Project Management Case Study: Traditional Functional Organizational Structure
By studying and analysing the case study, the researcher is drawn immediately into a world of traditional functional organisational structure, lack of project managers and no project management office, site managers being tasked with managing projects, resources lacking skills and experience to manage projects, determining scope and managing costs. These are some of the key problems/issues reflected in the case study. Let’s begin by unpacking these problems one by one below.
3.1. The traditional functional organisation structure
With the functional organisation structure, business units operate individually and in this instance the Facilities group assigned to the largest, highly profitable business unit becomes responsible for managing the …show more content…
After assigning Richard, who is one of his planners, to the department move, there is no follow up on either side or no communication on progress or issues. Throughout the case study, there is no evidence of any communication amongst the business units or even from top management.
3.6. Top management support and involvement
In this functional organisational structure, there should be involvement and support from top management on the strategy and position of the organisation in the market. There is the Photographic Chemicals Division losing money which needs top management intervention to change the strategy around to become profitable again, there are many department moves going on that should be prioritised and addressed by top management and there are costs that should be recovered differently which top management also needs to address.
3.7. Conflict
The manner in which Susan and Jon engage when discussing the department move leads to conflict with Jon refusing to accept that his own corporate filing cabinets will not be moved to the new department.
This causes a communication breakdown with Jon requesting that Susan leave his office and noting that Susan speak to her general manager to convince his general manager to “make him do
3.1. The traditional functional organisation structure
With the functional organisation structure, business units operate individually and in this instance the Facilities group assigned to the largest, highly profitable business unit becomes responsible for managing the …show more content…
After assigning Richard, who is one of his planners, to the department move, there is no follow up on either side or no communication on progress or issues. Throughout the case study, there is no evidence of any communication amongst the business units or even from top management.
3.6. Top management support and involvement
In this functional organisational structure, there should be involvement and support from top management on the strategy and position of the organisation in the market. There is the Photographic Chemicals Division losing money which needs top management intervention to change the strategy around to become profitable again, there are many department moves going on that should be prioritised and addressed by top management and there are costs that should be recovered differently which top management also needs to address.
3.7. Conflict
The manner in which Susan and Jon engage when discussing the department move leads to conflict with Jon refusing to accept that his own corporate filing cabinets will not be moved to the new department.
This causes a communication breakdown with Jon requesting that Susan leave his office and noting that Susan speak to her general manager to convince his general manager to “make him do