An organizational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims.[1] It can also be considered as the viewing glass or perspective through which individuals see their organization and its environment.[2]
Many organizations have hierarchical structures, but not all.
Organizations are a variant of clustered entities.
An organization can be structured in many different ways, depending on their objectives. The structure of an organization will determine the modes in which it operates and performs.
Organizational structure allows the expressed allocation of responsibilities for different functions and processes to different entities such as the branch, department, workgroup and individual.
Organizational structure affects organizational action in two big ways. First, it provides the foundation on which standard operating procedures and routines rest. Second, it determines which individuals get to participate in which decision-making processes, and thus to what extent their views shape the organization’s actions.[2]
|Contents |
|1 Operational organizations and informal organizations |
|2 History |
|2.1 Organizational structure types |
|2.1.1 Pre-bureaucratic structures |
|2.1.2 Bureaucratic structures |
|2.1.3 Post-bureaucratic
References: 1. ^ Pugh, D. S., ed. (1990).Organization Theory: Selected Readings. Harmondsworth: Penguin. 2. ^ a b Jacobides., M. G. (2007). The inherent limits of organizational structure and the unfulfilled role of hierarchy: Lessons from a near-war. Organization Science, 18, 3, 455-477. 3. ^ Mohr, L. B. (1982). Explaining Organizational Behavior. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 4. ^ a b c Lim, M., G. Griffiths, and S. Sambrook. (2010). Organizational structure for the twenty-first century. Presented at the annual meeting of The Institute for Operations Research and The Management Sciences, Austin. 5. ^ Weber, M. (1948). From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, translated, edited and with an introduction by H. H. Gerth and C. W. Mills. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. 6. ^ Burns, T. and G. Stalker. (1961) The Management of Innovation. London: Tavistock. 7. ^ Grey C., Garsten C., 2001, Trust, Control and Post-Bureaucracy, Sage Publishing) 8 13. ^ (Starbucks.com (2008). Starbucks Coffee International. Available at: http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/international.asp (accessed 20/10/08)) 14 15. ^ Gratton, L. (2004). The Democratic Enterprise, Financial Times Prentice Hall, pp. xii-xiv. 16. ^ Thareja P(2008), "Total Quality Organization Thru’ People,(Part 16), Each one is Capable",FOUNDRY, Vol. XX, No. 4, July/Aug 2008 17 18. ^ Gummesson, E. (2002). Total Marketing Control. Butterworth-Heinemann, p. 266. 20. ^ Amaral, L.A.N. and B. Uzzi. (2007) Complex Systems—A New Paradigm for the Integrative Study of Management, Physical, and Technological Systems. Management Science, 53, 7: 1033–1035. 21. ^ Braha, D. and Y. Bar-Yam. (2007) The Statistical Mechanics of Complex Product Development: Empirical and Analytical Results. Management Science, 53, 7: 1127–1145. 22. ^ Kogut, B., P. Urso, and G. Walker. (2007) Emergent Properties of a New Financial Market: American Venture Capital Syndication, 1960–2005. Management Science, 53, 7: 1181-1198. 23. ^ Hedberg, B., G. Dahlgren, J. Hansson, and N.-G. Olve (1999). Virtual Organizations and Beyond: Discover Imaginary Systems. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. 24. ^ Anderson, C. (2007). The Long Tail. Random House Business Books, pp. 23, 53. 25. ^ Butler Jr., J.K. (1986). A global view of informal organization. Academy of Management Journal, 51, 3, 39-43. 26. ^ Stacey, M. (1974). The myth of community studies. C. Bell, H. Newby, (Editors), The Sociology of Community: A Selection of Readings. London, Frank Cass, 13-26.