Mintzberg's Organizational Structure Framework

Questions and Answers

To ensure the organization effectively serves its mission

To perform the basic work and produce the essential output (correct)

To connect the strategic apex with the administrative component

To provide indirect control of work through standardization of skills

To perform the basic work and produce the essential output

To ensure the organization effectively serves its mission (correct)

To connect the operating core with the administrative component

To provide indirect control of work through standardization of skills

Standardization of skills (correct)

Mutual adjustment

Direct communication

Direct supervision

<p>To specify the kind of training required to do the work</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The organization's structure is affected</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Henry Mintzberg's framework examines organizational structure by dividing labor into tasks and achieving coordination among them.
Five basic coordinating mechanisms are used to monitor and control work:
- Mutual adjustment (coordination through informal communication)
- Direct supervision (coordination through personal command)
- Standardization of work processes (specifying the contents of work)
- Standardization of outputs (specifying the results of work)
- Standardization of worker skills (providing indirect control of work)

Mutual adjustment is necessary in simple and complex organizations and is achieved through informal discussion and adjustment.
Direct supervision becomes more necessary as the size of an organization increases.
Standardization of work processes is achieved by specifying or programming the contents of the work.
Standardization of outputs is attained by specifying the results of the work.
Standardization of skills provides indirect control of work by specifying the kind of training required.

Each organization specializes in one of the five coordinating mechanisms, which has important consequences for its basic structure.
Mintzberg identifies five key parts of the organization:
- The operating core (those who perform basic work directly related to production)
- The strategic apex (top administrators responsible for ensuring the organization serves its mission)
- The middle line (administrators who connect the apex with the operating core)
- The technostructure (analysts who design and implement standardized processes)
- The support staff (those who provide indirect support to the organization)