Organizational Structure

Question 1

Organizational structure coordinates and connects elements of an organization to work optimally. Looking at Creative Cards Company structure, the following aspects are odd with their company’s system. First, it is more challenging to foster cross-functional engagement. Due to most departments working independently, smooth information flow between these departments is an issue, and thus cross-functional engagement is challenging in the company.

Secondly, the company lacks a defined chain of command. When an organization operates this way, employees may be unsure to whom they are answerable (Koohborfardhaghighi & Altmann, 2017). As a result, there may be confusion about who is accountable for what within the company.

In addition, roles in the company may be uncertain, making administration and control more difficult. Some departments within the company lack defined responsibilities. For example, the East Coast manager is not responsible to any higher authority and has no defined roles to perform in the company.

Some departments and employees in the company are answerable to two or more superiors. The dual command structure involves collaboration between two immediate managers to set employees’ job objectives, work tasks, and quality criteria. This type of structure that Creative Cards company uses in some departments may lead to poor work performance for the employees.

The organization structure has some departments separately performing similar tasks. Job descriptions may not be clearly outlined, leading to disagreements about who does the work and how it will be completed.

Question 2

            In organizations, matrix management is often used to coordinate workers and equipment across divisions. In a matrix management structure, a person reports to a principal supervisor while also serving on projects for one or more supervisors (Winnubst, 2017). The career development challenges that I would face in a matrix organization are, Firstly, performance assessment may become more challenging in this organizational structure. It might not be easy to assess  my effectiveness when working on a project when using a matrix structure. This is due, in part, to the fact that teammates may be executing more than one position, both professionally and in terms of project activities.

In a matrix-based organization, it is difficult for me to define appropriate goals for both functional and divisional control(Winnubst, 2017). It would be a challenge to me because, when my talents and professional skills are critical to a particular function’s performance, sharing these skills may lessen the function’s efficacy.

Since I haven’t worked in a matrix organization, the idea of working in such an organization does not appeal to me. Professionally, I would want to specialize in my career and achieve my set goals for a given period. A matrix organization would not be the best option for me to work and progress professionally.

Question 3

            It is possible to have an employee who has personal values that are inconsistent with the organization’s values.Job satisfaction is among the most significant determinants of organizational production and efficiency(Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2020). When organizational goals and values are consistent with the employees’ values, job satisfaction is guaranteed. When an employee’s ideals clash with the corporate objectives, the resulting resistance between individual and organizational values leads to conflict between the organization and its personnel. Inconsistent organizational and personal values lead to job dissatisfaction for the employees. When employees face job dissatisfaction, they embrace a negative attitude towards their work, leading to poor performance.

References

Koohborfardhaghighi, S., & Altmann, J. (2017). How organizational structure affects organizational learning. Journal of Integrated Design and Process Science, 21(1), 43–60.

Wagner, J. A., & Hollenbeck, J. R. (2020). Organizational behavior: Securing competitive advantage. Routledge.

Winnubst, J. (2017). Organizational structure, social support, and burnout. In Professional burnout (pp. 151–162). Routledge.