Essay - Flat Organizations Organizational Structure Has Been Defined to Comprise the...

Flat organizations

Organizational structure has been defined to comprise the following: ***** set of formal tasks assigned ***** individuals and departments, the ***** ***** formal reporting relationships, and ***** design of systems to ensure effective coordination of employees across departments (Daft ***** Marcic, 2004). Organizational theory has established that traditional ***** usually have a hierarchical structure or a t*****ll structure that involves a high level of centralization, multiple layers of management, and relatively narrow spans of control. On the other h*****, the well developed, modern organizations possess a flat organizational *****, accompanied by decentralization, few layers of management and relatively wide spans of control. It has been acknowledged that the tall structure has a narrow span and more hierarchical levels, while the flat structure has a wide sp*****n, is horizontally dispersed and fewer hierarchical levels. Concerning centralization and ***** it has been stated that greater change ***** uncertainty in the environment are ***** associated with decentralization, while in times of crisis or risk ***** company failure it is advisable authority be centralized at the top (Daft and Marcic, *****).

Wulf and Rajan (retrieved from site) by exam*****ing ***** management structure and pay in 300 large U.S. companies reached the conclusion that corporate hierarchies are indeed getting flatter: One of the most visible signs is that ***** executives are ***** directly to ***** boss. The number of levels between CEOs and the lowest managers ***** dropping. In terms of ***** it is stated that pay and incentives become more like a p*****rtnership. A concrete example is the outline of ***** flexibil*****y of University of Phoenix. ***** terms of pay, the old structure promoted a fix sum, regardless of the hours worked, while the new one introduced ***** notion of salary exempt that allowed a flexible ***** system; the salary new structure allows for retribution according to per*****mance as well. ***** same flexibility can be noticed in terms of hiring techniques, which added a b*****ckground check to the original procedure. The job descriptions suggest that the new way ***** a wider sp*****n and a horizontal dispersion of hierarchies suggesting a ***** coll*****borative approach. However, ***** power remains somehow centralized due to the preservation of some hierarchical levels.

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***** R.L, Marcic D. (2004), from Understanding Management, 4th Edition, Retrieved ***** www.monroecc.edu/wusers/mmarriott/bus204/ch07.htm

***** Move from Tall to Flat: How Corporate Hierarchies Are Changing, Retrieved at