2.5.1 Organisational Structures

• What is an organisational structure?

  the way in which all the people within a business are organised
• What is a span of control?

  The number of subordinates a manager directly supervises.
• What is the chain of command?

  The route communication takes as it flows through a business (a hierarchy)
• What is delayering?

  Reducing the number of management layers in an organisation. (removing a level from the hierarchy)
• What does delegation involve?

  passing of authority from a manager to a subordinate
• What does a tall structure look like?

  A hierarchal structure where each superior is responsible for a few subordinates
• What does a flat structure look like?

  Each superior is responsible for many subordinates (a small business)
• What are some advantages of a flat structure?

  -quicker communication

  -happier employees at the same level

  -more of a family feel
• What are some disadvantages of flat structure?

  -not as much supervision

  -no opportunity for promotion

  -many people to supervise and train so can be stressful
• What are some advantages to tall structure?

  -clear channels or communication

  -everyone knows who they are and what they are in charge of and what they do

  -clear opportunities of progression

  -allows for close supervision of subordinates
• What are some disadvantages to tall structure?

  -may encourage limited delegation

  -communication may be slow or stifled

  -limited collaboration which may hinder and reduce options for innovation
• How will the structure effect how the workers are managed and treated?

  -degree of responsibility

  -training required

  -motivation

  -method of flow of communication (speed of accuracy)

  -opportunities for promotion
• What is centralisation?

  Concentration of power and decision-making authority in a central authority or organization.
• What is decentralisation?

  Distribution of power and authority away from a central authority to regional or local levels.
• What is communication?

  Communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas, and emotions between individuals or groups.
• some examples of channels of communication include:

  -written

  -verbal

  -visual or non-verbal
• effective and efficient communication is essential for success
• how can insufficient communication impact efficiency and motivation?

  -misunderstandings

  -unhappy customers

  -poorly motivated workforce
• Excessive communication can lead to information overload when employees have too much information to process
• how might excessive communication impact staff?

  Staff may miss out on important information leading to a problem in the good or service
• Poor communication can seriously affect the motivation of staff in the workplace
• How can poor communication impact staff?

  -not knowing what is going on at work

  -hearing about issues through unofficial channels
• Barriers stopping effective communications include:

  Physical

  -different locations

  Cultural

  -different interpretations due to clashes of culture

  Language

  -misunderstanding of words

  Perception

  -interpreting a the same message in different ways
• Full time

  35+ hours a week
• Part time

  <35 hours a week
• What are some advantages of full time workers?

  -less spent in recruitment

  -less spent on training

  -increased security for workers

  -employees are more commited
• What are some disadvantages of full time workers?

  -reduced span of control
• What are some advantages of part time workers?

  -retaining valued workers

  -increased flexibility

  -wider pool of workers

  -reduced absenteeism

  -easier to respond to change
• Flexible hours

  -the employee can work hours that are different to the normal hours of the business

  -this might take the form of job sharing where hours and tasks are divided between employees

  -give some degree of autonomy to the employees to chooses their own hours of work, normally within certain boundaries
• What is home working?

  The ability to work from home rather than travelling into the workplace
• Permanent work

  Many employees are permanent. They have no specifies termination date for their contract
• temporary work

  -temporary employees are people who are contracted to work for a business for a specified period e.g. 6 months to cover maternity leave
• Freelancing

  Freelance workers tend to be self-employed. they are likely to run their own business and have several different customers at the same times e.g. accountants
• Development in ICT helps business communications, reducing the need for business travel, allowing different places of work

  -mobile phones

  -web conferencing

  -broadband advances

  -social media

  -email
• What is hot desking?

  When people aren’t allocated desks but are booked when they are needed