Leadership and Organization: Structural Issues - Assignment Example

Leadership and Organization Leadership and Organization Question I With the traditional or old style, two-dimensional line and boxes organization chart becoming increasingly out-of-date, a number of new structural images have remained developed. A significant example is Herbert Mintzberg’s five-structured "logo" developed with the intention of categorizing how organizations can be structured. As highlighted by Bolman & Deal (2013), each of the five components of Mintzbergs ‘logo’ had particular roles. The strategic apex consisting of an organization’s top management or executive leadership has the role of ensuring that the organization meets its mission or objectives. Such achievement should remain attainable in an effective manner. Besides, the top management should ensure that the organization meets the needs of individuals controlling the company especially those exercising power. The strategic apex is thus accountable for the overall success of the whole organization hence Mintzberg’s reference of strategic apex as the organization’s brain. The technostructure, which forms another component of Mintzbergs ‘logo’, consists of experts and analysts who play a role of standardizing, measuring, as well as inspecting not only outputs but also organization processes. The experts and analysts serve the organization by influencing other individual’s work by either designing it, planning it, changing it, or training individuals who do the work, however, they do not perform the tasks themselves (Bolman & Deal, 2013). The support staff forms the third component of Mintzbergs ‘logo’. This particular component comprises of specialized units whose existence within the organization is to offer support outside the operating workflow. The support staff carry out tasks that either support of eases the functions of others. The middle line, which forms the fourth component of Mintzbergs ‘logo’, is a chain linking the strategic apex to the operating core through the utilization of the delegated authority. The middle chain thus represents those workers who have the authority of making sure that the overall objectives established by the strategic apex fulfilled by the operating core. As such, the middle chain has a role of ensuring the objectives set by the strategic apex remains attained (Muchinsky, 2006). The operating core forms the last component of Mintzbergs ‘logo’ and consists of an organization’s employees or workers responsible for carrying out the basic duties that provide the organization with its essential purpose. As such, major role of the operating core is to carry out the basic duties directly relating to the production of goods or services. Question II Adhocracy would most likely best describe Bergmann Cleaners. Adhocracies are mainly medium-sized with the structure tending to be low in terms of formalization and delegation. According to Lunenburg (2012), this organizational structural type consists of the support staff as its major part, employs mutual adjustment as way of coordination, in addition to maintaining selective delegation or decentralization patterns. The support staff in this organizational structural type is usually large to enable the organization’s complex structure. The commonly self-organized staff with matrix structures has a factor that facilitates effective vertical and horizontal sharing of influence or authority based on competency and other circumstances. On the other hand, the technostructure in adhocracies is small owing to the fact that technical experts often get involved in the firm’s operative core. Adhocracies undertake non-routine tasks and employ the use of sophisticated technology, with the major goal being innovation and speedy adaptation to transforming environments. Consequently, adhocracy effectively describes Bergmann Cleaners. Such remains a possibility since it is medium-sized with approximately 150 individuals and has a structure low in formalization and delegation of duties. The low formalization and delegation of duties remains depicted through most of its employees who seem to be involved with dry cleaning and laundry chores. In addition, Bergmann Cleaners low use of experts and sophisticated technology as depicted through its use of a fleet of 20 vans to deliver laundry to its patrons. Two companies from my community that employ the above organizational structural type include McKinsey & Company, an international management consulting firm with headquarter in my home town, New York, as well as General Electric (GE), an American international corporation with headquarter in Fairfield. Question III The proposal writing of the ABC Corporation, a 200-person company that specializes in conducting environmental impact analyses associated with the construction of Federal, state, and local government structures team most likely to reflect professional bureaucracy. This form of organization structure is bureaucratic but lacking in centralization mainly because it is highly decentralized in structure. Just as depicted the ABC Corporation, the organizations using this type of structure rely on very qualified individuals or experts to conduct their work with significantly high-level of independence. Additionally, as depicted in the ABC Corporation, such organizations also attain their coordination of duties by standardizing not only the skills but also the qualifications necessary to conduct work of a given positions. Generally, organizations practicing the bureaucracy concentrate on outlining positions based on competencies as well as ensuring that the capabilities mesh to enable the organization to function. As a highly decentralized structure, this type of organization structure would be appropriate for professionals who are not only competent but also conscientious. This could be in universities, public accounting companies or general hospitals, as all these organizations depend on not only skills but also on knowledge of their respective operating profession to carry out their functions to produce services, which are often all