ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Organizational structure

Organizational structure refers to how individual and team work within an organization are coordinated, to achieve organizational goals and objectives, individual work needs to be coordinated and managed. Structure is a valuable tool in achieving coordination, as it specifies reporting relationships (who reports to whom), delineates formal communication channels, and describes how separate actions of individuals are linked together. Organizations can function within a number of different structures, each possessing distinct advantages and disadvantages. Although any structure that is not properly managed will be plagued with issues, some organizational models are better equipped for particular environments and tasks.

Organizational structure refers to the division of labor as well as the patterns of coordination, communication, workflow, and formal power that direct organizational activities. Organizational structure includes reporting relationships, but it also relates to job design, information flow, work standards and rules, team dynamics, and power relationships. Organizational structures are frequently used as tools for organizational change because they establish new communication patterns and align employee behavior with the corporate vision.
Types of organizational structure
Functional Authority Organizational Structure
The jobs or positions in an organization can be categorized as:
(i) Line position: a position in the direct chain of command that is responsible for the achievement of an organization’s goals and the line officers or managers have the direct authority (known as line authority) to be exercised by them to achieve the organizational goals.
(ii) Staff position: A position intended to provide expertise, advice and support for the line positions. The staff officers or managers have staff authority (i.e., authority to advice the line) over the line. This is also known as functional authority. An organization where staff departments have authority over line personnel in narrow areas of specialization is known as functional authority organization.
Divisional Organizational Structure
In this type of structure, the organization can have different basis on which departments are formed. They are: (i) Function, (ii) Product, (iii) Geographic territory, (iv) Project and (iv) Combination approach.
Matrix Organizational Structure:
It is a permanent organization designed to achieve specific results by using teams of specialists from different functional areas in the organization. The matrix organization is superimposes a horizontal set of divisions and reporting relationships onto a hierarchical functional structure.
Project Organizational Structure

A project organization is a temporary organization designed to achieve specific results by using teams of specialists from different functional areas in the organization. The project team focuses all its energies, resources and results on the assigned project. Once the project has been completed, the team members from various cross functional departments may go back to their previous positions or may be assigned to a new project. Some of the examples of projects are: research and development projects, product development, construction of a new plant, housing complex, shopping complex, bridge.

Project management
Project Management is a set of principles, methods and techniques for effective planning of objective-oriented work, thereby establishing a sound basis for effective scheduling, controlling and re-planning in the management of programs and projects. In other words, it provides an organization with powerful tools that improve the organization's ability to plan, organize, implement and control its activities and the ways it uses its people and resources. A project is a non-repetitive one-of-a-kind activity normally with discrete time, financial and technical performance goals. Normally a complex effort, usually less than 3 years in duration and it is made up of interrelated tasks performed by various organizations.

BY SULLEY EMANUEL