Organizational Structure
How organizations rationalize their resources

Structure Offers Clues About
 Where formal power resides
 How tasks are coordinated
 How the actions of members are controlled
 How decision-making authority is assigned
 How strategy and decisions are enacted
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Organizational Structure
What is the role of structure?
 Provides a roadmap for workflow
 Creates or restrains interactions
 Influences attitudes and social relations
 Influences how work is completed
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Organizational Structure
What is the appropriate way to divide and
coordinate work and work related processes?
 Differentiation – Influences how well organizations
collaborate (create therir own cooperate culture)
 Horizontal: delegates specialized tasks to particular
employees
 Vertical:top-down structure
 Personal: personal tasks
 Spatial:uses employees at different locations to
accomplish different tasks
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 Integration – Determines how
Organizations coordinate their work
 Mutual Adjustment:refers to the ways in which both
owner-managers and their employees accommodate,
adapt to and, potentially, struggle with one another to
develop working practices and employment relationships
 Direct supervision: by higher authority
 Standardization:process of implementing and developing
technical standards, maximize compatibility, safety, or
quality.

Organizational Structure
Mechanistic Structures
Mechanistic structures are those that resemble a
bureaucracy. These structures are highly formalized and
centralized. Communication tends to follow formal
channels and employees are given specific job descriptions
delineating their roles and responsibilities.
 Bureaucracy
 Clearly defined roles
 Senior people have more knowledge of issues and problems
 Standardized policies and procedures govern organizational decision-making
 Rewards are determined by adherence to instruction from supervisors
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Organizational Structure
Organic structures
Organic structures are flexible and decentralized, with low levels of formalization. In
Organizations with an organic structure, communication lines are more fluid and
flexible. Employee job descriptions are broader and employees are asked to perform
duties based on the specific needs of the organization at the time as well as their own
expertise levels. Organic structures tend to be related to higher levels of job
satisfaction
 Flexibly designed to cope with change
 Less focus on formal roles and specialization
 Not assumed that people in higher positions are better informed than those in lower
positions
 Horizontal relationships are equal to or more important than vertical relationships
 Formal structure is fluid and changeable
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Organizational Structure
Dimensions of Structure exist on a continuum
 Centralization:Centralization is the degree to which decision-making authority is
concentrated at higher levels in an organization. In centralized companies, many important
decisions are made at higher levels of the hierarchy,
 whereas in Decentralized companies, decisions are made and problems are solved at lower
levels by employees who are closer to the problem in question.
 Formalization:Formalization is the extent to which an organization’s policies, procedures,
job descriptions, and rules are written and explicitly articulated. Formalized structures are
those in which there are many written rules and regulations. These structures control
employee behavior using written rules,n advantage of formalization is that it makes
employee behavior more predictable. Whenever a problem at work arises, employees know
to turn to a handbook or a procedure guideline. Therefore, employees respond to problems
in a similar way across the organization; this leads to consistency of behavior.
 Complexity:Complexity has represented a number of different aspects of organizational
structure throughout history. complexity are specialization, interdependency span of control,
and height.
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Organizational Structure
Determinants of structure
 Size: the size of the enterprise and its scope of
performance have an effective influence on the
organisation
 Complexity:
 Strategy: plays a special role in determining the outline of
authority and flow of communication in an organisation.
 External considerations
 Managerial experience and skill
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Do’s and Don’ts of
Professional Practices

Do’s and Don’ts of Professional
Practices
 Presentation
 Policies & Procedures
 Communication Skills
 Personal Tasks
 Proper Office Etiquette
 Have a Positive Attitude
 Take Initiative
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Presentation
 Dress in a Manner Appropriate to Your Office
 Look At Others or Ask What is Appropriate
 Listen and Observe to Avoid Mistakes
 Learn What is and is Not Appropriate
 Ask Your Supervisor For Feedback About Your
Performance
 Be Prepared--Bring All Materials
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Policies & Procedures
 Know Company Policies & Procedures
 Don’t Break Any Rules
 Agree To a Work Schedule and Keep It
 Give Notice of Your Absence in Advance
 Don’t Be Absent Often
 Be On Time
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Communication Skills
 Consider All Office Information Confidential
 Social Interaction in the Office Should Be Kept at a
Minimum
 Dating & flirting is not recommended
 Use Discretion When Interrupting Others
 Don’t Interrupt Those on the Phone or in
Meetings with Others
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Communication Skills
 Don’t Badmouth Your Boss or Other Employees
 Answer the Phone Professionally
 Avoid Office Gossip
 Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
 Don’t Refuse To Do Something
 Don’t Argue with Supervisors or
Co-Workers
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Personal Tasks
 Computers are Not For Personal Use
 Keep your Cell Phone Off
 Friends and Family Members Shouldn’t Call You At
Work
 Do not Send Personal Emails
 Personal Phone Calls Should Not Be Made
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Proper Office Etiquette
 If You Have Questions--Ask
 If You Make a Mistake--Tell Someone About It
(Don’t Cover It Up)
 Don’t Talk Too Much About Your Personal Life
 Don’t Make Enemies or Burn Bridges
 Be Professional and Ethical At All Times
 Only Take Credit for Your Work
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Proper Office Etiquette
 Always Be Honest
 Respect Your Co-Workers
 Be a Team Player, Cooperate with Others
 Be Open To Suggestions and Constructive Criticism
 Be Responsible for Your Actions
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Have a Positive Attitude
 Be Enthusiastic and Energetic and Portray Genuine
Interest
 Avoid Negativity
 Don’t complain, be rude, disrespect coworkers,
act unprofessionally, or gossip
 Exceed Employers Expectations
 Offer Suggestions, Become Part of the Team, Be
Reliable, and Be Honest
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Take Initiative
 Ask for Things to Do
 Ask to Attend Meetings and Events
 Go Above and Beyond your Duties
 Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
 Learn All You can About the Industry
 Get in the Information Loop
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Sample Internship Resume
Jane Smith
300 4th Avenue apt. 1 San Diego, CA 92103
mobile:(619) 555-0000jsmith@gmail.com
EDUCATION:
Master of Arts, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Anticipated Completion: December,
2008
Alliant International University, San Diego, CA
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology & Social Behavior, 2005
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA
Associate of Arts, Psychology, 2002
San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA
GRADUATE COURSES TAKEN:
Introduction to Professional Practice
Personnel & Work Psychology
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Theory
Pro Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Cultural Diversity in Organizations
Human Resource Management
Work Motivation and Productivity
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Sample Internship Resume
Cont’d
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Created and piloted a performance appraisal tool for expatriate managers
Conducted several interviews for projects in cultural diversity, human resource management,
work motivation & productivity, and organizational change & development
Created a mock RFP (research for proposal)
Power-point presentations for several classes in a variety of subject areas
Class room e.g. case study facilitation
Presentation at the WPA (Western Psychological Association, a division of the APA)
Volunteer work in mentoring/tutoring, event coordination, fundraising, facilitating handicapped
children and adults
STRENGTHS
Editing
Writing
Teaching
Presenting
International orientation
Microsoft Office Suite
Interpersonal communication
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Sample Internship Resume
Cont’d
WORK HISTORY
Business English Teacher May 2005 – March 2006
XYZ Language Academy, Taipei, Taiwan
 Private teacher for business professionals
 Catered each class to fit students’ industries, position, and occupational responsibilities
 Prepared and edited presentations for XYZ’s human resources department for overseas
conferences
 Edited staff handbook (mission statements, visions/goals, team-building, moral-building,
etc)
Intern Fall 2004
Acme Cross Cultural Community Center, Garden Grove, California
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