Improving organizational performance through the use of effective elements of organizational structure (original) (raw)

Organization Structure and Productivity

Group & Organization Studies, 1991

This study examined the relationship between three structural variables (size, vertical complexity, and administrative intensity) and the operating efficiency of all 234 metropolitan branches of a financial services company. As hypothesized, negative relationships were found between (a) size and productivity and (b) vertical complexity and productivity; however, the predicted negative relationship between (c) administrative intensity and productivity was not found — instead a curvilinear relationship emerged. On average, the smallest branches were approximately 31% more efficient than the largest ones; those with the least vertical complexity (one hierarchical level) were roughly 44% more productive than those with the greatest complexity (five levels).

Competitive Study of Effects About Dimensions of Organizational Structure on Productivity

2013

Whereas the term of survival and life constancy is developing of productivity in each organization, and in today disturbance condition, and what influences on developing productivity is organizational structure. Therefore, the object of this study is the significant searching of levels in different levels of dimensions in organizational structure with productivity in public and Islamic Azad universities of Guilan province- Iran. The method of this study is descriptive and analytic and the gathering device of data is questionnaire. Statistical community includes all official and educational managers in different sets of mentioned Universities that among all of them the statistical sample is chosen base on old table, Morgan and Kerjsay table. To validity and reliability test of measuring device, we used the method of content validity and Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha. Achieved data of this study showed that there is a significant difference between various levels of organizational ...

A study on effects of organizational structure on performance of research organizations

Management Science Letters, 2013

Organizational structure plays an important role on survival of any business units and it is important to understand different factors influencing it. In this paper, we present an empirical study to learn the effects of three parameters including formality, concentration and complexity on organizational performance. The proposed study of this paper is implemented for one of research-based organization located in city of Qom, Iran. There were 120 employees working for this organization and the proposed study of this paper has selected a sample of 100 people, designed, and distributed a questionnaire among them. The proposed study uses two methods of regression analysis as well as structural equation modeling to study the impacts of three variables on organizational performance. The results show that there are some positive and meaningful relationship between formality and concentration from one side and organizational performance from the other side. In addition, there is a meaningful and negative relationship between complexity and organizational performance. The results of structural equation modeling are also consistent with the results of structural equation modeling.

Combining Theoretical Perspectives on the Organizational Structure-Performance Relationship

Journal of organization design, 2015

Much of the literature linking organization structure to performance falls into two broad research streams. One stream concerns formal structure-the hierarchy of authority or reporting relationships as well as the degree of standardization, formalization, specialization, etc. The impact of formal structure and other elements of organization design on performance is typically contingent on factors such as strategic orientation, task characteristics, and environmental conditions. The other research stream focuses on informal structure-a network of interpersonal and intra-organizational relationships. Properties of informal structure are typically shown to have a more direct (less contingent) impact on organizational performance. Despite these pronounced differences in the conceptualization of organization structure, considerable overlap and complementarity exist between the two research streams. In this article, I compare and contrast a pair of exemplars from each stream-the information processing perspective and the social network perspective-with respect to their conceptualizations of organization structure and its relationship to performance. Several recommendations for future research that combines the two approaches are offered.

Organizational Structure and Its Drawbacks

Understanding and adapting organizational structures is essential for achieving business goals and fostering innovation in diverse and dynamic environments. Organizational structures are traditionally categorized based on activity arrangement, decision-making authority, and legal entity frameworks. Common structures include hierarchical, flat, matrix, and network configurations, each with distinct strengths and limitations. Hierarchical structures provide clear authority and control, enabling large corporations to manage complex operations globally. However, they often suffer from slow decision-making and limited adaptability. Flat structures promote decentralized decision-making and flexibility but may struggle with role ambiguity and conflicts, particularly under pressure. The matrix structure fosters collaboration by integrating functional and project management but risks conflicts due to overlapping authority. Meanwhile, network structures enhance interconnectedness and collaboration, making them effective for decentralized systems and dynamic organizational needs. These structures directly influence employee behavior and organizational outcomes. Empowering employees through autonomy, collaboration, and participation fosters engagement and innovation. Nonetheless, effective empowerment requires balancing flexibility with structured guidance to prevent inefficiencies. Additionally, adapting organizational structures to meet evolving demands, such as transitioning to agile frameworks, requires strategic leadership and comprehensive change management. Models like Lewin's and Kotter's provide actionable frameworks for overcoming resistance and embedding new practices into organizational culture. Ultimately, aligning leadership, strategy, and culture is crucial for sustaining transformation and driving long-term success.

Innovative organizational structures and performance

Journal of Organizational Change Management, 2003

Although there has been substantial academic and practitioner interest into innovative structural arrangements, the study of structural transformation and the structural practices of small to medium-sized organizations in traditional industries has been relatively ignored. This article presents empirical evidence of a company that changed its organizational structure from a traditional bureaucracy to a structure that was fundamentally different from those of other firms within its industry. The changed structure was characterized by many novel attributes such as devolved responsibility, empowerment, community orientation and a lack of hierarchy. Although there was some evidence to suggest that the structure had positive performance implications, the study also finds that the content, context and process of change were influenced by a dominant managing director such that the outcomes masked underlying political issues. The article concludes by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.

Determinants of Impact of Organizational Structure on Managerial Success

TEST Engineering & Management, 2020

Each organization, regardless on the type of activity that carries and the size that have, should have a separate organizational structure in order to function. To achieve the goals and objectives, works within the organization should be coordinated and managed. The success of any organization is associated with its leadership and its organizational structure is responsibility effective. Managers are people who organize and determine the ways of performing tasks in context the organization. They realize their mission by defining the display of organizational structure. Only organizational structure that is well defined is the guarantee for the realization of organizational goals. Enterprises that fail to build organizational structure, fail to efficiently distribute authority and responsibility among their employees and as a result fail to react quickly to changes in the surrounding environment. Therefore the study of the organizational structure has a current and practical value to the organization. The main objective of this paper is to clarify the effect of organizational structure on the effectiveness of the organization's managers. Achieving this goal for the realization of the paper is done through the collection of primary data produced through a survey done, as the primary method of data collection. The objective of the questionnaire has been receiving information about the design of the organizational structure at the corporate level and at the business unit level and level of relational of structure with managerial success.

Relating Organisational Structure to Performance: An Initial Focus on Centralisation

This paper will focus on relating organisational structure with organisational performance. We first outline the motivation behind this research, from both industrial and academic perspectives. After defining the problem and the research aim, an outline of organisational performance metrics is provided, followed by a detailed look at the centralisation metric. Finally, using our testbed simulation, the metric is applied and compared against the simulation's performance output, namely speed and robustness. We show that while the centralisation metric is a sufficient measure of performance, the implementation of further metrics should produce further promising results. A metric to measure the level of centralisation in an organisation, an additional metric, is discussed in detail in the following section.