structural frame

Structural Frame Chapters 3-5

EDCL 5340

Raechel Friedman, Anastacio Gomez, Philip Muzzy, & Lisa Shaw

Agenda

Presentation Ch. 3 (15 min)

Group Activity – (Vertical and Lateral) (15 min)


Break -------------------------------------------------------------- (10 min)


Group Activity – (Marshmallow) (30 min)

Group Activity – (Artifacts) (15 min)

Chapter 3

Getting Organized

Structural Frame / Lens

The ability to divide work and coordinate work

Designed so there is no confusion of authority

Illustrated with… 2 stories

Sept 11, 2001 USS

Structure and Organizational Performance

Sept 11, 2001

Police/Fire Department

Could not communicate despite their command posts being 3 blocks apart

Breakdown of communication and coordination

Absence of a clear, workable structure impaired effectiveness

Individual Heroism

USS Kennedy

Prepared for most combat contingencies

Clear well understood goals, roles, relationships and coordination = organizational performance

Uniforms – supervisors yellow, brown aircraft traffic, red for weapons and fire, purple for fuelers

Fredrick Taylor 1911

Known as the father of time and Motion studies: coined scientific management

Max Weber – Early 20th Century

Monocratic Bureaucracy as an ideal form that maximized norms

Technical qualifications instead of family ties or friendship

Employment as long-term career

Hierarchy of offices

Structural Forms and Functions

Blueprint for expectations and exchanges among internal and external players

Design options are almost infinite

Design needs to fit circumstances

Studies go back and forth on whether people enjoy more choice or more structure (Moeller 1968) (Leavitt 1978)

Structural Forms and Functions

Adler and Borys (1996) argue that structure is as important as the amount of rigidity. There are good rules and bad ones. Formal structure enhances moral if it helps us get our work done. It has a negative impact if it gets in our way, buries us in red tape, or makes it too easy for management to control us (p.69)

Basic Structural Tensions

Differentiation: dividing work, division of labor

Integration: coordinating efforts of different roles and units

Suboptimization: When you create roles and units of specialization, you can lose sight of big picture (remember the Police/Fire Department illustration?)

Vertical coordination Authority (the boss makes the decision)

Rules and policies

Planning and control systems Performance control (focus on results) vs.

action planning (focus on process)

S.O.P. ?

Military Example (Vertical)

Lateral Coordination

Meetings

Task Forces (bigger can mean you need more lateral face to face communication)

Coordinating Roles (persuasion people that can go back and forth between specialized turfs)

Matrix Structures

Networks

Strengths and Weaknesses of Lateral Strategies

Lateral

To be successful

You NEED BOTH!

Vertical/Lateral Coordination Activity

2 groups of 4; 1 group of 3

Group according to color of Starburst

Grab markers/chart paper

Illustrate what Vertical Coordination and Lateral Coordination might look like in an Educational Setting

Share your description/illustration with the class

McDonald’s and Harvard: A Structural Odd Couple

McDonald’s: clearer goals, more centralized, tighter performance controls

Harvard: diffuse goals, highly decentralized, high autonomy for professors

Why have two successful organizations developed such different structures?

Structural Imperatives

Size and Age

Core Process

Environment

Strategy and Goals

Information Technology

People: Nature of Workforce

The case of Citibank

Chapter 4

Structure and Restructuring

Structure and Restructuring

I. Structural configurations

II. Why restructure?

III. Making restructuring work

I. Structural Configuration

Mintzberg’s five-sector logo Operating core

People who perform basic work (line workers)

Administrative Component Managers/supervisors (line

supervisor) Strategic Apex

Focus on outside environment (executives)

Techno structure Specialist/analysts

(engineers) Support staff

Perform tasks that facilitate work (secretaries)

I. Structural Configuration cont…

Simple structure Two Levels:

Strategic apex Operating level

Start-up companies Virtues

Structure is very flexible & adaptable One person directs the entire operation

Vices Lack of strategic planning (boss too close to

operations) Authority can block change

I. Structural Configuration cont…

Machine bureaucracy Important decisions are made at the strategic apex Day-to-day operations are controlled by managers

& SOPs Example: McDonalds Challenges:

How to motivate employees and satisfy workers in the operating core

Constant tension between headquarter and local managers

Overcome challenges by: Permitting experimentation

(Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich)


