Reference no: EM133292773
Assignment:
Prompt Questions:
-What industry is this company in? Is a flat organizational structure appropriate?
-Are a firm's structural targets binary (simply high or low)? Can the amount of differentiation and integration be in the right "ballpark", yet still be too much or too little?
-Flattening or building structure is simply a matter of pulling levers: differentiation (division of labor) and integration (formalization or managerial involvement). What levers did this firm pull to get in its current state? If flat, tasks and job descriptions were collapsed (less divided or specialized); written standards, procedures, and roles were removed (more informal); and/or bosses became more "hands off" (less managerial involvement). Which of these do you see?
Step 1 (initial posts):
Share what you think the underlying problems are at the firm Ethical Business Company. Be specific with facts from the case: what evidence do you see in the abilities and behavior of employees? What should this company's objectives be (list at least 3) moving forward? If it helps, consider what issues, if addressed, would make employees perform better and behave more appropriately.
Step 2 (initial posts):
Weigh two structural alternatives and their consequences (describe each one separately):
-What would removing more structure do? How would less differentiation and integration meet (or fail to meet) each of your 3+ objectives? Consider the functions of structure before answering. [Before writing, simply think to yourself: what purpose do specialized roles, written rules, and centralized choices serve at the post office? the university registrar? an Amazon warehouse? would workers get less done or be less engaged without them? What do the Module 9 readings and lectures have to say about this?]
-What would adding more structure do, in terms of your 3+ objectives? Why was the company "flattened" in the first place, and how would a reversal impact those goals? Recommend a course of action, either removing or adding structure.
Step 3 (initial posts):
List 4-5 specific steps this firm should take to either reduce or increase differentiation and integration. Provide details from the case (reference the differentiation/integration "levers" described in the prompt questions above).