Organizational Theory, Design And Change: Chapter 4

Front 1

Differentiation

Back 1

the process by which an organization allocates people and resources to organizational tasks and establishes the task and authority relationships that allow the organization to achieve its goals.

Front 2

Division of labor

Back 2

the process of establishing and controlling the degree of specialization in the organization.

Front 3

Organizational role

Back 3

the set of task-related behaviors required of a person by his or her position in an organization.

Front 4

Authority

Back 4

the power to hold people accountable for their actions and to make decisions concerning the use of organizational resources.

Front 5

Control

Back 5

the ability to coordinate and motivate people to work in the organization's best interest.

Front 6

Function

Back 6

a subunit composed of a group of people, working together, who possess similar skills or use the same kind of knowledge, tools, or techniques to perform their jobs.

Front 7

Division

Back 7

A subunit that consists of a collection of functions or departments that share responsibility for producing a particular good or service.

Front 8

Support functions

Back 8

a function which facilitate an organization's control of its relationships with the environment and its stakeholders.

Front 9

Production functions

Back 9

functions manage and improve the efficiency of an organization's conversion processes so that more value is created.

Front 10

Maintenance functions

Back 10

the functions which enable an organization to keep its departments in operation

Front 11

Adaptive functions

Back 11

the functions which allow an organization to adjust to changes in the environment.

Front 12

Managerial functions

Back 12

the functions which facilitate the control and coordination of activities within and among departments.

Front 13

Five kinds of functions

Back 13

Support Functions
Production Functions
Maintenance Functions
Adaptive Functions
Managerial Functions

Front 14

Hierarchy

Back 14

A classification of people according to authority and rank.

Front 15

Vertical differentiation

Back 15

the way an organization designs its hierarchy of authority and creates reporting relationships to link organizational roles and subunits.

Front 16

Horizontal differentiation

Back 16

The way an organization groups organizational tasks into rules and roles into subunits (functions and divisions).

Front 17

Organizational Design Challenges:

Back 17

Differentiation vs Integration
Centralization vs Decentralization
Standardization vs Mutual adjustment

Front 18

Subunit orientation

Back 18

a tendency to view one's role in the organization strictly from the perspective of the time frame, goals, and interpersonal orientations of one's subunit.

Front 19

Integration Mechanisms

Back 19

Hierarchy of authority
Direct contact
Liaison role
Task force
Team
Integrating role
Integrating department

Front 20

Integration

Back 20

the process of coordinating various tasks, functions, and divisions so that they work together and not at cross-purposes.

Front 21

Task force

Back 21

a temporary committee set up to handle a specific problem. Usually one or a few people from each function and chaired by a sr. manager.

Front 22

Team

Back 22

a permanent task force or committee.

Front 23

Integrating role

Back 23

a full-time position established specifically to improve communication between divisions.

Front 24

Centralized

Back 24

organizational setup whereby the authority to make important decisions is retained by managers at the top of the hierarchy.

Advantage: lets top managers coordinate organizational activities and keep the organization focused on its goals.

Disadvantages: top managers become oerloaded and immersed in operational decision making about day-to-day resource issues.

Front 25

Decentralized

Back 25

an organizational setup whereby the authority to make important decisions about organizational resources and to initiate new projects is delegated to managers at all levels in the hierarchy.

Advantages: promotes flexibility and responsiveness by allowing lower level managers to make on-the-spot decisions.

Disadvantages: planning and coordination become very difficult.

Front 26

Standardization

Back 26

conformity to specific models or examples - defined by sets of rules and norms - that are considered proper in a given situation.

Front 27

Mutual adjustment

Back 27

the compromise that emerges when decision making and coordination are evolutionary processes and people use their judgment rather than standardized rules to address a problem.

Front 28

Formalization

Back 28

the use of written rules and procedures to standardize operations.

Front 29

Rules

Back 29

formal, written statements that specify the appropriate means for reaching desired goals.

Front 30

Norms

Back 30

standards or styles of behavior that are considered acceptable or typical for a group of people.

Front 31

Socialization

Back 31

the process by which organizational members learn the norms of an organization and internalize these unwritten rules of conduct.

Front 32

Mechanistic structures

Back 32

structures which are designed to induce people to behave in predictable, accountable ways. Best suited to organizations that face stable, unchanging environments.

Characteristics:
Individual specialization, simple integrating mechanisms, centralization, standardization

Front 33

Organic structures

Back 33

structures which promote flexibility, so people initiate change and can adapt quickly to changing conditions.

Characteristics: joint specialization, complex integrating mechanisms, decentralization, mutual adjustment

Front 34

Contingency approach

Back 34

a management approach in which the design of an organization's structure is tailored to the sources of uncertainty facing an organization.