Professional Bureaucracy Characteristics:

Operating core is larger than other structural parts Few managerial levels exist between the strategic

apex and professors (flat organizational structure) Examples: Universities (EIU or U of Illinois) Challenges:

Quality control and coordination Dealing with incompetence and irresponsibility Respond slow to change


Divisionalized Form Work accomplished through quasi-

autonomous units (multispecialty hospital) serving defined markets

Division heads (presidents) are accountable to the corporate office

As long as the division performs, they have free reign

Benefits: Offer economies of scale Ample resources Responsive

Challenges: Headquarters may lose touch with operations


Adhocracy Loose, flexible, and organic structure Characteristics

Don’t believe in hierarchy, rule books, dress codes, etc…

Ambiguous authority structure Unclear objectives Contradictory assignments

II. Why Restructure?

Environmental Shifts: A mandated shift can occur – as was the case of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, or Ma Bell or even more commonly now – AT&T.

Technology Shifts: This may be one of the most profound reasons for restructuring in today’s fast paced techno-world. When is the last time that you walked into a Blockbuster Video store, played a game of solitaire with real cards, or made sure you had change in your pocket for a pay phone.

Organizations Grow: When organizations outgrow the Mom & Pop stage of business, they need an organizational structure to support tasks, decisions, and authority to remain profitable.

Leadership Changes: When new leaders step into existing organizations – there is often a “New sheriff in town, things are going to change mentality.”

III. Successful Restructure

Why were these restructuring efforts successful?

1. Developed a new conception of the organizational goals and strategies

2. Carefully studied the existing structure and processes (had the complete picture)

3. Designed new structure in light of goals, technology, and environment

4. Experimented while retaining things that worked

Chapter 5

Organizing Groups and Teams

Examples of Effective Group Work/ Teamwork

Organ transplant procedure

WWII U.S. Army commando team

Al Quaeda

Tasks and Linkages in Small Groups

Structural options for small and large tasks

Situational Variables Influencing Structure What are we trying to accomplish? What needs to be done? Who should do what? How should we make decisions? Who is in charge? How do we coordinate efforts?

Tasks and Linkages in Small Groups

Situational Variables, con’t. What do individuals care about most? What are special skill and talents? What is the relationship? How will we determine success?

5 Fundamental Team Configurations

Basic Structural Configurations One Boss Dual Authority Simple Hierarchy Circle All Channel

Figure 5-1: One Boss



Figure 5- 2: Dual Authority

Teamwork and InterdependenceModels

Baseball

Football

Basketball

Choosing the Appropriate Structure Determining an appropriate structural design

Nature and degree of task interaction Geographic distribution of members Where is autonomy needed, given the team’s goals and

objectives? Should structure be conglomerate, mechanistic, or

organic? Task of management:

fill out line-up card prepare game plan Influence flow

6 Characteristics of High-Quality Teams Shape purpose in light of demand or opportunity

Specific, measurable goals

Manageable size

Right mix of expertise

Common commitment

Collectively accountable

The Saturn Story

Quality, Consumer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty

Employees granted authority

Assembly done by teams – Wisdom of Teams

Group Accountability

Marshmallow Challenge The Marshmallow represents student achievement – the

higher your marshmallow, the more students have achieved.

Materials: 20 pieces of raw spaghetti, 1 yard of string, 1 yard of masking tape, 1 marshmallow

In 18 minutes – create the most student success, within the given work structure, within your assigned roles.

Marshmallow Challenge

Roles:

Apex: You are in charge of making decisions and directing others. You do not directly produce work.

Operator: You are a producer. No decisions. You are directed by others.

Support Staff: You support the work of others. No decisions, or production.

Techno-Structure/Middle Line: You coach operators and report to the Apex. No decisions, or production.

Marshmallow Challenge

Recap

Each group share out: What kind of structure did your group have? How does this relate(or not) to work environments?

What worked well? What needed improvement?

If this were your organization, how would you restructure?

Structural Artifacts

Share your artifact(s) with your group

Focus on two artifacts to share with the class Choose one that works well within your structure Choose one that needs improvement

Enjoy your Starbucks!

structural frame

Business

structural forms

structural parts

structural configurations

structure moeller

formal structure

structural frame chapters

structural imperatives

restructuring work