Organizational Structure Assignment

Posted: January 4th, 2023

Organizational Structure Assignment

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Organizational Structure Assignment

Businesses must consider several factors to gain competitiveness, including strengthening their organizational structure and culture. The study illustrates why companies must develop a clear design and culture because these two factors interrelate with how they impact corporate practices. The paper describes how establishments that lack proper systems and work culture fail to perform well and make them less attractive to workers and buyers. On the other hand, businesses that pay adequate attention to improving their culture and structure increase their chances of performing well. Companies that lack significant structures and cultures should consider various options that would improve their outcome and competitiveness. They should also focus on management strategies that transform a bureaucratic facility into a more inclusive, collaborative, and team-oriented group. Developing a proper organizational structure and culture requires leaders to embrace various techniques that can yield desirable outcomes. 

How Organizational Structure Relates to Organizational Culture

Businesses that want to run their operations effectively must establish an adequate connection between an organizational and organizational culture that both influence outcomes. An organizational structure is a system defining how particular activities happen to attain business goals and objectives (Janicijevic 2013, p. 36). These operations can include responsibilities, roles, and regulations (Janicijevic, 2013, p. 36). Besides, the organizational structure influences how information moves between the various levels within the firm. Business leaders choose an organizational structure that suits their functions and can choose to use the flat, matrix, divisional, or functional approach (Janicijevic 2013, p. 37). However, technology advancement and the increased adoption of digital operations compel many firms to embrace the decentralized system, which entails engaging everyone in decision-making.

Establishments that want to improve their operations should formulate and embrace an influential organizational culture that is effective and promotes growth. A business culture refers to collecting practices, expectations, and values that inform and guide all team members (Janicijevic 2013, p. 36). The culture primarily makes the firm what it is. An influential organizational culture depicts positive features that influence the outcome (Janicijevic, 2013, p. 37). On the other hand, a dysfunctional business culture encourages the formation or adoption of qualities that can affect even the most outstanding companies.

The organizational structure has a considerable connection with the business culture such that one cannot perform well while the other lags behind. Janicijevic (2013, p. 40) argues that corporate culture and organizational structure fall among the frameworks with the highest predictive and explanatory powers in knowing the nature and implications of people’s business behavior. Examining and understanding the link between organizational structure and culture is important because they both play essential functions in business members’ actions, but in different ways (Janicijevic 2013, p. 40). Corporate culture is primarily an intrinsic aspect or business behavior since it influences how staff members conduct themselves by functioning from within and by establishing the norms, members’ values, and assumptions according to which individuals conduct themselves in everyday activities in the establishment (Janicijevic 2013, p. 41). On the other hand, the organizational structure includes external features that impact people’s conduct from the outside through established guidelines set by coordination, authority distribution, separation of labor, and grouping units. Thus, one’s behavior in an organization is the outcome of the influence of its structure and culture and the impact of other factors (Janicijevic 2013, p. 42). Therefore, learning the mutual influence of organizational structure and culture is essential for a comprehensive awareness of how members conduct themselves.

Organizational Structure and Culture in Worst Places to Work

The lack of proper organizational structure and culture at the Fresh Market in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Frontier Communications in Norwalk, Connecticut, negatively affect these companies’ overall performance. One of the factors that deter the structure and culture of both companies from working well is that leaders in both companies do not seem to acknowledge that an ineffective culture and inadequate organizational structure makes everything else tricky, from managing projects to receiving necessary approvals to proceed with the work (Ryan 2016). The workers in these companies do not complain about the work as brutal; instead, they blame it on their noxious cultures (Suneson & Stebbins 2018). Many smart workers leave these companies, not because of the nature of work or the remuneration they get, but because they think their employers lack an effective work plan that would promote sustainability and competitiveness (Suneson & Stebbins 2018). In addition, the structure and culture in these two companies fail to work well because workers feel that the organizational structure does not consider the needs of younger generations, such as gen x, millennials, and generation z that all have unique work values and attitudes. They have more employee benefits for the older generation, and better opportunities, which show a significant weakness in their structures and cultures. Consequently, the poor structure and culture results in higher absenteeism rates, inflexibility, and may display little interest in their work. They feel like working at the company is a waste of their time and continuously finds alternative ways of earning their livelihood. Such poor structure and culture affect performance and call for quick intervention.

Organizational Structure and Culture in Best Places to Work

Microsoft and Zoom pay adequate attention to strengthening their organizational structure and culture, making them appealing to workers and other stakeholders. Montanez (2019) identifies these two companies as top businesses for corporate culture because they share some particular features in common. One of the reasons why the structure and culture work well in these two organizations is that leaders in these facilities pay attention to forming a workplace with a clear goal of connecting workers’ daily activities to a broader social objective and positive transformation (Montanez 2019). Microsoft and Zoom build appealing organizational structure and culture because of the high-quality leaders who are skilled, empathetic, and inspiring, and due to the clearly-outlined pathways for career growth. Moreover, the structures and cultures of Zoom and Microsoft work well because of the unswerving attempt to be transparent and establish a diverse work environment where people are welcome to speak up and solve problems (Montanez 2019). Zoom and Microsoft develop a work culture that acknowledges diversity and its benefits. Both companies realize that their workforces need to reflect their buyers, and appreciate that sameness in language, culture, and dress between workers and buyers develop effective interactions between, which also benefits the business. The structures and culture in the two firms work well because they embrace effective conflict resolution mechanisms in handling issues emanating across different cultures. They understand that some conflict resolution approaches may not yield the desirable results across all cultures, and try to employ frameworks that suit everyone. Other companies should emulate Microsoft and Zoom and reorganize their structure and culture to meet international standards. 

