Different Organisational Structures Flashcards

All 10 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 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.

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.