standard (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis, 2011). Question IV A. What is a high performing team? How is it different from an average team? A high performing team is a conception within organization development that refers to a team that carries or delivers what is required of them, when asked without the management of the organization having to push them or get involved on daily basis. A high performing team thus refers to a team that is not only highly focused on attaining their goals but also achieving superior business outcomes. As such; a high performing team is different from an average team in the sense that unlike an average team, a high performing team often aims at outperforming expectations. B. The six distinguishing characteristics of a high performing team As highlighted by Davies (2003), several characteristics have been set forth to define high performing teams. Despite varying approaches employed in describing high performing teams, there exist a set of characteristics recognized or believed to result in success. The six distinguishing characteristics of a high performing team as discussed in Chapter 5 in Reframing Organizations include: Unified Commitment (Deep commitment only to the team but also to each other): This forms one of the most distinguished characteristics of a high performing team. High performing team members are often deeply committed to not just the team’s purpose, but also to the goals or objectives, to one another, in addition to finishing the duties that ought to remain carried out, irrespective of the effort required. They are attentive of what is requisite of them and will always find a means to do it. Clear Goals/Expectations (Clear and Elevating Goal): To have many individuals work toward a shared goal, all members of a team should clearly comprehended outlined objectives, with every individual being aware of their exact role in relation to achieving the team objectives (Davies, 2003). High performing teams often have clearly defined goals and timetables, which drive their expectations. In addition to this, they often have strong and clear linking between all their activities and the team’s major purpose. Principled and Participative Leadership: High performing teams employ the use of democratic form of leadership that not only involves but also engages all the team members, a factor that no doubt plays a significant role in terms of their success. Diversity: High performing teams comprise of team members who have diverse skills as well as experiences. This diversity enables them to draw support and guidance from each other. They thus have team members with different strengths and weaknesses that complement each other besides different personalities to satisfy various roles including creative direction, leadership and logistics. Most of all, they esteem and welcome different opinions. Effective Communication: As Gibbons & Roberts (2013) highlight, teams depend on effective communication to bring together their work efforts. A key to the success of high performing teams is because they tend to place significant value on effective communication. Effective communication implies that each individual is made to feel comfortable speaking their mind regarding their responsibilities on a given project to allow for expression of good ideas and to make certain that issues are raised prior to any mistakes being made. This usually remains possible through regular meetings as well as regular updates on the team progress and other new developments. Outstanding Results: High performing teams endure to achieve outstanding outcomes overtime. They predetermine high performance standards that are not just clearly defined but also measurable and consistently attained by individual members of a team and the team (Gibbons & Roberts, 2013). They aim for success and are generally energized or motivated by the opportunity to offer quality services/products. Part C. Katzenbach and Smith explain that the true test of whether a team is good relies on the extent to which it achieves its performance objectives. By this, Katzenbach and Smith implied that the result or success of any organization have direct link to the attainment of its projected objectives. As such, any organization’s success remains visible through its achievements in terms of the attainment of goals. Part D It seems that everyone strives to develop high performing teams, but in practice, we encounter few such teams. In my opinion, I think it is so difficult to develop high performing teams because many organizations do not appropriately exemplify the idea of a whole being. Many of such teams do not naturally share the common characteristics, such as conflict resolving practices aimed at positive outcomes, effective decision making, skills aimed at identifying and correcting errors as well as a culture of mutual support. Such teams thus lack a shared conviction in as well as passion relating to their mission and functions typically through lack of diverse knowledge or skill sets. Besides, members of such teams, do not only confront their colleagues if their performance fail to meet the expectations, but also do not offer support to their fellow team members to enable them be more effective. References Bolman, L & Deal, T. (2013).Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership: Edition 3, Illustrated. London: John Wiley & Sons Clegg, S, Kornberger, M & Pitsis, T. (2011). Managing and Organizations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. New York: SAGE Davis, J. (2003).Learning to Lead: A Handbook for Postsecondary Administrators. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Gibbons, R & Roberts, J. (2013).The Handbook of Organizational Economics, Edition illustrated. Princeton: Princeton University Press Lunenburg, F. (2012).Organizational Structure: Mintzberg’s Framework. International Journal of Scholarly, Academic, Intellectual Diversity, Vol.14, No.1 Muchinsky, P. (2006). Psychology Applied to Work: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Volume 1.London: Cengage Learning Read More