MGT 500 Lecture 48: Elements of Organizational Structure P2

• School: Ball State University
• Department: Management
• Course: MGT 500
• Professor: Ronda Smith

Document Summary

Unbroken line of authority that extends from the top of the organization to the lowest echelon and clarifies who reports to whom: authority: positional rights, unity of command principle: one boss, fewer organizations find this is relevant. The chain of command represents the line of authority present in decision making. Embedded in the chain of command is the inherent right of a manager to give orders and expect the orders to be followed. Unity of command is the idea that a subordinate should have only one superior to report to so that directions and the chain of command are clear. The fourth element of structure is span of control. This concept looks at how many workers a manager can effectively direct towards organizational goals. Wider span allows for more efficiency because you need fewer managers. However, it can also limit the amount of time and direction a manager can give to their employees.