Management Paper Example on Comparing Different Organizational Structures and Culture

An organizational structure is considered to be an approach adopted by an organization when it comes to defining its hierarchies. Corporate culture, on the other hand, is a collection of beliefs, attitudes, practices and values which ultimately determines how people behave in a given organization. The culture of an organization is developed by the companys top management and followed by the staff members, within a specified period. This implies that the leadership of an organization has the powers of constructing a set of behaviors and practices which can be sued as parameters to measure the companys success or failures. Apparently, there are different types of organizational culture as well as the organizational structure which are significant when it comes to the operation and overall functionality of an enterprise.

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Organization structures and how they affect business performance.

Some of the common organizational structures include Functional, Divisional, matrix, and project. Everything within an organization is interwoven around the project being undertaken, suggesting that an enterprise and its adopted organizational structure will play a significant role as far as the definition of duties and allocation of responsibilities to each departmental member is concerned (Baligh, 2005, p12). As a system, these different organizational structures are associated with various tasks and reporting policies which have implemented to guide the staff on how to complete particular tasks. It follows that an efficient organizational structure is the one which allows individuals to work as a team effectively as well as developing the ethics of an organization.

The functional structure is encompassed by staff members who perform similar tasks thus possessing similar skills which make them belong in a specified functional unit. Possession of the outlined features and attributes make individuals under the same category to learn and communicate to each other with ease (Baligh, 2005, p13). It follows that functional structure of an organization paves the way a quicker decision making. Possessing shared interests, skills and abilities will, therefore, facilitate group work which is essential in business.

The divisional structure also has a significant influence on the firm performance. It is the customer, product and service oriented. This makes an organization to be focused on the coordination of various groups within the enterprise through the creation of the relationships which are essential when it comes to achieving specific customer needs. It follows that division organization structure advocates for division and specialization of labor which in turns leads to a greater output. This enhances the business efficiency as depicted in geographical expansion and improved sales.

Matrix structure incorporates different elements of divisional and functional organizational structure. It is mainly utilized in the major multi-international companies, thus ensuring that the benefits associated with divisional and functional structures are experienced in one organization. The impact of the matrix structure on the performance of a business is felt when the management opts to shift staff from one functional unit to work in a given team as part of a divisional project.

How organizational cultures influence business performance.

The culture of an organization is developed by the companys top management and followed by the staff members, within a specified period. This implies that the leadership of an organization has the powers of constructing a set of behaviors and practices which can be sued as parameters to measure the companys success or failures. Some of the common types of organizational culture include clan, adhocracy, market and hierarchy oriented cultures. All of these forms of corporate cultures are known for advocating particular behaviors, ultimately affecting the business performance (Kotter, 2008, p53). For instance, hierarchical organizational culture promotes higher levels of controls as well as a clearly-structured set of procedures that define the roles and responsibilities of each employee.

Factors which Influence Individual behaviors at work.

Some of the factors affecting actions of people in an organization include Gender, race and culture and perception. In an organization, way an individual behaves determined by his/her sex. For instance, when it comes physical appearance, men and women are expected to wear specific types of clothes. However, studies indicate that execution of tasks does not depend on ones gender since both males and females have equal chances of performing at higher levels (Mishra, 2008, p25). The race is used to categorize people by their physical attributes, that is, whether an African, Indian white. Race and culture are therefore an influential factor in organizational behaviors since it shapes the beliefs, attitudes, and language of people. Perception, on the other hand, is an intellectual process, responsible for translating the sensory stimuli into a significant information. Perception will influence how individuals behave at the workplace through their abilities to interpret issues and assigned tasks.

Describe different leadership styles and the effectiveness of these leadership approaches

Modern organizations can embrace different of leadership styles which play an integral role in the achievement of the set goals and objectives. Some of the commonly applied leadership styles in an organizations management include: autocratic, democratic, strategic, transformational, team and laissez-fare leaderships.

