Unit 6, Chapter 13 & 14 - Coursework Example

Mechanistic structure impedes decision-making and quick response to the market The structure, in which such company conflicts are prevalent, is usually a mechanistic one. A mechanistic structure, as illustrated by Robbins in his book Organizational Behavior, is “comprised of high specialization, rigid departmentalization, clear chain of command, centralization and high formalization.” The behavioral issues that are usual outcomes of this structure springs from the fragmented and narrow view of the organization, which does not focus on a whole but only let employees focus on their departments as separate parts.

This massive lack of coordination and interaction leads to each department treating other departments as competitors for the corporate funding.The major key to address this issue is to provide all the employees a holistic view of the organization, which they are all part of and they are working for. Involvement and extensive communication is a crucial factor to providing a holistic view of the organization.Solution: A more flexible structure, the use of cross-functional teamsThe major structural issue to identify is on how to minimize these conflicts resulting from massive compartmentalization of jobs, while maintaining operating efficiency and productivity of employees by still utilizing specialization in some areas.

In many years, successful corporations have used the concept of cross-functional work teams in order to address the issue.A cross-functional work team is a team organized to perform a task, usually to work on a certain project within the organization. It is cross-functional because the members of the teams come from different specialized functions of the organization—research and development, marketing, finance, human resources, operations, etc. While the team focuses on things ranging from solving a certain problem in the company, to working on a new product a company decides to launch, specialization is used according to the demands of the project.

The diverse set of individuals from different specialized jobs, working together also provides a multitude of insights for brainstorming.The utilization of cross-functional teams provides a more flexible approach to adapting to a company’s business environment. By focusing on a certain project with experts from each of the department, coordination is ensured which cuts costs in terms of time and cutting down processes. This will help the company bring excellent products in the market before any competitor does, which can give it a definite advantage if it can match its offerings with the consumers’ changing preferences the earliest in the market.

Because cross-functional teams work on a certain project, it is wise to empower these people, and give them a certain authority on deciding as to the maters concerning the project. This entails job enlargement and enrichment, where these individuals are given broader responsibilities, but still within the scope of their jobs. These individuals thus require training and developmental programs to ensure that they are capable of performing the new, broader responsibilities.Cross-functional teams also need flexible coordination with their immediate superiors or subordinates in order to do well on a certain project.

This entails flattening of the organizational structure, and cutting down formalized processes that could cause bottlenecks to the performance of the teams.The use of cross-functional teams, even in the upper-level management promotes cooperation, and interaction among various departments in order for one to know what is going on with the other departments. As the lines of communication become open to more people, what really happens to the organization as a whole is determined. This, in turn, provides a more holistic view to employees.

Cross-functional coordination would also give way to a new budgeting system, which rather than being given to certain departments, would be given to certain teams that handle the project. While the issue of competition is still apparent, a certain level of competition is necessary to promote excellence within the company. In this case, instead of making competition among departments, which is detrimental and counterproductive because they should be coordinating instead of competing, competition is utilized in a more productive manner.

Reference ListBartol, K., Martin, D., Tein, M., & Matthews, G. (2001). Management: A Pacific Rim Focus. Australia: McGraw Hill Company.ROBBINS, S. (2005). Organizational Behavior. Philippines: McGraw-Hill