Organisational Structures Job Roles John Hardwick The Organisation

Organisational Structures & Job Roles John Hardwick

The Organisation Chart The structure of an organisation is shown on an organisational chart This usually gives the job titles of employees and their relationships with each other Those at the top of the chart have more responsibility than those lower down They give instructions to those below them who have a duty to carry out these tasks

A Simple Organisation Chart John and Martin are of equal status John and Martin are equally responsible for the trainers and the receptionist

Span of Control JOHN(partner) Span of Control = 5 MARTIN(Partner) Span of Control = 4 A special term for the number of people a manager oversees is Span of Control Officially, John cannot give instructions to Martin’s staff, nor can Martin give orders to those who report to John In a small office, this would be unworkable and would reduce flexibility dramatically

A Flat Organisation Structure An Organisation with only 2 or 3 levels is known as a flat structure, or a horizontal structure

Hierarchical (or Pyramid) Structures Note • A Hierarchical structure has many levels and looks ‘tall’ • Each person has a narrower span of control • Jobs are now far more specialised • Usually, the more hierarchical an organisation the more ‘formal’ it is with more official procedures, written rules and regulations

Part of a Matrix Structure SENIOR MANAGER Divisional Managers Personnel Manager Marketing Manager Product Division “A” Personnel Section “A” Marketing Section “A” Product Division “B” Personnel Section “B” Marketing Section “B” Product Division “C” Personnel Section “C” Marketing Section “C”

Authority and Responsibility “A” “B” “F” “C” “D” “E” “G” In the above diagram we can see that ‘B’ is responsible to ‘A’. If ‘B’ gives some authority to ‘F’ or ‘G’ and there is a mistake, although he/she can hold ‘F’ or ‘G’ responsible to himself/herself, he/she cannot avoid his/her own responsibility to ‘A’ for their errors.

Organisation Chart Responsibility (Accountability) Authority =Line Relationship = Functional Relationship

Relationships in an Organisation 1. Line Relationship This is a traditional relationship in a hierarchical body. There are direct communication links between superiors and subordinates. Each member of the organisation has a clear understanding of the chain of command, to whom they are responsible. 2. Functional Relationship This occurs when a department exists to provide specialist advice and services to other departments across the organisation. 3. Staff Relationship This exists where a member of staff has an assistant who supports him/her in day to day activities. This assistant will have an advisory role and have no direct line relationship.

Example of a Staff Relationship MANAGING DIRECTOR Personal Assistant to the MD Production Director Personnel Director Finance Director Marketing Director

Structuring an Organisation • Functional – this is a common way of grouping employees. The business is divided into specialisms, such as Sales and Production. • Geographic – a company may have a Europe, North American and Asian division – these divisions will all report to Head Office.

Structuring an Organisation • By Customer – sometimes a business is divided into areas that deal with different types of customer, eg business customers and the general public. • By Product – an organisation may be divided up according to the products or services it supplies eg a council may be divided up into housing, parks, environmental services etc.