Entry 2 (IY1 Introduction to Business and Management)

Entry 2

Starting from now, I am going to talk about the structure of organisation.
 
Why is the structure of organisation important?

I can tell you three major reasons why the structure of organisation is important.

1) An organisational structure enables the organisation to change or to respond according to its environment.
2) A clear structure makes it easier to see which part of the business does what.
3) Organisational structure is particularly crucial for communication.

What is span of  control?

It is the number of employees over whom a manager or supervisor has authority.
In addition, there are two types of span.

                                                                       1) Narrow

\

                                                                         2) Wide

                                               There are many ways to structure a business.
                                                       I am going to discuss two methods.
                         
                                                              (!) Functional structure

                                 

                                                  This structure has good and weak points.
                                          
                                                                    Advantages


                           1)  Specialisation : each department focuses on its own work.
                           2)  Accountability : someone is responsible for the section.
                           3)  Clarity : know your and others' roles

                                                                  Disadvantages
 
            
                           1) Closed communication could lead to lack of focus.
                           2) Departments can become resistant to change.
                           3) Coordination may take too long.
                           4) Gap between top and bottom.

                                                               (!!) Matrix structure
                                      

                                  

                                         This structure has good and weak points as well.

                                                                      Advantages

1) Communication within the team is easier.
2) Specialists can contribute new ideas and see problems in a different way.
3) A close team can be dynamic and enthusiastic, leading to high level of motivation.
4) Project managers are directly responsible for completing a project on time and within the budget.
5) Individuals can be chosen according to the needs of the project.

                                                                   Disadvantages

1) People may have more than one boss.
2) There can be conflict between line managers and project managers over the allocation of resources.
3) If a matrix system is superimposed on an existing structure it can increase staff costs as more managers are created.
4) Can be difficult to control and monitor if teams have a lot of independence.


As for me, I experienced functional structure in an English academy. I could easily saw people doing their specific parts: driving, managing people, managing finances and teaching English. It not only represented the specialisation of their tasks but also accomplished their own works efficiently, having responsibility and clarity. However, I found some problems. For example, it was hard for me to communicate with  immediate supervisor. Moreover, it often took a lot of time to do something together becasue they were accustomed to doing their sections.


To conclude, I mentioned the reason why the structre of organisation is important, the span of control and the pros and cons of two major structures: functional and matrix structures. What is more, I dealt with functional structure with my real experience. Therefore, structures of organisations should be placed in the right place, considering their advantages and disadvantages in all aspects.   

Entry 1 (IY1 Introduction to Business and Management)

Entry 1

From now on, I am going to describe the definition of organisaition and then four main characteristics of organisations.

The definition of organisation

 

!) An organisation is a social arrangement for achieving controlled performance towards goals that create value.’ (Boddy, p.7, 2011)

!!) According to Haimann, " Organisation is the process of defining and grouping the activities of the enterprise and establishing the authority relationship among their."

!!!) According to McFarland, " An identifiable group of people contributing their efforts towards the attainment of goals is called organisation."

 

      We can easily see a lot of organisations all over the world.

 

 

 

              All companies have four major characteristics.

 

1) People - all organisations are composed of people regardless of  their sizes. 

2) Objectives - the organisational objectives of a company provide employees with guidance in order to please their managers. 

3) Structures -  a clear structure makes it easier to see which part of the business does what

4) Management - management is the process of achieving organisational objectives, within a changing environment.

             In my experience, I worked at an English academy.

 

There are the characteristics that I mentioned above.

Firstly, the academy had a lot of people who do their tasks, such as teaching, answering the phone and driving. Each individual member had focused on its work.

Secondly, the institute had clear target(Canwell & Sutherland, 2003).

 It gives students good mark in English exam or ability to speak,listen,write and read English in order to communicate with people in the world. This enables students to get more opportunity.

Thirdly, the structure of company was pyramidal structure.

Therefore, I could not communicate with immediate supervisor. I always received command.

Lastly, the academy made good use of finance, materials and people, bringing about good services and reputations to their students. This is because the company has made a lot of money. 

In conclusion, I discussed the four major characteristics of organisations based on my personal experience. That is people, objectives, structures and management. Therefore, organisation should consider four main elements to obtain the most from limited resources.