Tall Organizational Structure

The agency I am currently employed with provides direct service to the public. For this reason it is divided by regions and areas throughout the country. Its hierarchy is tall and within each region the pyramid structure has fewer managers as it reaches the top. The organization can be best described as a bureaucracy which Jones, defines as:

A form of organizational structure in which people can be held accountable for their actions because they are required to act in accordance with well-specified and agreed-upon rules and standard operating procedures (Jones, p. 135).

By design followers understand authority is given to those holding certain positions. Compensation is also determined based on a scale system; and the relationship of pay is based on the position technical input. Position descriptions are clearly written so that employees can clearly understand their roles and responsibilities. Position descriptions also define relationship between other employees. For example, in a supervisor position description you will find language that says, the incumbent is responsible for employees performing such tasks. The organization also has offices throughout the country with lower offices reporting to them. Regulations, policies and procedures are clearly written for employees and management to follow.

When rules and decisions are written down, they become official guides to the way the organization works. Thus, even when an employee leaves an organization, an indication of what that person did is apart of the organizations written records. A bureaucratic structure provides an organization with memory, and it is the responsibility of its members to train their successors and ensure continuity in the organization...

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...re a high level decisions being made that are then communicated down the line. Team efficiency and effectiveness suffers, however decisions are consistent and applied in a systematic manner.

When filling positions there are certain traits the organizations looks for in managers; for example, communication skills, interpersonal skills, integrity and strong business acumen. However, “A large number of personal traits and abilities have been associated with successful leaders, but traits themselves are not sufficient to guarantee effective leadership (Daft, p. 57).”

References

Daft, R. (2011). The Leadership Experience. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning

Jones, G. (2013). Organizational, Theory, Design, and Change. Saddle River, NJ; Prentice Hall.

Thompson, L. (2011). Making the Team, A Guide for Managers. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.