Organizational structures- Organizational Details Affecting Structure

Organizational structures- Organizational Details Affecting Structure

by Tylo Bader

​Work Specialization

• Occurs when a job is broken down into a number of steps which are each completed by a different individual

  • example of work specialization

    • assembly line worker

• ​Requires an individual to complete the same small task over and over again in order to contribute to a final project

​Work Specialization

• Can cause worker boredom, fatigue and stress

• Is mainly used by supervisors to design jobs

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​Span of control

• Is the number of employees a supervisor can direct

  Varies from supervisor to supervisor

• Is affected by the supervisor's:

  • experience

  • skill level

  • level of training

• ​Is directly related to:

  • ​the type of job being supervised

  • ​complexity of tasks

  • ​rules and regulations

​Chain of Command

• Is the principle in which an employee should have only one supervisor to whom he or she is responsible

• Decreases conflicting demands and priorities

• Allows easier allocation of tasks

• Is a formal system of employee communication ​

​Authority

• Refers to the rights of a supervisory position to give orders

• Relates to one person's position over another​

• ​Can be divided into three types:

  • ​line

  • ​staff

  • ​functional

​Line Authority

• Is the most straightforward form of authority

• Gives the supervisor the right to direct the work of his or her employees without consulting others

• Is also known as direct authority​

​Staff Authority

• Supports line authority

• Allows others to advise, service and assist the supervisor if needed

• Allows for input and suggestions from additional staff members, but does not guarantee implementation ​

​Functional Authority

• Signifies the rights over individuals outside of an individual's specific division

• Breaks the chain of command

• Can create greater efficiency by allowing specialization of skills and improved coordination

• Has a major problem with overlapping authority ​

​How authority works