How the Organizational Structures Impact the Flow of Work - Essay Example

Discuss the way in which organizational structures impact on the flow of work and overall purposes of the service are achieved The organizational structures impact the manner in which work is basically carried out as well as the different purposes of the distinct services, not to forget their achievements and accomplishments with the passage of time. This brings to light the notion of discussing the structural basis of the organizations themselves. For starters, these organizations might not be that easy to understand at the very beginning. These can encompass a variety of different aspects, features and traditional mindsets which make up their structures. To start with, we see that an organization can either be formally aligned in its ways and means of doing things and different processes or the same might just be in a way informal in quite a few of its activities and tasks. The manner in which it runs across this paradigm is something that needs to be studied in depth before we reach further consensus on their purposes and the kind of achievements that they have had. As we talk about an organization, we see that within it the communication can flow in one of three ways or in all the three directions. This means that these three directions pave the way for the ease of communication and there are as such no barriers to arise from the whole equation. The first communication flow is from top to bottom, which means that the communication starts from the top management and goes down towards the middle and lower management. It ensures that the instructions are easily made comprehensible for all and sundry who are within the middle and lower cadres and there are as such no discrepancies arising from this form of communication flow. The second form could be the one that starts from the lower or middle management and goes up towards the top management. A common example of this kind of communication flow is in the type of protests and rallies that arise at the lower level and the lower management wants to make sure that their voice gets heard courtesy the top cadre of the organization. The third communication flow could be in the kind of peer to peer communication and interaction. This means that the employees and the workers at the same level communicate within their own capacities and as such there are no hindrances arising from the whole communication matrix. Apart from this, within an organization the communication also flows in a formal as well as an informal manner. Where the communication is more formal and sophisticated, the interaction is usually done through paper and written requests whereas the informal talk is also called ‘grapevine’ and is mostly done in a casual manner without any such paper work to document the very same. Proper and smooth communication can only flow within an organization when there is complete understanding of the message at all possible levels. The barriers within the communication process should be removed as this is known as the “noise” factor in the whole communication matrix. Within an organization, the communication should always be of a formal nature so that there are no problems and grievances for all concerned. The way in which this information is circulated is pretty significant to understand since the organizations more often than not miss out on the vital link which is present here. Thus it is suffice to state that the kind of structure is tantamount to the mannerisms of the organization and it is without a shadow of a doubt that efforts have to be made in the right direction by the top management so as to ensure that all and sundry within the realms of the organization are indeed implying with the set pattern and if there is no room for the informal talk or discussion, then the same must be abstained no matter what the other alternative might be. At times, within the organizational boundaries, it is pretty imperative to understand the fact that formal or informal work flows become meaningless rather the emphasis lies on the sole basis of getting things done. This is effective in the short run but might lead to hierarchical disputes where the bosses receive all sorts of informal gestures, talks and salutations. On a more accommodating note, this could really be an acceptable norm but then again the organizational angle has to be studied nonetheless. More often than not, organizations make things work out and thus bring their own set policies and ways of doing things. Cyert and March (1963) bring to light the aspect of formal structure within an organization whereby they look at the behavioral theory of an organization and the consolidation work which is in accordance with the formal basis of its own self. Formalized information flow is also made rational by the work by Chandler who has presented a prescription that creates reliable information as well as the distinct data flows which go hand in hand when the talk goes out loud of the lines of authority. The centralized information flow is basically designed and installed within a period of a year and is known as the ABACUS (Asea Brown Boveri Accounting and Communication System). Barnevik has discussed the company’s informal communication process as the basis for the reduction of middle management’s need of closing the gap that is present within the information related ranks and which is basically aimed in the opposite direction. In the end, we must focus on the manners in which the organizational structures actually bring about the work flow processes together rather than whining about the incorporation of a formal or an informal culture within the organizational lengths and breadths. The most important thing here is to understand the fact that it is significant to get things done in line with the organization’s core values, mission and vision statements rather than changing for one reason or the other and thus bringing with it a plethora of problems left, right and center. All said and done, it is of significance to make use of the formal and informal information to best suit the exact basis of communication workflows and also to make things run in a proper and sound manner. It is only when there is complete harmony at all ranks that the organization synchronizes into a single whole and thus brings about its very best. BIBLIOGRAPHY Chandler, A.D. Jr. "The Functions of the H Q Unit in the Multibusiness Firm", Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 12, pp 31-50, 1991 Cyert, R.M. and J.G. March. “A Behavioral Theory of the Firm”. Prentice- Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1963 Axley, Stephen R. “Communication at Work: Management and the Communication-Intensive Organization”. Quorum Books, 1996 Crampton, Suzanne M. “The Informal Communication Network: Factors Influencing Grapevine Activity”. Public Personnel Management, 1998 Word Count: 1,068 Read More