Organizing (management)


Organizing is a systematic process of structuring, integrating, co-ordinating task goals, and activities to resources in order to attain objectives.

History

Historically, humanity has always intended to organize itself. The organizing of information could be seen since humans began to write. Prior to that, history was passed down only through song and word. We can see with religion, books and spoken word, science, through journals and studies, or in myriad other ways, organizing not only is history, but also supports the communication of history. Recording ideas in a written text, as opposed to verbally communicating with someone, and more specifically cataloging ideas and thoughts, is also an attempt to organize information.

Science books are notable by their organization of a specific subject. Encyclopedias usually organize subjects into a single place, for faster indexing and seeking of meanings.

Nature

The following are the important characteristics of organization.

Purpose

Applications

Organizing, in companies point of view, is the management function that usually follows after planning. And it involves the assignment of tasks, the grouping of tasks into departments and the assignment of authority and allocation of resources across the organization.

Structure

The framework in which the organization defines how tasks are divided, resources are deployed, and departments are coordinated.

  1. A set of formal tasks assigned to individuals and departments.
  2. Formal reporting relationships, including lines of authority, decision responsibility, number of hierarchical levels and span of managers control.
  3. The design of systems to ensure effective coordination of employees across departments.

Work specialization

Work specialization (also called division of labour or job specialization) is the degree to which organizational tasks are sub-divided into individual jobs. It may increase the efficiency of workers, but with too much specialization, employees may feel isolated and bored. Many organizations enlarge jobs or rotate assigned tasks to provide greater challenges.

Chain of command

Chain of command is the vertical lines of a command structure that is used for the purposes of overall responsibility and accountability in the achieving of stated goals and objectives through the use of orders one direction and reports of compliance in the other direction. Chain of command differs from horizontal lines in an organization which are basically the communication and coordinating lines of the organization.

Authority, responsibility, and accountability

Delegation

Delegation is the process managers use to transfer authority and responsibility to positions below them. Organizations today tend to encourage delegation from highest to lowest possible levels. Delegation can improve flexibility to meet customers’ needs and adaptation to competitive environments. Managers often find delegation difficult

Types of authority (and responsibility)

Line authority managers have the formal power to direct and control immediate subordinates. The superior issues orders and is responsible for the result and dash;the subordinate obeys and is responsible only for executing the order according to instructions.

Functional authority is where managers have formal power over a specific subset of activities. For instance, the Production Manager may have the line authority to decide whether and when a new machine is needed but the Controller demands that a Capital Expenditure Proposal is submitted first, showing that the investment will have a yield of at least x%; or, a legal department may have functional authority to interfere in any activity that could have legal consequences. This authority would not be functional but it would rather be staff authority if such interference is "advice" rather than "order".

Staff authority is granted to staff specialists in their areas of expertise. It is not a real authority in the sense that a staff manager does not order or instruct but simply advises, recommends, and counsels in the staff specialists' area of expertise and is responsible only for the quality of the advice (to be in line with the respective professional standards etc.) It is a communication relationship with management. It has an influence that derives indirectly from line authority at a higher level.

Line and Staff Authorityis the combination of Line organization and Staff organization. Such organization follows both the principles of scalar chain of command and there is a provision for specialized activities to be performed by staff officers who act in an advisory capacity

Span of management

Categories:

Factors influencing larger span of management.

  1. Work performed by subordinates is stable and routine.
  2. Subordinates perform similar work tasks.
  3. Subordinates are concentrated in a single location.
  4. Subordinates are highly trained and need little direction in performing tasks.
  5. Rules and procedures defining task activities are available.
  6. Support systems and personnel are available for the managers.
  7. Little time is required in non-supervisory activities such as coordination with other departments or planning.
  8. Managers' personal preferences and styles favor a large span.

Tall versus flat structure

Centralization, decentralization, and formalization

Departmentalization

Departmentalization is the basis on which individuals are grouped into departments and departments into total organizations. Approach options include:

  1. Functional - by common skills and work tasks
  2. Divisional - common product, program or geographical location
  3. Matrix - combination of Functional and Divisional
  4. Team - to accomplish specific tasks
  5. Network - departments are independent providing functions for a central core breaker

Importance of organizing

See also

References

Look up organize in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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