line and staff authority
Montana, P. and Charnov, B. Management: A Streamlined Course for Students and Business People. (Hauppauge, New York:
Barron’s Business Review Series, 1993), pp. 155-169.
Chapter 11: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES: CONCEPTS AND F0RMATS
KEY TERMS departmentalization the grouping of related functions into manageable units to achieve the objectives of the enterprise in the most efficient and effective manner. delegation the process that makes management possible because management is the process of getting results accomplished through others. Delegation is the work a manager performs to entrust others with responsibility and authority and to create accountability for results. It is an activity of the organizing function. scalar principle (chain of command) a clear definition of authority in the organization. This authority flows down the chain of command from the top level to the first or lowest level in the organization. centralization occurs in an organization when a limited amount of authority is delegated. decentralization occurs when a significant amount of authority is delegated to lower levels in the organization. contingency approach an approach to organizational structure that states that the most appropriate organizational structure depends on the situation, consisting of the particular technology, the environment, and many other dynamic forces.
When two or more people work together to achieve a group result, it is an organization. After the objectives of an organization are established, the functions that must be performed are determined. Personnel requirements are assessed and the physical resources needed to accomplish the objectives determined. These elements must then be coordinated into a structural design that will help achieve the objectives. Finally, appropriate responsibilities are assigned.
Determining the functions to be performed involves consideration of division of labor; this is usually accomplished by a process of
Barron’s Business Review Series, 1993), pp. 155-169.
Chapter 11: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES: CONCEPTS AND F0RMATS
KEY TERMS departmentalization the grouping of related functions into manageable units to achieve the objectives of the enterprise in the most efficient and effective manner. delegation the process that makes management possible because management is the process of getting results accomplished through others. Delegation is the work a manager performs to entrust others with responsibility and authority and to create accountability for results. It is an activity of the organizing function. scalar principle (chain of command) a clear definition of authority in the organization. This authority flows down the chain of command from the top level to the first or lowest level in the organization. centralization occurs in an organization when a limited amount of authority is delegated. decentralization occurs when a significant amount of authority is delegated to lower levels in the organization. contingency approach an approach to organizational structure that states that the most appropriate organizational structure depends on the situation, consisting of the particular technology, the environment, and many other dynamic forces.
When two or more people work together to achieve a group result, it is an organization. After the objectives of an organization are established, the functions that must be performed are determined. Personnel requirements are assessed and the physical resources needed to accomplish the objectives determined. These elements must then be coordinated into a structural design that will help achieve the objectives. Finally, appropriate responsibilities are assigned.
Determining the functions to be performed involves consideration of division of labor; this is usually accomplished by a process of