration affect a company’s environmental adaptability.

Organizational Size

As the number of employees increases, job specialization and coordinating mechanisms become more elaborate.

Technology in Organizations

Mechanisms or processes used by an organization to produce its product or service.

Variability

Refers to the number of exceptions to standard procedures in job tasks.

Analyzability

Predictability or difficulty of required work, whether it can be broken down into easy steps.

Routine Technology

High analyzability, low variability, used in assembly-line production.

Nonroutine Technology

Low analyzability, high variability, found in fields like scientific research.

Social Systems

The structuring of events or happenings that defines the informal component of an organization.

Roles in Organizations

Expectations of behavior tied to specific positions within the organization.

Norms

Shared group expectations about appropriate behavior, governing how members act.

Organizational Culture

Languages, values, attitudes, and beliefs that give each organization its unique culture.

Observable Artifacts

Surface-level actions that represent deeper aspects of the organization's culture.

Espoused Values

Beliefs or concepts that management explicitly endorses.

Basic Assumptions

Core beliefs that are taken for granted and difficult to change within an organization.