Strategies for Improving Organizational Structure and Culture

The important roles organizational structure and culture have in business require business leaders to embrace effective forms of improving both areas, especially when they do not contribute to good outcomes. An important step that would help create an effective organizational structure and culture is to formulate a dream plan, which is the easiest way to start forming a suitable organizational structure and culture (Janicijevic 2013, p. 51). The approach allows the firm to formulate a management and staff structure and culture that appropriately meets the business goals. The teams that lack proper organizational structures and cultures should organize their activities by examining the business’s various aspects and forming a chart to ensure employees are competent enough to perform business functions (Janicijevic 2013, p. 51). The management should develop structures and directives that guide operations in the various departments, including IT, HR, finance, sales, and marketing. The firm should allow someone to oversee functions in the respective areas, even if it uses contractors for some of its obligations (Janicijevic 2013, p. 52). Furthermore, the groups with ineffective organizational structure and culture can record considerable improvement by creating a command chain that outlines who takes what position. Establishing the chain of command prevents departments from inappropriate competition and workers from going against their leaders’ directives. Also important is that the affected firms should learn how to communicate by informing every staff member what it takes to achieve the best results. Improving the business culture and structure presents adequate avenues for performing well, and allows the firm to overcome possible obstacles.

Effective Management Strategies

Many large businesses are shifting to smaller, more effective, and flexible structures to make a bureaucratic firm more inclusive, collaborative, and team-oriented. More must happen to achieve the best outcome. A suitable approach to attain the desired outcome is to embrace suitable management strategies that would facilitate the formation of a work environment that everyone appreciates (Sharma & Singh 2013, p. 55). An effective strategy that develops a collaborative, inclusive, and team-oriented work environment is embracing the democratic leadership style that allows everyone to give their views on how to manage the business (Sharma & Singh 2013, p. 55). The leadership approach permits business managers to capitalize on their workers’ strengths and skills when everyone has an equal opportunity to participate, contribute ideas, and exchange information freely (Sharma & Singh 2013, p. 55). Administrators seeking to cultivate an active work culture and structure should use the democratic approach that researchers find appropriate in encouraging employee confidence, increased involvement, and higher output.

Alternatively, managers can create a diversified work environment, which increases the chances of establishing a unified, inclusive, and collaborative workforce. Forming a diversified work environment allows for the production of various perspectives that make it easier to come up with better ideas. Iguisi (2009, p. 143) argues that it is simpler to form an inclusive environment where people work as a team when workers from diverse nationalities, cultures, and backgrounds come together. Furthermore, the organization stands a higher chance of experiencing increased creativity and productivity by building a diversified workforce (Iguisi 2009, p. 144). Finally, employee motivation is important in nearly all aspects, and managers must employ different motivational techniques to encourage employees to work as a team (Iguisi 2009, p. 142). For example, leaders can use motivational theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and goal setting theory and other techniques such as high wages, praises, and promotions (Iguisi 2009, p. 142). Forming a collaborative and inclusive work environment requires leaders to embrace multiple approaches that can give good results.

Conclusion

The research asserts that organizational culture and structure are vital aspects that businesses must consider to achieve their goals and objectives. The management should place much emphasis on fostering the organizational culture and structure because both aspects play important functions in influencing the behaviors of business members. The business culture comprises internal factors that determine performance while the structure comprises external factors influencing business activities and outcomes. Research reveals that businesses with proper structure and culture perform well than organizations without effective models. Microsoft and Zoom are examples of companies where leaders enact adequate mechanisms to create a desirable corporate structure and culture, while The Fresh Market and Frontier Communications experience considerable challenges due to lack of efficient designs. Firms that lack a stable structure and culture should formulate a dream plan that directs them to examine employee competency in performing their tasks. Besides, developing a chain of command outlining organizational hierarchy can help unstable businesses to improve their structure and culture. Moreover, the study illustrates how business leaders must use appropriate management strategies such as democratic leadership, diversity, and employee motivation.  

References

Iguisi, O. (2009). Motivation-related values across cultures. African Journal of Business

Management, 3(4), 141-150. https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJBM/article-full-text-

pdf/998343515951

Janicijevic, N. (2013). The mutual impact of organizational culture and structure. Economic Annals, 58(198), 35-60. ISSN: 0013-3264

Montanez (2019). The best companies for corporate culture in 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelmontanez/2019/12/10/the-best-companies-for-corporate-culture-in-2019/#606d48546dc3

Ryan, L. (2016). Ten unmistakable signs of a toxic culture. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2016/10/19/ten-unmistakable-signs-of-a-toxic-culture/#379fbd33115f

Sharma, J., & Singh, K. (2013). A study on the democratic style of leadership. International Journal of Management & Information Technology, 3(2), 54-57. doi: 10.24297/ijmit.v3i2.1367

Suneson, G., & Stebbins, S. (2018). What are the worst companies to work for? New report analyzes employee reviews. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/06/15/worst-companies-to-work-for-employee-reviews/35812171/