GMS 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Work Unit, Departmentalization, Strategic Management

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Global Management Studies
• Course: GMS 200
• Professor: Lori Anne Heckbert

Document Summary

What is organizing: arranges people and resources to work toward a goal. Organization structure is a system of tasks, reporting relationships and communication linkages. Formal structures: organization chart, describes the arrangement of work positions within an organization, formal structure. Is the set of unofficial relationships among an organization"s members: social network analysis. Identifies the informal structures and their embedded social relationships that are active in an organization. Traditional organization structures: departmentalization is the process of grouping people and jobs into work units. Functional structures: functional structure, groups together people with similar skills who perform similar tasks, advantages of functional structures, economies of scale with efficient use of resources, task assignments consistent with expertise and training, high-quality technical problem solving. In-depth training and skill development within functions: clear career paths within functions, disadvantages of functional structures, functional chimneys problem. Is a lack of communication and coordination across functions.