University of the People

BUS 1101 Principles of Business Management

Written Assignment Unit 7

Name: I Gede Agus Wibawa

Instructor: Lisa Belle

21 October 2021
 Matrix, Boundary-less, and Learning

The matrix organizational structure is a combination of the functional organizational structure

and the divisional organizational structure. According to Indeed Editorial Team (2021) "A

matrix organizational structure is a workplace format in which employees report to two or

more managers rather than one manager overseeing every aspect of a project" (para. 2). In

this matrix organizational structure, employees who are in functional work units must also

work on activities or tasks of organizational projects assigned to them. The advantage of a

matrix organizational structure is that it can make decisions easily. However, this

organizational structure has a weakness, the structure is very complicated and allows the

emergence of leadership dualism. In addition, the potential for conflict between units is also

quite large because of the same job desk and there are dual interests that require strong

coordination. The benefit of reporting to more than one manager in an organization is the

efficient use of resources, with the thoughts of 2 or more people who are experienced in their

respective fields. Communication will be well established because members or employees

help share information and speed up the decision-making process. Increased motivation and

decision-making of members or employees due to the application of independent work and

self-management as competition between managers, and is also suitable for fluctuating

workloads. The challenge faced by the organization is that the coordination tends to be more

difficult because of the possibility of managers defending their thoughts. Possible work

pressure for project team members is greater because of the need to report performance and

results to two leaders.

external barriers. According to MBA Knowledge Base (2018), "A boundary-less organization

seeks to remove vertical, horizontal, and external barriers so that employees, managers,

customers, and suppliers can work together, share ideas, and identify the best ideas for the

organization" (para. 2). The advantage of this concept will give employees the freedom to be

involved in a variety of different activities, the company does not apply a rigid job

description and is oriented to certain jobs and employees, but the company must give priority

to knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This can lead to an increased competitive advantage over

each employee. With this system, the company will also find it easier to identify the most

suitable employees in the recruitment process. Employees will feel valued even though they

are not in a high position because they are valued based on their competence. The main

obstacle that must be faced is vertical resistance. Traditional corporate organizations usually

have a vertical organizational structure that tends to be hierarchical, employees are not free to

make decisions. Therefore, boundary-less organizations are required to be free from

bureaucratic nature and free ideas, communication, and decision-making to flow smoothly.

Broadly speaking, the concept of a boundary-less organization can make it easier for

employees to do their work, it is not limited to certain spaces, and how the organization can

adapt to the environment.

Learning organizations are a culture that organizations must have in facing dynamic

economic developments, where organizations are required to develop and create new ideas

for the survival of an organization. According to Hassell (2019), "Learning organizations and

the people in them learn constantly from everything they do. They learn from their successes

and also from their failures" (para. 2). The benefits obtained by organizational learning are

systematic problem-solving abilities. Systematic problem-solving is an initial activity that

through problem-solving techniques training programs in the form of exercises and case

examples so that organizational employees are more disciplined in their work and pay more

attention to the details of a job. The company will carry out its activities systematically to

seek and try new knowledge using the scientific method, which facilitates the problem-

solving process. Learning from experiences is done because companies must review

successes and failures, evaluate them systematically, and record them as lessons in a form

that can be found and accessed by members of the organization. Learning from others is done

because not all learning processes are carried out in internal reflection and analysis and can

be done by providing training to members of the organization as a whole as a group.

Exercises and case examples are lessons learned from widely accepted quality improvement

methods. According to Valamis (2019), "Organizational learning is the process by which an

organization improves itself over time through gaining experience and using that experience

to create knowledge. The knowledge created is then transferred within the organization"

(para. 1). Knowledge transfer is carried out to make the organization more responsive and

efficient. The idea of maximizing organizational capabilities is carried out by transferring

knowledge widely, not only by certain groups.

I want to work in an organization with a functional structure, which is the most common

organizational structure used by an organization. This organizational structure is appropriate

to be applied to organizations that only produce certain types of products or services. The

advantage of this structure is more professionalism or expertise because each management

only handles one field, thus bringing up competent people in their respective fields, this is

one of the factors in which a division runs according to the planned program. Companies will

be more productive with a good work structure, causing workers to work hard to achieve
good results. Generating Innovation with many competent people in their respective fields,

generating creativity, ideas, and innovation so that the company does not run in place and the

variety of work becomes more diverse. The company is more developed and advanced with

the many innovations that appear, the company will quickly develop by setting every goal

that is expected to advance the company. However, there are also weaknesses, with many

people who are experts and competent in their fields, conflicts arise both vertically and

horizontally. It is not uncommon for frictions of opinions and ideas in each field that can

disrupt the stability of the company. The number of divisions and employees in each division

and can lead to unfair competition because each individual feels an expert and plays a role in

the company.

References

Hassell, B. (2019, September 18). What Are Learning Organizations, and What Do They

Really Do? Chief Learning Officer - CLO Media.

https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2017/02/22/37471/

Indeed Editorial Team. (2021, February 23). Matrix Organizational Structure: Advantages

and Disadvantages. Indeed Career Guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-

development/matrix-organizational-structure-advantages-disadvantages

MBA Knowledge Base. (2018, June 12). Boundaryless Organization - Definition and Types.

MBA Knowledge Base. https://www.mbaknol.com/management-concepts/boundaryless-

organization/

Valamis. (2019, February 11). What Is Organizational Learning and Why it’s Important?

Valamis. https://www.valamis.com/hub/organizational-learning