Creating a flexible organization

cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by heather buckley:http://flic.kr/p/dK9aXS

Quiz

• Closed book/closed notes

• Put your phones away

• You may collaborate with your team

• You are responsible for the answers on

your quiz

• You do not have to choose the same

answers as your team

"organization"?

group of two or more people working together to achieve a common set of goals

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by Marcin Wichary: http://flic.kr/p/4Afw4m

chain of command

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by Daniel Kramer: http://flic.kr/p/druWBL

specialization

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by robin robokow: http://flic.kr/p/QhfxK

job rotation

cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Jess Loughborough: http://flic.kr/p/4bEEWY

span of control (span of management)

cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by Trey Ratcliff: http://flic.kr/p/7LGh15

Tall Organizations

cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by Steve Selwood: http://flic.kr/p/5tkEBL

Flat organizations

©MichelleKopczyk http://www.flickr.com/photos/michellekopczyk/

Tall or Flat?

• Centralization

– Decision-making concentrated at top

– Little employee empowerment

• Decentralization

– Decision-making throughout organization

– More employee empowerment

• Manufacturing

• Service

Tall or Flat?

• Span of Control: # of employees/manager

– Skill of manager

– Skill of employees

– Complexity of job

• geographical closeness

• functional similarity

• need for coordination

• planning demands

• functional complexity

small v. large organizations

• small

–tall or flat structure

–short chain of command

• large

–tall or flat structure

– long chain of command

informal organization

cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Jonathan Khoo: http://flic.kr/p/5wttp