COMN 3111 3.0

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COMN 3111 3.0

COMMUNICATING AND ORGANIZING Same Functions
Different Structures Lecture 4a

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IN SUMMARY

• ORGANIZATIONS ARE OPEN SYSTEMS CONSTRUCTED OF
  STABLE CLUSTERS OF ROLES AND THEIR NORMS
  (SUB-SYSTEMS)
• CONSTANTLY ENACTED TWO WAYS
• THROUGH
• MUTUAL ADJUSTMENT (C-B CYCLES)
• RULE CREATION
• GUIDED BY VALUES (CULTURE)
• SERVING TWO KEY SURVIVAL FUNCTIONS
• PRODUCTION, MAINTENANCE
• AND THREE GROWTH SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
• MANAGERIAL, BOUNDARY SUPPORT, ADAPTIVE

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ORGANIZATIONAL DIFFERENCES

• THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS
  WHICH HAVE DEVELOPED DIFFERENT STRUCTURES
• ARE GUIDED BY DIFFERENT VALUES (DIFFERENT
  CULTURES)
• BUT STILL HAVE TO SERVE THE TWO CENTRAL FUNCTIONS
  (AND THREE GROWTH FUNCTIONS) IN ORDER TO SURVIVE

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ORGANIZATIONAL DIFFERENCES

• Structure is defined as the ways in which an
  organization
• 1. Divides its labor into specific tasks
• 2. Achieves coordination among those tasks
• 3. Controls the performance of the
• individuals doing them.

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LIST OF KEY ELEMENTS TO UNDERSTAND ORGANIZATION
STRUCTURE

• 5 FUNCTIONS
• 5 WORK COORDINATION TECHNIQUES
• 4 ENVIRONMENTS
• LEAD TO 5 TYPES OF STRUCTURES

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KEY ELEMENTS TO UNDERSTAND ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

• 5 FUNCTIONS
• 5 WORK COORDINATION TECHNIQUES
• 4 ENVIRONMENTS
• LEAD TO 5 TYPES OF STRUCTURES

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COORDINATION AND THE STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZATIONS

The First Two

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FIVE COORDINATING MECHANISMS

• 1. MUTUAL ADJUSTMENT (COMMUNICATION-BEHAVIOR
  CYCLES)
• PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS, LISTEN TO ANSWERS, ADJUST
  BEHAVIOR
• WHEN FEW PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER
• LOW DIVISION OF LABOR (D.O.L.)
• EVERYONE DOES PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING, OR CAN
  DO DIFFERENT WORK BECAUSE SKILLS REQUIRED ARE
  SIMPLE (LOW SPECIALIZATION)

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FIVE COORDINATING MECHANISMS

• 2. DIRECT SUPERVISION
• WHEN ONE PERSON DIRECTLY INSTRUCTS INTERRELATED
  OTHERS
• TOO MANY PEOPLE TO USE INFORMAL TALK (MUTUAL
  ADJUSTMENT) AS THE ONLY METHOD
• INCREASING D.O.L.
• JOB SPECIALIZATION
• ONLY SUPERVISOR KNOWS ENOUGH ABOUT WHOLE JOB

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