Learning Activity 15: Organization Structure

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement in the Subject:

Human Behavior in Organization
HRM 2131 (2-166)

Submitted to:
Sir Caesar M. Billones

Submitted by:
Fatima Jean L. Bueno
BS Management Accounting 3-C

September 09, 2022

Identify and explain the elements of an organization's structure
Judge & Robbins (2017) identified seven elements of an organization’s structure which
are work specialization, departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization
and/or decentralization, formalization, and boundary spanning.
The first identified element of an organization’s structure is work specialization. As
mentioned by Judge & Robbins (2017), work specialization refers to the degree to which
individuals are assigned to different tasks within the organization. They also said that the essence
of work specialization is the division of a task into a series of steps, each carried out by different
individuals. All employees in any organization receive a description of their responsibilities and
the expectations that go along with their jobs. Job descriptions are typically explicitly established
in writing in larger businesses. This strategy aids in ensuring that the company's unique
personnel requirements are satisfied without needless effort duplication. Work specialization
ensures that each person has defined responsibilities that are expected of them based on their
work experiences, education, and abilities. Employees ought not to be expected to execute duties
for which they have no prior knowledge or experience, preventing them from working beyond
their potential.
Additionally, Judge & Robbins (2017) identified departmentalization as the second
element of an organization’s structure. They define departmentalization as the criteria used to
group similar tasks in an organization. This is done to coordinate similar tasks after the jobs have
been segmented through work specialization. When a company's offices, teams, and functions
are divided into departments, this is referred to as departmentalization. Those particular
organizations are frequently referred to as departments. The typical way that departments are
organized is according to the type of duties that each department's employees carry out, but there
are other ways to manage a company's departments as well. Additionally, you might separate the
company into sections according to product or brand lines, geographical regions, or even
customer needs.
Moreover, Judge & Robbins (2017) mentioned that the chain of command is the third
element of an organization’s structure. The chain of command refers to the continuous line of
authority that runs from the top of the organization to the lowest level and makes it clear who is
responsible for what. Most organizations, including the government, corporations, and NGOs,
employ a chain of command. By having each employee report to single management rather than
a number of managers, inefficiencies are reduced. This type of chain of command is represented
in the organizational structure in the business setting and impacts job descriptions and office
hierarchies. Managers delegate responsibilities, convey goals and deadlines to staff and motivate
them on a one-to-many basis. Employees inform the appropriate manager when they encounter
into challenges or issues. The manager is then in charge of taking the issue or concern up the
chain of command to the next level if needed, and so on. This line of authority or command
simplifies internal communications and business processes for a more effective and profitable
company.
 In addition, Judge & Robbins (2017) indicated that the span of control is the fourth
element of an organization’s structure. The span of control determines the utmost number of
employees a manager may efficiently and effectively direct.  The number of personnel that each
manager inside a corporation is in charge of is determined by the organization's span of control.
There isn't a single span of control design that works well for all firms, much alone all
enterprises in a given industry. The number of employees, how the organization is organized into
departments, and even the company's particular business objectives and strategies will all affect
the appropriate span. The kind of manager delegated to each specific department, and the job
descriptions of the workers who report to that management are further considerations. The span
of control may extend from three or four to fifteen or more people, depending on the manager's
distinctive style or strategy. However, since they are directly accountable to middle managers or
team leaders, managers who are positioned higher up the chain of command often have a tighter
range of responsibilities.
Moreover, as Judge & Robbins (2017) identified, centralization and decentralization is
the fifth element of an organization’s structure. The degree to which decision-making is
concentrated at a single organizational location is referred to as centralization. Lower-level
managers in centralized organizations essentially execute the orders of senior managers, who
make all the decisions. Decentralized decision-making is pushed down to the managers closest to
the activity or to workgroups in organizations at the opposite extreme. Only formal authority, or
the privileges attached to a job, is included in the concept of centralization. When a corporation
centralizes power, middle management generally has little to no say in the objectives the
organization sets. Larger corporate organizations and businesses in more traditional industries
tend to use this method. A business might, however, choose a decentralized strategy. In a
decentralized organization, management at all levels has the chance to weigh in on overarching
aims and objectives. Although departmental managers still frequently defer to C-level officers
for larger, company-wide decisions, they have more flexibility in how their teams run.
Additionally, Judge & Robbins (2017) stated that formalization is the sixth element of an
organization’s structure. Formalization refers to the extent to which jobs are standardized within
the organization. When a job is highly formalized, the individual has very little control over what
to do, when to do it, and how to do it, which leads to predictable and consistent output. The
element of formalization determines the company's policies, regulations, and guidelines as
implemented by management. Formalization also affects aspects of the company's culture, such
as whether employees must sign in and out when entering and leaving the office, how many and
how long breaks they are allowed to take, how and when they are permitted to use company
computers, and how employees of all ranks are expected to dress for work.
Furthermore, as identified by Judge & Robbins (2017), boundary span is the seventh and
last element of an organization’s structure. Boundary spanning takes place when people develop
ties with persons outside of their officially designated groups within a single organization. An
HR executive who interacts with the IT team on a regular basis is involved in boundary-crossing,
much like a production team member who executes ideas from an R&D team. These activities,
which naturally improve organization and team creativity, help keep formal systems from
becoming overly rigid. Boundary-spanning activities take place not just between organizations
but also within them. In highly innovative sectors where it is difficult to stay competitive,
gathering information from external knowledge sources is particularly useful. In other words,
internal boundary spanning is most successful when it is followed by external boundary
spanning, and positive outcomes are especially strong in businesses that promote broad internal
communication.
What are the common and traditional organizational frameworks and structures?
Describes each model.
According to Sullivan (2019), there are four common and traditional organizational
frameworks and structures: functional structure, divisional structure, matrix structure, and flat
structure.
In a functional organizational structure, specialists organize workers who do related jobs.
As a result, the finance department is dedicated to all the accountants, and the same applies to the
marketing, operations, senior management, and human resources departments. Fast decision-
making is one advantage of this type of organization since group members can communicate
effectively. Given that they already have complementary skill sets and interests, they may also
learn from one another.
Additionally, in a divisional structure, the company divides employees into teams
according to the projects or goods that cater to a certain consumer base. A bakery with a catering
business, for instance, may divide its staff into departments for different types of customers, such
as a wedding department and a wholesale-retail department. This type of structure's division of
labor guarantees that people producing identical goods may work more effectively and produce
more.
Moreover, in a matrix structure, both elements of functional and divisional structures are
integrated into the organization. It organizes employees into functional divisions of specialty,
and then it further divides them into divisional projects and products. The team members are
given more autonomy and are expected to assume greater responsibility for their job under a
matrix structure. Consequently, the team is more productive, invention and creativity are
encouraged, and management may work together to address decision-making difficulties through
group interaction. Because this kind of organizational structure requires a lot of preparation and
labor, it is best suited for large businesses with the resources to manage a complicated business
framework.
Furthermore, the traditional top-down management style used by most businesses is
intended to be disrupted by flat organizational structures. Due to decentralized management,
each employee is the boss of themselves, which removes bureaucracy and red tape and fosters
open communication. For instance, a worker who has an idea doesn't have to pass it via three top
management tiers to reach the decision-maker. The employee merely engages in peer-to-peer
communication with the target. A business that uses this structure regularly often creates a
unique top-down management system for one-time projects or events.
Discuss the impact of organizational design on employee behavior and work outcomes.

