What is organizational structure?

An organizational structure is a framework in which an organization arranges its departments, teams, and roles for efficient communication and collaboration. It outlines how job tasks are formally divided, grouped, and coordinated and how information flows between levels of management. It outlines both individuals’ and departments’ roles and responsibilities within the organization.

Explained - Organizational structure 

Organizational structure is the framework of values that guide how a business operates. It is a systematic arrangement of people, departments, and tasks designed to meet the goals and objectives of the organization. An effective organizational structure creates an environment where employees can efficiently and effectively collaborate and complete tasks while allowing flexibility and growth. The structure also helps to identify and prioritize resources, determine the degree of responsibility and authority of each position, and define the relationships between departments and personnel. It should also be adapted over time to meet the organization’s evolving needs. The organizational structure should be clearly communicated to all employees so that everyone knows the chain of command, their roles and responsibilities, and how their work contributes to the goals and objectives of the organization.

The board of directors or executive board is at the top of the organizational structure. They are in charge of establishing the overall strategy and direction for the organization. Below that is the senior management team, which consists of the CEO and other C-level executives who are responsible for implementing the board’s strategy and making day-to-day decisions. Below that are the middle managers, who supervise and coordinate the activities of the operational-level employees. Finally, at the lowest level are the operational level employees, responsible for carrying out the tasks and activities necessary to achieve the organization’s goals. 

Centralized Organizational Structure

A Centralized Organizational Structure is a type of organizational structure that places decision-making authority in the hands of a few individuals, typically at the top of the hierarchy. This type of structure usually involves a clear chain of command, with decisions made at the top and passed down to lower levels of the organization. This structure is common in large corporations and government organizations. While this structure can allow the organization to make quick decisions, it can also lead to a lack of employee input.

De - Centralized Organizational Structure

A Decentralized Organizational Structure is a management system that decentralizes the decision-making authority to different levels or departments within an organization. In this structure, decisions are made by the individual or team closest to the problem or issue rather than the top-level executives. This allows for quicker decision-making, greater autonomy, and increased organizational creativity.

Organizational structure types

The most common types of organizational structures are:

• Functional

A functional organizational structure is when the organization is divided into smaller departments or divisions based on specially designed functional areas, such as marketing, human resources, production and finance. Each department concentrates on specific areas of expertise and has its own manager in charge of operations. These managers report to a single executive, usually the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is ultimately responsible for the entire organization. The functional organizational structure allows for specialization and higher efficiency as each department is focused on a specific area of expertise. It also allows for better communication channels between departments, as each department can easily coordinate.

• Divisional

Divisional organizational structure divides an organization into different divisions based on their purposes, such as product lines, geography, or customer segments. Each department is responsible for its own operations and has its own management team and resources. This structure allows for greater autonomy, flexibility, as well as improved efficiency by allowing different parts of the organization to focus on their specialized areas.

• Flat

A Flat organizational structure is a structure that has no levels of hierarchy in the organization. It is characterized by direct communication between all levels of the organization, providing employees with greater autonomy and responsibility.

• Matrix

A Matrix Organizational Structure allows employees to report to multiple supervisors and to work on multiple projects simultaneously, which increases efficiency and productivity.

• Team-based

Team-based organizational structures center on collaboration and shared responsibility by assigning tasks and projects to self-managed teams of individuals. These teams form with members from different departments or disciplines, called cross-functional. Each team typically has a leader who sets goals and ensures tasks get completed, but all team members must contribute and work together to complete the task. This structure encourages creativity, innovation, and a greater sense of ownership and accountability.

• Network

A Network-Based Organizational Structure involves creating a globally interconnected network of individuals, teams, and systems that are able to communicate and collaborate with each other in order to maximize efficiency, productivity, and overall success. This type of structure allows for a decentralized approach to decision-making and management and enhanced communication and collaboration within the organization. 

• Circular

Organizations with circular organizational structures have lines of authority and communication arranged in a circle, with the top management at the center and other levels radiating from it. This type of organizational structure facilitates communication and collaboration between departments and encourages employees to take responsibility for their roles and tasks.

• Process based

It involves creating specialized teams focused on specific tasks and assigning a manager to each team to oversee the completion of those tasks. This type of structure allows for increased efficiency and accountability, as each team is responsible for their own tasks, and the manager is held accountable for the team’s performance.

Benefits

The benefits of an effective organizational structure include:

• Improving Communication: Structured organizations create a framework for effective communication between departments, allowing employees to collaborate and share information easily. 
• Enhancing Efficiency: By creating a clear chain of command and assigning roles, organizational structure can improve efficiency and productivity by helping teams identify what needs to be done and who should do it.
• Improves decision-making: Organizational structure helps to define decision-making processes, allowing management to make informed, timely decisions.
• Geographical divisions: Multiple business locations benefit from having an organized structure that allows for clear communication and delegation of tasks between each location. This structure also helps to ensure that resources are allocated appropriately and efficiently, allowing each location to work together to achieve the company’s overall goals. Additionally, it allows for better tracking of performance across each location, which can help inform decisions about where to allocate resources or make changes.
• Conflict management: Organizational structure can reduce employee conflict by providing clear expectations and roles for each employee. It also helps employees understand their responsibilities and how their contributions directly impact the overall success of the organization. This can help create a sense of accountability, allowing employees to focus on their work rather than interpersonal issues. Additionally, a structured decision-making approach can help reduce the potential for misunderstandings and disagreements.
• Efficient communication: Organizational structure helps to facilitate communication among different departments, teams and employees. It creates a streamlined system for sharing information, which can help increase efficiency and productivity. It also helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and is aware of the objectives and goals of the organization. Additionally, it can help create a culture of open communication by setting clear guidelines and expectations around information sharing.