Реферат: Business at work

· It can involve a very long chain of command - instructions may take a considerable time to filter from the top and impact on production, which can be an important drawback if the organisation operates in a rapidly changing market.

· The flow of information back up a long chain to management may be a lengthy process, causing a considerable delay before problems are identified and tackled.

· Individuals might only respond to requests from the superior, creating inflexibility in the organisation which may be totally unnecessary if co-operation with other managers does not effect working relations with their superior.

Line and staff structure

A line and staff structure combines both a line authority and what is known as staff authority. The term staff authority refers to those staff, usually at a relatively senior level, whose are of work often involves dealing with different departments. Someone with the relevant staff authority can provide services and advises to those in the line of authority of other departments. Managers with staff authority do not have the power to control or give instructions, but rather the authority to deal with different departments and to offer advice or support services in relation to problems or exploiting new opportunities. However, since those with staff authority are appointed because of their expertise, experience and good personal skills, their advice, though not binding, is likely to be very persuasive.

Advantages :

· Staff authority enables the expertise and experience of specialists to be utilised more fully across the organisation.

· By having access to all areas of the company, managers with staff authority, communications between departments are at director level, and so any inter-departmental communication has to pass up the chain of command in one department to director level and then down the other before it reaches the appropriate level.

· Staff authority prevents individual departments from being too inward looking - departments remain aware of their interdependence and their role in seeking to achieve the organisation’s objectives.

Disadvantages :

There is a risk that staff authority may diminish the authority of individuals in the line management, particularly if those with staff functions acquire informal power and authority.

Matrix structure

In a matrix structure, a senior manager heads a division or team of specialists drawn from different departments. These specialists are also located in departments where they are part of a line authority; they are therefore subject to two sources of authority.

In a matrix structure the simple chain of command found in a line structure is replaced by a very large number of reporting relationships as individuals report to managers in more than one department or function.

A matrix structure may be used for just some of an organisation’s activities or it may cover the whole work of the organisation. It is often used for organising and managing project teams, where people with specialist skills, perhaps from different levels in the hierarchy, are brought together to solve complex and urgent problems. Project teams may be created to deal with issues which arise every now and again or they may be an ongoing feature of the organisational structure.

Some aspects of marketing, however, may be handled by an ongoing project team drawn from other departments, although the membership of the group may change as different marketing issues arise.

Advantages :

· It promotes increased co-ordination between departments because it cu