Organisation and management of people

• Organisational structure

  Outlines the reporting relationships, roles, and responsibilities of employees in the organisation
• Organisational structure

  • Businesses must determine the best structure for them to effectively implement ideas and achieve their objectives
  • Businesses should consider how the structure may affect the management and effectiveness of operations and communications
  • A well-designed organisational structure helps to promote clarity, efficiency and accountability
• Hierarchy

  The levels of authority within an organisation, from top to bottom, where the higher the position the more authority and power it holds
• Chain of command

  The formal line of authority that flows downward from the top management to lower-level employees, defining who reports to whom and who is responsible for making decisions
• Span of control

  The number of employees that a manager or supervisor can effectively manage
• Tall organisational structure

  • Has a long chain of command and narrow span of control, common in large organisations with complex operations
  • Provides a clear hierarchy of authority and defined roles and responsibilities
  • Promotes specialisation and expertise within each department or function
• Flat organisational structure

  • Has a short chain of command and wide span of control, common in small organisations or start-ups
  • Promotes a culture of collaboration and open communication
  • Decision-making can be faster and more efficient
• Chain of command

  Longer chain of command results in a taller organisational structure and narrower span of control
• Chain of command

  Shorter chain of command results in a flatter organisational structure and wider span of control
• Delayering

  Removing layers from the hierarchy to shorten the chain of command
• Individuals at the top of the organisational structure usually have more authority
• Middle managers will have relationships with senior managers, other middle managers, and their subordinates
• Hierarchies determine the formal routes through which communication often flows in a business
• Managers

  Have many responsibilities in the business and help it to operate effectively on a day-to-day basis, including directors, line managers and supervisors
• Roles in a business

  • Owners/Directors
  • Managers
  • Supervisors/Team Leaders
• Owners/Directors

  • Establish the business' overall goals
  • Set long-term plans and targets for the business
• Managers, Supervisors/Team Leaders

  • Work to achieve the short and long-term targets set by the owners or directors
  • May be responsible for a function within the business. e.g. marketing or finance
  • Use employees and other resources in the best possible ways
  • Help managers achieve their targets by reporting any problems and passing on instructions
  • Take simple decisions, such as allocating jobs among different employees
• The responsibilities of managers are similar, no matter the organisation in which they work
• Roles of managers in schools

  • Headteachers organise the school's overall curriculum and staffing
  • Heads of Department manage teaching staff and subject course planning
  • Pastoral Managers focus on pupil behaviour and reward systems
  • Site Managers oversee the safety and maintenance of buildings and equipment
• Planning

  • Setting targets or aims for the organisation or department to achieve which provide a clear sense of purpose and direction
  • Managers also plan and budget for resources required to achieve targets
• Organising

  • Allocate tasks and delegate responsibility to employees
  • Make changes to ways of working to improve efficiency
• Commanding

  • Managers need to guide, lead and supervise employees in the tasks they do
  • Make sure staff meet deadlines and achieve individual or team targets
  • Provide feedback and direct staff to tasks
• Controlling

  • Evaluate the performance of employees and teams
  • Investigate reasons for missed targets and implement changes
  • Manage budgets and report to senior leaders
  • Ensure effective coordination between departments to achieve the organisation's aims
• Delegation

  A process where responsibility for specific tasks is given to subordinates by managers
• Advantages of Delegation

  • Allows managers to concentrate on important tasks
  • Helps managers to measure the performance of their staff as they can judge how well subordinates carry out these tasks
  • Provides a form of training as workers learn on the job thus increasing job opportunities to progress within the organisation
  • Workers may be skilled in certain areas and have sufficient time to complete the task to a higher standard
  • Makes employees work more interesting and rewarding
  • Could reduce absenteeism and labour turnover
• Reasons managers may be reluctant to delegate

  • Some managers are reluctant to delegate as they lose some control over decision-making
  • Managers may need support to be able to balance trust and control to delegate appropriate tasks
  • Autocratic leaders may not be willing to give authority to others
  • Some managers may feel threatened by highly skilled subordinates seeking promotion
• Types of Leadership Styles

  • Autocratic
  • Paternalistic
  • Democratic
  • Laissez-faire
• Leadership

  • About having a vision, sharing that vision with others and providing direction
  • Necessary in many different contexts
  • Can inspire and motivate others to work towards a common goal
  • Contributes to the meeting of aims and objectives and supports the development of a motivated workforce
• Leadership Styles

  • Reflect the behaviours and attitudes of a leader towards their team members and influence the organisational culture, productivity and performance of a business
  • A successful leader will be able to use a variety of leadership styles, depending on the situation, to achieve the best results for their business
• Leadership styles


  • Autocratic
  • Democratic
  • Laissez-faire
• Autocratic leadership


  Leader holds absolute power and authority, sets direction and goals, makes decisions without seeking input, expects strict obedience and compliance, communication is mainly one-way downward
• Autocratic leadership


  • Can make swift decisions without lengthy discussions, speeds up decision-making, can be crucial in emergencies, may improve coordination and efficiency
  • Reduces employee morale, limits ideas for problem-solving and innovation, limits creativity as employees must follow strict instructions
• Democratic leadership


  Leader actively involves employees in decision-making, encourages discussion though has final say, features consultation, collaboration, delegation and teamwork
• Democratic leadership


  • Encourages participation from employees, can lead to higher employee engagement and job satisfaction, encourages creativity and innovation
  • Decision-making can be time-consuming, may lose competitive advantage, can lead to conflicts and disagreements that are challenging to resolve
• Laissez-faire leadership


  Leader plays minimal role, provides little guidance or supervision, employees have significant autonomy and freedom
• Laissez-faire leadership


  • Encourages creativity and innovation, empowers employees, enhances job satisfaction and motivation
  • Employees may struggle with decision-making, can lead to inefficiency and lack of coordination, risk of inconsistency in output quality
• The choice of leadership style can be influenced by business circumstances, aims and objectives, personality and skills of the leader, skills and abilities of the workforce, and the competitive business environment
• Unskilled staff, stable environment

  Democratic leadership most appropriate
• Capable staff, stable environment

  Democratic leadership most appropriate
• Expert staff, stable environment

  Laissez-faire leadership most appropriate