Structural theories lens deals with the framework that is used to explain societal and
organization issues by associating the problems to systems and structures (Carroll, 2006). This
goes against other theories that tend to associate problems to the actions and characteristics of
individuals. In my organization, an example of one of the concepts for this type of lens is the
implementation of a chain of command. This structure system is used to provide order and a
hierarchy system that represents differences in authority and leadership responsibilities. When
viewing visual hierarchies, departments are formed by using trees and branches to show
relationships between management, team leaders, and their employees. On average, each top-
level manager manages about 60 to 100 personnel. When you look at the entire chain of
command, there are about 6 levels that exist in the chain of command.
There are some strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the structural theory lens.
One strength is that a structure system allows people to be accountable to themselves and the
people that they manage. In addition, it creates a system where issues are handled at the lowest
level possible. A weakness is that some important issues may not be relayed up the chain of
command in a timely and accurate fashion. In addition, another weakness is that management
tends to assume that everyone has the resources that they need in order to carry out tasks in a
certain order. Overall, this concept helps me to understand my organization by showing me that
everyone has their own tasks when it comes to the mission or the company. As a company that
operates with a centralized management system, they make decisions on site in regards to the
goals of the companies and how to carry out tasks.
Reference
Carroll, J. (2006). The Three Lenses. Managerial Psychology.
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managerial-psychology-fall-2006/3d0d8d96dfd927c118074e8920c497b2_lec2.pdf
