Structural Configurations for Organizations

The Structural Perspective and its Origins

The structural frame is based on a variety of assumptions that affect leadership following this frame. Structural leaders emphasize rationality, analysis, logic, facts, and data. They are likely to believe strongly in the importance of clear structure and well-developed management systems. A good leader is someone who thinks clearly, makes the appropriate decisions, has good analytic skills, and can design structures and systems that get the job done.” (Bolman & Deal, 2009, p. 47).

The structural frame has its origins in the works of different prominent managers, such as the following:

· Frederick Taylor (1911)

· Henry Fayol (1919)

· Max Weber (1922

Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2009). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership(4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Structural Configurations

Structure is not only an organizational chart. It encompasses all relationships in terms of authority, goals, job descriptions, expectations, and interactions among all stakeholders, both internal and external.

The choice of the right structure is crucial for achieving success. A bad structure can waste resources, and lead to low productivity due to employee dissatisfaction. The right structure can make employees feel responsible and motivate them to collaborate toward the success of the company, through the achievement of individual and common goals. With the right structure, motivation (both intrinsic and extrinsic) is more likely to be present, as well as cohesion and teamwork. The importance of teamwork is shared at all levels of the organization, with increasing levels of empowerment and delegation, so all members really feel they belong and are accountable for achieving the stated common goals.

Two issues are central to structural design: how to allocate work (differentiation) and how to coordinate diverse efforts once responsibilities have been delegated (integration). When the coordination of efforts is more hierarchical, a top-down model is followed, and it is labeled vertical coordination. If the coordination is more informal and flexible, and uses task forces and other forms of coordination on the same level, it is labeled lateral coordination.

Different models of structural configurations have been proposed in the literature, including the Five Organizational Types by Mintzberg (1980) and the Web of Inclusion by Helgesen (1995).

Mintzberg's Five Organizational Types are as follows:

· Entrepreneurial organization

· Machine organization (bureaucracy)

· Professional organization

· Divisional (diversified) organization

· Innovative organization ("adhocracy")

In the Web of Inclusion, Helgesen defines an approach that relies on organizational structures that are not standard hierarchies led from the top down, but instead more circular in structure and led from the center.

Mintzberg, H. (1980, March). Structure in 5's: A synthesis of the research on organization design. Management Science, 26(3), 322—341.

Helgesen, S. (1995). The web of inclusion: A new architecture for building great organizations (1st ed.). New York, NY: Currency/Doubleday.

The Power of Teams and Teamwork

Teams are vital to organizational performance, but they need to be well organized and structured in order to be effective. All roles should be clearly defined and the relationships among team members should be communicated properly. Situational variables affecting teams include goals to be achieved, division of work, decision-making processes, and coordination of efforts.

There are different structural configurations to be considered according to the situation being faced. Basic configurations include the following:

· One Boss

· Dual Authority

· Simple Hierarchy

· Circle Network

· All Channel Network

High-performance teams can help organizations achieve their goals and lead them to a path of success. They are able to adapt to specific needs or opportunities that should be utilized. Such teams are capable to not only divide the work, but also deploy the utmost purpose into goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). They have a number of members that is manageable and diverse, with complementary skills and strengths, and see themselves as collectively accountable and responsible for achieving all goals.

Module Wrap Up

In this module, you explored the structural frame and learned about its origin and assumptions. You also learned about different structural configurations and understood the role of high-performance teams and teamwork in an organization's success.

In the assignments for this module, you will analyze different approaches on structural configurations for organizations from a manager's standpoint. You will also review a situation from a business article and do an analysis of why the managerial approach used for the situation failed.