Chapter 4

Org. Structure - Stable relationship b/w parts of a system or entity.

-Physical and Social

Physical:
-Geo. locations
-Heritage & symbolic meanings

Social:
-R/s b/w members
-Roles & Responsibilities assumed
-> e.g. depts. they belong to

-Change in env. -> Change in org. -> Controlling of employees to meet company
objectives
-> Assumed to be modernist p.o.v

-i.e. Weber's Theory of Org.

-> Highly bureaucratic
-> Fixed decision of labor
-> Clearly defined hierarchy, fixed salaries etc.
-> Promotions acc. to seniority/achievement, dependent on superiors
-> Idealistic way of imagining it?

->Very similar to modernist perspective 1. Division of Labor

2. Hierarchy of Authority
3. Formalized Rules & Procedures

-Modernist: Org. structure affects efficiency, and certain org. structures are ideal
for certain kinds of orgs.

1. Division of Labor

-Splitting of work b/w employees

-Distributes responsibilities & assigns work tasks
-> Produces desired output of org. w/ efficienct and effectiveness
-> e.g. Assembly line
-Grouping similar jobs into org. units / closely related activities
-> Highly related to hierarchy of authority
-> e.g. Managers & Admins overseeing other workeers

2. Hierarchy of Authority

-Distrib. of authority in org.

-Vertical communication - giving orders (Down) and reporting to superiors (Up)
-> Defines formal r/s

3. Formalized Rules & Procedures

-Extent to which explicit rules, policies etc. govern org. activities

-> e.g. Handbooks, job descriptions, S.O.P.
-Rampant in gov. orgs. - high levels of bureaucracy and formalization
-Encourages feelings of impersonality -> decreased innovation and comm.

Measuring Org. Social Structure

-Commonly used dimensions: (Acc. to Weber)

-> Admin. Component: Employees w/ admin responsibilities
l
v
Broken down into diff. depts.

-> Differentiation: -Both horizontal & vertical

-Horizontal: No. of levels in hierarchy
-Vertical: Extent of div. of labour

-> Centralization: -Extent of authority to make decisions being conc. at top

levels of org.
-Decentralization - spreading the decision making across all levels

-> Standardization: -Extent to which procedures are standardized

-> S.O.Ps

-> Formalization: -Extent to which org. uses formal written media instead of
face to face comm. & direct r/s

Modernist Theories