Free The Organization Design Essay Example

The organization design is both a plan and a process that defines how an organization is structured and operated. More specifically, it serves as a framework that matches the form of the organization to the purpose that the organization seeks to achieve. It is important for an organization to have a formal structure and design (Burton, R. M., DeSanctis, G., & Obel, B. 2006). The structure defines power relations within the organization, as well as coordination of activities in order to achieve the organization goals. It therefore provides a basis for allocating jobs as well as proper organization on how such jobs are to be carried out
First and foremost, an organization structure defines how job tasks are formally allocated. In this case, it serves as an effective tool for defining duties and responsibilities for individuals within the organization at different levels. A clear understanding of roles and responsibilities of what is expected from every individual facilitates efficiency and excellent performance. Aquinas (2010) argues that if a job is highly formalized, the job incumbent has clear discretion over what is to be done, when is to be done, and how he or she should do it.
Secondly, the structure also helps in organizing activities within an organization. For instance, it helps in grouping and departmentalization. Jobs within an organization can be grouped according to some logical elements. More importantly, it creates flexibility and adaptability to the work among potential employees. Without a clear structure of the activities involved in the organization, it would be difficult to group jobs into meaningful work units. This in turn will hinder performance and make it impossible to accomplish the organization’s objectives. Aquinas (2010) also adds that departmentalization helps managers to strengthen coordination among employees where impact and competitive advantage will be greatest.
The organization structure also facilitates the establishment of reporting relationships within an organization. Without a clear structure, it would be impossible to know who should report to who and on what matters. Therefore, the structure is very instrumental in facilitating flow of information. In summary, an organization structure defines how jobs are formally divided, grouped and allocated. Therefore, it is a basic building block for designing jobs and organizing activities in an organization.

Research project

The generic organization used for this research project is hospital setting. As a part of a team working in a project taking place in the hospital, I understand that certain factors enhance or inhibit group productivity. First and foremost, brainstorming facilitates problem solving. It is a technique used in idea- generation phase of decision making (Griffin, Moorhead, 2014). Brainstorming in the group helps to generate ideas and solutions by stimulating creativity of among members thereby providing quality care to patients. Generation of new ideas and problem solving techniques results in greater productivity.
Secondly, diversity is another aspect that promotes productivity in groups. Employees from different backgrounds have varied perspectives and hence are in a position to produce a variety of alternative solutions. Consequently, this helps to derive a better quality output rather than individualized work.

However working in groups also has its share of drawbacks. These include the following;

Free riding is cited as one of the factors that hinder group productivity. In large groups For instance, not all individual contributions are typically required hence, some members often feel that their contributions are dispensable (Griffin, Moorhead, 2014). Unequal participation for members is a result leads to lower productivity. The tendency of some people to sit back and let others to do the work often leads to resentment in the work place.
Another factor attributing to group ineffectiveness is limited creativity. The conventional notion is that brainstorming promotes productivity. However, in some cases; group work does not always promote an environment for the individual innovative thinking. Some individuals prefer to keep their ideas to themselves hence this may hinder organization progress resulting into poor productivity and stagnation.
Lastly, lack of group cohesiveness is another factor that contributes to poor productivity. According to Lussier (2014), members in a cohesive group are more trusting and cooperative. Cohesiveness also lowers tension and hostility. For this reason, a group that lacks cohesiveness is less likely to be productive.
In my research, I will look at diversity and brainstorming as the main factors that enhance group productivity. In a hospital setting, the challenges that the staff faces everyday require brainstorming and the ability to work with people from other cultures. More so, I will also look at two negative effects of the groups including lack of cohesiveness and free riding because they are a threat to team work, which impedes the success of the hospital. Lives of patients depend on teamwork and collaboration of people from various departments.

References

Aquinas, P. G. (2010). Organization structure and design: Applications and challenges. New Delhi: Excel Books.
Burton, R. M., DeSanctis, G., & Obel, B. (2006). Organizational design: A step-by-step approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Griffin, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2014). Organizational behavior: Managing people and organizations. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.
Lussier, R. N. (2012). Management fundamentals: Concepts, applications, skill development. Mason, Ohio: South-Western.