Org. Theory and Design: Chapter 5 (Matching)

Self-managed teams = Formal work groups responsible for ensuring team goals and empowered to lead themselves Cross-functional teams = Formal work groups of employees from different functions empowered to direct and coordinate value-creation activities Contingent workers = Temporary workers employed by an organization with no indirect benefits, such as health insurance or pensions Empowerment = The process of giving employees throughout an organization the authority to make important decisions and be responsible for their outcomes

Advantage of contingent workers = They cost less to employ Disadvantage of contingent workers = Unlikely to help in developing core competences as they do not remain with the organization very long and are not committed to it

Increasing use of empowered workers, self-managed teams, cross-functional teams, and contingent workers = IT accelerating the trend towards increasing use of empowered workers, self-managed teams, cross-functional teams, and contingent workers Decentralization of authority and increasing use of teams = IT leading to a decentralization of authority in organizations and an increasing use of teams Empowerment and self-managed teams = IT providing managers with better information about subordinates' activities, assessing functional performance, and intervening as necessary to better achieve organizational goals

<p>Ra onal-legal authority = Authority based on position in the organization Technical competence = Basis for holding organizational roles Clear and consistent differentiation = Specification of task responsibility and decision-making authority Hierarchy control = Lower offices under supervision of higher offices</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Role conflict = Opposition due to differing views on tasks Role ambiguity = Uncertainty about tasks or authority Rules, SOPs, and norms = Used to control behavior and relationships in an organization Wri9en decisions and rules = Formulated administrative acts put in writing</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Advantage: Accountability = Individuals can be held accountable for their actions Advantage: Skill development = Bureaucracy provides opportunities for skill development Problem: Overly tall organizations = Managers fail to control hierarchy development properly Problem: Overreliance on rules = Members become unresponsive to customer and stakeholder needs</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Establishing specific goals = Setting clear goals and objectives at each level of the organization Determining subordinates' goals = Managers and subordinates together determine individual or team goals Reviewing progress towards goals = Periodic review of subordinates' progress towards meeting goals Decentralized MBO = Focuses on team goals in a decentralized organization</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Decision making and coordination outside formal channels = Informal interactions influencing decision making and coordination Emergence of rules and norms from informal interactions = Informal interactions leading to the emergence of rules and norms Disruption of informal norms by altering formal structure = Formal changes disrupting informal norms Harnessing the power of informal organization = Utilizing the informal organization to achieve organizational goals</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Horizontal differentiation = Leads to the emergence of specialized subunits Centralization = Reduces the need for personal control by managers Decentralization = Enables a relatively tall structure to be more flexible in its responses Standardization = Makes employees' actions predictable and reduces the need for direct supervision</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tall organization = Has many levels relative to its size Flat organization = Has fewer levels in its hierarchy Pyramid-like structure = Has fewer and fewer managers at each level Bloated structure = Has increasing numbers of managers at each level</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Principle of minimum chain of command = An organization should choose the minimum number of hierarchical levels consistent with its goals and environment Parkinson’s law problem = Argues that the growth in the number of managers and hierarchical levels is controlled by two principles Span of control = The number of subordinates each manager directly manages Personal supervision = A very effective way of motivating employees and promoting behaviors that increase effectiveness</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Communication problems and distortion = Information becomes distorted as it flows up and down the hierarchy through many levels of management Motivation problems = Managers and employees need more authority and responsibility to be motivated to perform their organizational roles Bureaucratic costs of the managers = Restructuring and downsizing are used to reduce bureaucratic costs by streamlining hierarchies and laying off managers and workers Complexity and interrelatedness = Manager's ability to supervise and control subordinates' behavior is limited by these factors</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Communication problems and distortion = Can be controlled by making wise choices concerning centralization, standardization, and the influence of the informal organization Motivation problems = Can be addressed by decentralizing authority, reducing direct managerial supervision, and maintaining an appropriate balance between centralization and decentralization Bureaucratic costs of the managers = Can be reduced by standardizing employees' behavior to make their actions predictable, reducing the need for personal control by managers Complexity and interrelatedness = Can be managed through increasing horizontal differentiation, paying particular attention to keeping the organization flat as possible</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Vertical differentiation = Increases vertical differentiation and gives the organization direct face-to-face control over its members Personal authority relationship = One of the most significant or tangible relationships that creates and bonds people into an organization, determining how well they perform Size and height limitations = Refer to a tall organization having many levels relative to its size, while a flat organization has few levels in its hierarchy Span of control = The number of subordinates each manager directly manages, determined by factors like complexity and interrelatedness</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Contingency approach = Tailoring the structure to respond to sources of uncertainty Hierarchy approach = Emphasizing control and coordination through a taller hierarchy Bureaucratic approach = Implementing a specific set of rules and procedures for control Organic approach = Emphasizing personal competence, expertise, and freedom to innovate</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Increase number of managers = To monitor, evaluate and reward employees Increase levels in managerial hierarchy = To make the hierarchy of authority taller over time Implement bureaucratic rules = To standardize and control organizational processes Adopt organic structure = To promote innovation and personal competence</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>General environment forces = Directly affect the extent of differentiation inside an organization Specific environment forces = Have a direct effect on the internal differentiation of an organization Sources of uncertainty = Factors that influence the design of an organization's structure Contingencies = Things or changes that might happen and require planning</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Authority and control = Focuses on how and why vertical differentiation occurs Experise and innovation = Emphasizes personal competence and freedom to act innovatively Coordination and motivation = Addressing the difficulty in effectively coordinating and motivating employees Standardization and control = Implementing specific rules and procedures for control</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Coordination and motivation challenges = Lead to the emergence of organizational hierarchy Difficulty in controlling members = Leads to the adoption of bureaucratic rules and procedures Need for flexibility and innovation = Leads to the adoption of organic organizational structure Desire for standardization and control = Leads to the implementation of bureaucratic approach</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Strength of external forces = Directly influences the extent of differentiation inside an organization Degree of uncertainty in the environment = Determines the need for tailoring organizational structure to respond effectively Challenges in coordination and motivation = Lead to changes in managerial hierarchy levels Organizational desire for standardization = Influences the adoption of bureaucratic rules and procedures</p> Signup and view all the answers