Organizational structure’s six elements are the 6 building blocks that managers must use in developing and structure organizational hierarchy. Elements of organizational structure are; (1) design jobs, (2)
departmentalization, (3) establish reporting relationships, (3) distribute authority, (5) coordinating activities, and (6) differentiating among positions. Show
The organizational structure shows corporate communication, the executive and managerial hierarchy, and creates a plan for efficient growth in the future. For managers, organizing is deciding how best to group organizational elements for a variety of structural possibilities. Managers must understand the best combination for the organization’s structure. There are six basic building blocks that managers can use in constructing an organization which also known as elements of organizing or organizational structure. Elements of Organizational Structure are;
Understanding the nature of these building blocks and the different ways in which they can be configured is most important as they shape the structure and routine the organization is going to work. The logical starting point is the first building block—designing jobs. In this post we will know about the 6 elements of organizing; Designing JobsJob design is the first building block of organization Structure; it means-defining an individual’s responsibilities at work. Job design involves defining areas of decision-making responsibility, identifying goals and expectations, and establishing appropriate indicators of success. Tools designing jobs are;
Job specialization is the first and the most important tool of all. Job specialization is similar to the concept of ‘division of labor’.Job specialization means; breaking down the entire job or task into smaller parts and divide them accordingly.
Job characteristics model (JCM) is also an effective tool for designing a job; where job-design is conducted considering both the employees’ preference and required work system. The approach suggests that job design should be done by considering 5 core dimensions; skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback.
Work teams are very useful for doing comprehensive and difficult jobs that require expertise from various departments or faculty or the organization.
As the name suggests; job rotation is systematically moving employees from one task to another. However, in practice; job rotation created more problems than solving them, like; employees’ satisfaction and motivation diminishes. It is now used as a training system.
Job enlargement involves increasing the total number of tasks workers assigned and performs. It also gives employees motivation as it gives them a bigger chance to participate in the organization’s operations. It has some shortcomings too; more tasks mean more salary payments so more cost, overdoing it could lead to employees’ dissatisfaction.
It is similar to job enlargement but a more comprehensive approach. Job enrichment includes increasing the number of tasks and the portion of control over these tasks. Here managers have to give authority along with the responsibility of the jobs. Departmentalization or Grouping JobsDepartmentalization is a grouping of jobs according to some logical arrangement, the second building block of organization structure. Departmentalization refers to the formal structure of the organization, composed of various departments and managerial positions and their relationships with each other. As an organization grows, its departments grow and more sub-units are created, which in turn add more levels of management. This often creates less flexibility, adaptability, and units of action within the firm. Departmentalization is the efficient and effective grouping of jobs into meaningful work units to coordinate numerous jobs—all for the expeditious accomplishment of the organization’s objectives. There are several bases for departmentalization. Common bases are;
These are the common bases of departmentalization. Establishing Reporting Relationships between jobsThe establishment of reporting relationships among positions is the third basic element of organizing. Establishment of reporting relationships indicates; clarifying the chain of command and the span of management. The chain of the command shows a clear distinct line of author among the positions and span of management indicates the number of people who report to a particular manager. Here; the organization’s hierarchy, its positions, and its lines are defined. Distributing AuthorityDistributing Authority is another important building block in structuring organizations. Authority in the organization is the right in a position and, through it, the right of the person occupying the position to exercise discretion in making decisions affecting others. Authority is the power that has been legitimized by the organization. Here; the determination of how authority is to be distributed among positions. Distributing authority in the organization means; giving decision power to employees. A warehouse-manager must have the authority to check the quality of the material coming and stored, to record the events in the storage, to check and report on the quantity of material and much more. But he cannot decide on deciding the selling price for them. That’s why the proper distribution of authority throughout the organization is required for the smooth sailing of the organization. Two specific issues that managers must address when distributing authority they are; delegation and decentralization. Coordinating ActivitiesCoordination is essential for management and structuring organizations. Achievement of the harmony of individual effort towards the accomplishment of group goals is the purpose of coordination. Modern organizations depend upon specialization of functions arid activities delegated to different individuals. If each individual is allowed to perform his function efficiently without taking note of the connected function performed by another individual, it will create chaos in the organization. It is essential that there be complete coordination, so that unity of action on the part of all is achieved. Also, the conflict between the line executives and the staff poses the problem of coordination by the chief executive. Hence, the chief executive has to coordinate not only functions and activities but also individuals performing different functions. Differentiating Between PositionsDifferentiating between line and staff positions in the organization is the last building block of organization structure. A line position is in the direct chain of command also responsible for the achievement of an organization’s goal. On the contrary; a staff position is there only to provide expert advice, and support for line positions. However; in modern organizations, these differences are very less; in some cases, the difference is eliminated. Organization structure is the formal pattern of interactions and coordination designed by management to link the tasks of individuals and groups in achieving organizational goals. To establish a structure one must mix all the six elements of the organizing, What is the chain of command in an organization?A chain of command is an organizational structure that documents how each member of a company reports to one another. At the top of the chart would be the founder, owner or CEO, and the people who report to them would appear directly below.
What is a chain of command definition?Definition of chain of command
: a series of executive positions in order of authority a military chain of command.
What are the management levels based on chains of command?A company's hierarchy starts with the CEO at the top. Following the CEO are the vice president and upper management employees who report directly to the CEO. Then, there are department managers and supervisors who report to the higher-level executives.
What exactly do you mean by chain of command give example as to how the concept of chain of command is best described?The definition of a chain of command is an official hierarchy of authority that dictates who is in charge of whom and of whom permission must be asked. An example of chain of command is when an employee reports to a manager who reports to a senior manager who reports to the vice president who reports to the CEO.
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