Organisational Design and Analysis - Types of Organisational Structure - Essay Example

Organizational Design and Analysis Organizational structure is an important element for any company. They define how activities such as task allocation, task coordination and supervisions are directed toward achieving the goals of the organization, (Madura, 2007). The structure of the organization usually depends on the objectives of the organization. It is the structure of the organization which allows the expressed allocation or different responsibilities for different functions and processes of different entities like the departments, workgroups and various individuals. This report analyses the normal day activities of the design group for Facebook organization and how the organization structure affects its operations. Organizational structure provides the foundation on which the standard operating procedures and routines rest. It also determines which individuals get to participate in which decision making process, and hence to what extend their views affect the organization’s actions. Similarly the type of organization structure that is employed in the organization determines how decision making is done and also affecting the information flow. Various types of structure have been used in various organizations and have drawn different reactions from analysts for various reasons. Over the years structures which have been employed include, the pre- bureaucratic, bureaucratic, post-bureaucratic, functional, matrix and divisional structures. The different theorists have supported these structures and over time they have evolved in their different applications. An organization chooses its best suiting structure which will enable it achieve its set goals. The matrix organization also known as project organization is usually applied by many organizations which make use of departmentalization concept. In this method, personnel with different backgrounds and experiences that bear on the project are assembled and given the specific project to be accomplished within a certain period of time. When the project is completed, these specialized personnel return to their regular work assignments. Such type of organization has been applied by the Facebook organization where the data team combines with the engineering and design engineers in working on a specific project. The project organizational structure is most valuable when the work is defined by a specific goal and target date for completion, work is complex having independent activities and specialized skills are necessary for accomplishment, the work is critical in terms of possible gains or losses. The most successful companies excel in their business due to the overall structure and how its different departments coordinate and work. Usually there are various departments in the organization each handling specified tasks. In an organization dealing with production of materials, perhaps one of the critical departments is the design team. This is a very special team in any organization which has to cope with changing market demands and it requires a dedicated group of people who are ready to take it on. The team is not only tasked with the tasks to provide the customer with a solution to his/her problem but also it creates new products for customers. The team of people entrusted with this kind of work is usually drawn on the basis of their expertise and their ability to work in a team. The product group in Facebook organization is the team tasked with creating new products for the organization. The team follows a conventional method of the design process: they identify the need, research the problem, develop the possible solutions, select the most promising solution, construction of the prototype, testing and evaluating the prototype, communicating the design and redesigning the product. In such a design process, testing and evaluating the prototype is an important stage as it determines whether the product functions or will it provide the intended utility to the customer or user. In order to achieve the intended goal, the profile team comprising of engineers, designers, and data experts engage themselves in brainstorming exercise where the different members give various suggestions on the project they are handling. The brainstorming exercise is considered to be the key to new product generation. This is due to the fact that new ideas are hard to come by and often this represents a weak link in a new product development. A normal working day in the Facebook profile team begins with a meeting of its members comprising the Engineers, designers and data experts who usually meet to set or note the agenda of the day. Meeting to strategize the day’s activities presents the team with a clear objective or the goals that it intends to achieve. The face book profile team is working on a new Facebook profile system to accommodate the users’ photos and improve its usability. The team specifies the project which needs their attention, the problems that need to be solved, and the goals that they need to achieve at the end of the day. From such meetings, proper time management can be achieved through prioritizing tasks, planning, scheduling, organizing and delegation of functions. Applying proper time management skills brings the overall effect of improving productivity and meeting deadlines as evident from the profile team who beat the deadline in launching the new profile. Every team or department in an organization usually has a team leader who takes up the role of overseeing the day to day running of the team. He or she represents the management in the team and makes most of the decisions which affect the group activities. For instance he takes up the role delegating duties to the various members of his team. As evident from the Facebook profile team, there are various issues which need to be addressed and solved and once the decision has been made regarding the next step to take in finding the solution, the task sometimes may be too complex, too diverse or too voluminous for one person and consequently the need for delegation arises. To meet these responsibilities of delivering a new profile in time and error free, the other employees must also have the authority to achieve them. This implies that the manager passes his authority along with