Organization
Organizational Structures
Functional :
Organized by key business skills ex: accounting, sales,marketing, production.
PROS
Clear lines of authority
Specialized
CONS
Communication issues with other departments
Groupitis : It means that having 2 managers leads to difficulties in decision making
Divisional:
organize into independent teams ex: A,B,C
PROS
leads to potentially better service
more focused on service/efficient production
CONS
duplication ( more employees) of rules in departments
Matrix
organize into cross functional teams ( 2 bosses)
PROS
Improves communication throughout the company
CONS
Double workload
double deadlines
A lot of stress
Team:
organize into independent teams ex : Group A, Group B, Group C
PROS
Imrpoves teamwork
Generates ideas/creativity
CONS
not as well organized
leads to ineficiencies
Network
Outsource to contractors/key responsibilities ex: sweat shops
PROS
Cheaper to outsource
more skilled at job ( field that they are trained for)
CONS
contractors lack loyalty to your business
Boundaryless
removes all boundaries ( very creative and innovative ex: Apple
PROS
Freedom
creativity
CONS
no clear authority
difficulty to manage
laissez-faire leadership style
Modern Working Arrangements
Job Enrichment:
Method to redesign jobs, it is directed to motivate by making the work and workplace more interesting and challenging for the employees. It typically provides more responsibility and thinking to the job which in turn sprouts
PROS
Receive recognition
Employee motivation
Learn new skills
Decrease boredom
CONS
Lack of training
Increased workload
Conflict with non participants
Potential for poor performance
Example: Altering the product or provision of service and implementing new minor changes here and there ie starbucks implementing new drinks
Job Rotation
Technique used by some employers to rotate their employees' assigned jobs throughout their employment. It was created to increase and promote flexibility and keep the employees interested in staying with the company/ organization
PROS
eliminates boredom
Encourage development
Gives employees a break from stressful job duties
Helps you identitfy where employees work best
CONS
Costly and time consuming
other industries might not understand why the company cannot hire more skilled and trained employees
possible circumstance where there is an error in training and mew employees will be taught the wrong way -- decreasing productivity
Mercedes is an example for a job rotation. The company's main products are vehicles. To be able to assemble them, the supervisor must move employees to different positions, since most of the employees have similar specializations and skills, job rotating is proven to be successful
Job Simplification
This job design technique in which jobs are broken into relatively easy tasks. It targets at great productivity through decreased application of physical and/or mental effort.
PROS
Relatively easy and quick to train staff
Staff are less likely to be difficult to supervise and/or easier to replace
Expertise may be developed more quickly through staff task and repetition
CONS
Lower job satisfaction
Higher potential for staff boredom and accompanying issues of elevated error rates and absents
Example: Mass Production ( fast food, clothing etc)- Mass production is a key example of job simplification that has skyrocketed in its implementation since the industrial revolution as mechanics has become a larger and easier alternative to using manual labour workers.
Job Enlargement
an increase in job tasks and responsibilities to make a position more challenging. It is a horizontal expansion, which means that the tasks added are at the same level as those in the current position
PROS
Employees have the ability to learn new skills
Reduces boredom
Employees can receive recognition
Employees can remain motivated
CONS
Lack of training- giving employees greater depth of tasks can cause problems through their lack of experience and training.
Increasing the workload
Performance can prove to be poor
Ex: Jeff works as a trash man for the city. His boss might switch the routes that he has to cover or may ask him to pick up the recycling routes in addition to his routine trash routes. Even though JEff is not given any extra authority or challenge by taking these additionnal routes, it does provide Jeff with new tasks that he can lessen the repetitiveness of his usual trash route.
Telecommunicating
Telecommuting (also known as working from home, or e-commuting) is a work arrangement in which the employee works outside the office, often working from home or a location close to home (including coffee shops, libraries, and various other venues).
PROS
No commuting
increased independence
flexible schedule
Fewer sick days ( allows you to work from the comfort of your own home
CONS
Decreased human interaction
Mixing work and personal life
Procrastination
Example: Telecommunicating jobs : Software engineer, Financial analyst, Tutor/online teache
Condensed working week
Putting more hours in per day instead of stretching them out the whole week
PROS
More days off
Employees keep full time pay and benefits
Extended hours of workplace
CONS
some positions may not be suitable for longer hours
Less supervsion at some time periods
Could cause understaffing
Creates difficulties with scheduled meetings
Employees could be working unauthorized overtime
ex 40 hours = 10 hour days instead of 5 8 hour days .
Flextime
a system of working a set number of hours with the starting and finishing times chosen within agreed limits by the employee.
PROS
allow employers to increase coverage beyond traditional work hours
May compel employers to implement a sophisticated time recording system to maintain employee scheduling, monitor punctuality and supervise schedule adherance
CONS
Schedule lacks supervision of employees who work nontraditional hours - could lead to non compliance with company pollicies
interfere with interoffice communications
ex: Staggered hours within a fixed schedule
Start and end times differ from the typical 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. schedule, but the schedule each day and the days of the week are constant.
• Normal Schedule: Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Flextime Schedule: Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Job Sharing
Alternative work schedule which eliminates full time positions and divides the position into part-time workers who share the same job title
PROS
Provides a time of relaxation
Best for people who get along well
Better channels of communication
Loyalty and hard work
CONS
having bad partners
Changes in partners
Conflict between job sharers
Ana began to consider job sharing when her mother became ill. She realized that because of personal responsibilities, she no longer wanted to work on a full time bass but still wanted to be able to perserve her career skills and status with her profession.
Mechanistic vs. Organic organizations
MECHANISTIC
Definition : organized with a lot of structure and rules
PROS
Benefits of specialization & fixation of responsibility
CONS
Work overload on manager
Static and Rigid
More formalization
Organic
Definition: an organic organization is one that is very flexible and is able to adapt well to changes. Its structure is identified as having little job specialization, few layers of management, decentralized decision-making, and not much direct supervision
PROS
Creativity
Free spirited work environment
Dynamic environment
Boundayless organization
CONS
Lack of communication
Complexity of decisions
High administrative costs
Can create conflict employee vs employee or employee vs employer