3.2a Organisational Structures Flashcards

All 18 cards in this deck

What is a tall organisational structure?

A structure with many layers of management and a long chain of command, where each manager has a small span of control.

Give one advantage to a business of a tall organisational structure.

Any one of: each manager has a small team, so they can supervise and control it closely; the many layers give employees a clear path to promotion, which can motivate them.

Give one drawback of a tall organisational structure.

Any one of: there are more managers' salaries to pay, so costs are higher; messages pass through many layers, so communication and decision making are slow; staff at the bottom may feel remote from senior managers.

Give one disadvantage to a business of a flat organisational structure.

Any one of: one manager may be responsible for many subordinates, so they have too much work and costly mistakes may be made; employees may lack self-discipline and exploit the lack of supervision, so productivity falls.

Give two reasons why a business has an internal organisational structure.

Any two of: employees know their role and who they report to; it is clear who can delegate to whom; communication flows more clearly; managers can monitor employees' work.

What is span of control?

The number of employees who report directly to one manager.

What is the chain of command?

The route by which instructions and communications flow from the top to the bottom of a business, showing who is answerable to whom.

What is delegation?

Passing authority for a task down from a manager to a more junior employee.

What is a flat organisational structure?

A structure with few layers of management and a short chain of command, where each manager has a wide span of control.

Give one advantage to a business of a flat organisational structure.

Any one of: messages pass through fewer layers, so communication is quicker; fewer managers' salaries to pay, so costs are lower; the business can adapt more quickly to change.

Give three reasons why businesses have different organisational structures.

The need for effective communication; the different job roles and responsibilities in the business; the different ways its staff work, e.g. part-time or from home.

What are subordinates?

Employees who work under, and report to, a manager above them in the organisation chart.

What is authority in a business?

The power a person has to make decisions and give instructions to others.

What is an organisation chart?

A diagram of a business's structure, showing its departments and layers, who is responsible for whom and the lines along which communication passes.

When a manager delegates a task, who remains accountable for it?

The manager: they keep overall responsibility for the outcome, even though the subordinate has been given the authority to do the task.

Give one benefit to a business of delegation.

Any one of: managers have more time for important work; subordinates feel trusted, so they are more motivated; subordinates develop skills, preparing them for promotion; decisions are made by people closer to the work.

Why does a flat structure often motivate employees?

Managers with wide spans of control have to delegate, so employees are given more authority and feel trusted.

Why do large businesses usually have taller organisational structures than small ones?

With many employees, extra layers of managers are needed to keep clear lines of communication and control from the top to the bottom.