responsibilities to the other employees. The manager is also responsible in ensuring accountability through the application of set standards of performance in order to prevent abuse of such delegated responsibilities. Proper communication in the organization is an important aspect for any successful company. It is essential for effective functioning in every part of an organization (Stair and Reynolds, 2010). Although various individual departments like finance, production or even design departments may receive corporate goals and objectives, communication links them together and this facilitates organization success. Communication is needed to increase efficiency, satisfy customers, improve quality, and create innovative products. The way information flows through the organization enables collective effort to be achieved and creates some sense of responsibilities from the management to the employee. The profile team can only achieve its objectives if it is able to effectively communicate with the various departments like the engineering and design departments. To effect communication, the place of work should be designed in such a way that it suits the needs of the employees that are using it. Office layouts that ensure effective and easy communication are often very successful. When communication is considered it becomes obvious that it’s necessary to place office desks in a way that provides an optimum opportunity to for communication. For instance, the profile team is operating from a windowless big room and judging from the arrangement of the desk, it’s easy to conclude that communication is rather easy. One of the reasons why the desks face each other is not because of the space it saves, but also because it allows the employees to talk face to face. As the team is working on same project which requires frequent consultations it makes sense for them to be placed in such an open plan office which will facilitate communication and collaboration. However such office layout may affect employees who are not working on same project. Too many distractions may actually decrease the level of concentration for the employee and consequently impact on their overall productivity. Communication is not only important within the organization, but also outside the organization especially the intended user of the product or service. Providing a platform for the consumer of the service or product to communicate their feedback is important in any organization because the company is able to know how the users feel about what they are selling them. For instance the data team takes their time to explore how the face book users are handling their new design. They analyze the way the users are reacting to their product and this helps them to improve on their prototype profile before developing the final profile. Usually developments of new products sometimes require a prototype to prove that the new technology works before committing the resources to full scale production. To achieve this, the design team subjects the prototype to as many people as possible so that they can get their feedback. This feedback enables the team to be able to do the evaluation and make the necessary adjustments before the final stage of redesigning the product. The collected feedback also assists the organization to devise means to assist the user if there are signs that the use may have difficulty in using the product. From the collected “anonymous data” from users, the data team is able to figure out if the users of the profile do not understand how to use their new application and the profile education settings so that the users will be able to use it better. A good management in successful organization always knows how to get the best from its workers. Facebook knows how to motivate their employees as evident from the profile team. For an organization to get the best from its workers, it creates an environment where everyone is inspired to perform at their highest level. This is only possible if the management start by looking at the projects, problems and processes through the eyes and perspectives of each individual team members. Everyone operates from their own ‘truth’ and understanding where each individual comes from is beneficial. Some of the ways in which they have achieved this is through offering free meals. It allows the employees to socialize and generate ideas organically and also save the company valuable time since the workers don’t need to leave the premises to eat, (Rudani, 2013). This is an area that Facebook Company has made perfected in where it provides three meals a day and snacks to its workers thus in turn allowing the workers to interact during such gatherings. These occasions provide a perfect opportunity for them to discuss issues emanating from working. It also saves the worker’s time and energy moving out of the organization in search of cafeteria and such tends to boost the workers ability to work. An organization which demands more from its employees always come up with ways motivating the workers after achieving the goals set by the organization. Things like holding a party to celebrate an achievement will only serve to show how the employer appreciates the effort from the workers. Rewarding the best employee also may motivate employees to work even harder though this may be misjudged as rewarding individual effort and not the whole group of employees. The data team celebration after beating the deadline in launching their new profile is a sign of the organization appreciating their effort and such a group will be motivated to start working on the next project. A successful organization always integrates various aspects of organization structure and management skills in an effort to achieve its objectives and goals. Its management should work towards ensuring that the working environment is conducive, it offers the required structures for effective communication and that its employees are motivated in order to get the best results. References Madura, J. (2007). Introduction to business. Mason, OH, Thompson/South-Western Rudani, R. B. (2013). Principles of management. New Delhi, McGraw Hill Education (India). Stair, R. M., & Reynolds, G. W. (2010). Principles of information systems: a managerial approach. Boston, Mass, Course Technology, Cengage Learning. Read More