Interview 3 employees regarding their work from home experiences. Write your reaction.
In this learning activity, we were tasked to interview three employees regarding their
work from home experiences. I asked them questions regarding the challenges and benefits of
working from home. For the first question, I asked them what are the challenges they
encountered when working from home. They mentioned that some of the challenges of working
in the comfort of their respective homes are frequent internet problems, distractions from the
background noises of animals, and the lack of assistance when dealing with customer difficulties.
In addition, the respondents mentioned that in order for them to overcome these challenges they
discipline themselves by creating a routine wherein they would focus only on accomplishing
their tasks during working hours.
In addition, I asked them what they think are the benefits or advantages of working from
home. They mentioned that some of the advantages of working in the comfort of their respective
homes are they can freely do whatever they want, such as browsing on social media during break
hours or even during working hours, and they can save more of their time and income since they
do not have to travel every day to their respective companies. Hence, most of the respondents
prefer and would recommend others to work from home because this would help individuals to
save their resources, particularly the money they will have to spend if they work onsite.
Moreover, working from home is highly suggested for individuals who have multiple jobs and
responsibilities, such as working students.
References:
Judge, T. A., & Robbins, S. P. (2016). Organizational behavior. Pearson

Sisk, A. (2021, November 20). Elements of organizational structure. Bizfluent. Retrieved

September 8, 2022, from https://bizfluent.com/list-6313135-elements-organizational-
structure.html

Sullivan, J. (2019, February 12). Four basic elements of organizational structure. Small
Business - Chron.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/four-basic-elements-organizational-structure-288.html