Authoritarian leadership styles are where the decision-making and problem-solving tasks are solely done by a leader. This leads to a one-way communication as well as suppression and overlooking of individual initiatives. It is only suitable when structuring and implementing goals which do not target the subordinates, thus being the less effective (Benincasa, 2012, p26). When it comes to a laissez-fare type of leadership, a leader allows subordinates to be free in making decisions. It follows that Laissez-Fare is efficient in empowering and motivating the staff. For instance, the departmental heads will be excited once they realize the top management trusts them to make critical decisions for an organization. As for the democratic leadership style, a leader is responsible for ensuring everyone takes part in a decision-making process. This type of leadership is appropriate when an organization is undertaking unclear direction, hence requiring everybody to participate in making decisions process.

Analyze how organizational theory underpins principles and practices of organizing and management.

Organizational theory is mainly utilized in various aspects of a functioning business, and it is concerned on structuring and designing of an organization. It follows that an organizational theory plays a significant role in analyzing the actual organizational structure as well as offering options on how higher levels of efficiency can be achieved. The functions of management include controlling, planning, organizing, staffing, controlling and directing. A manager if therefore expected to incorporate the principles of the organizational theory to ensure an organization achieves optimum efficiency in its different divisions (Benincas, 2012, p31). According to the management approach, employees are expected to sacrifice or overlook some of their personal principles to ensure an organization meets its goals.

For instance, some policies and practices can be introduced in a firm which is unpopular among the staff members. However, the workers will be compelled to abandon their principles and execute their duties and tasks. Furthermore, the organizational theory outlines the significance of the managers understanding the feelings and the needs of the staff, which is a key factor in improving the performance (Benincas, 2012, p31). The theory also reveals that whenever the management reduces its control over the employees, it translates into morale boosting. This implies that an organization should implement participatory decision making as well as teamwork when it comes to the effective workforce management.

Compare the different approaches to management and theories of organization used by two organizations.

Human relation, contingency, and bureaucratic administration are some of the methods that can be utilized in underpinning the practice of a given business organization. The human relation approach focusses on using human relations as an effective way of promoting customer satisfaction as well as increasing the companys productivity (Benincas, 2012, p37). This is achieved through the participation of various stakeholders in the organization management. Decentralization is also significant in facilitating and strengthening human relation within an organization.

The contingency approach merges different management theories through its integrated plan where the managers contend that a single fixed approach is not sufficient in solving various situations or challenges in an organization. This method is advantageous since it focusses on the teams limitations and human resource capabilities when it comes to agreeing on the possible solution (Benincas, 2012, p33). The bureaucratic approach on another hand depends on the laid structures and procedures which are meant to enhance the management process in an organization. This methodology requires competency in knowledge and skills to achieve higher levels of efficiency.

Describe the nature of groups and group behavior within organizations

A group is characterized by at least two people who interact and work together in pursuit of achieving the common goal. Unlike performing tasks individually, working as a group is highly recommended within an organization since it fosters quick and easy attainment of the set goals. Apparently, there are different groups formed to fulfill different purposes. This involves identification of a general job which is completed by the team members. The nature of the group is, therefore, the determined procedure of executing available tasks, group management, group dynamics and the definition of the roles played by members. The use of these criteria to define the nature of the group pave the way to formal and informal groups.

The regular group involves some people in an organization forming a team that is focused on achieving a particular objective or performing a specific task. The formal groups usually utilize a formal organizational structure. This provides the guidelines regarding the allocation of responsibilities and duties with the common aim of achieving specific objectives of an organization (Robbins, et al., 2015, p61). Task groups or command groups are useful examples when it comes to illustrating formal groups. Informal groups on another hand are considered to be the automatic grouping of individuals who are working with the same organization over a given period. This implies that closeness, support, sharing of similar interests and views can be the building block of various informal groups as depicted in interests and friendship groups.

Investigate the factors that lead to effective teamwork and the influences that threaten success

A team is said to be effective if can realize a high level of job performance, a satisfaction of members and achieving of the viability of the team. Good leadership is one of the factors that can be useful when it comes to the development of effective teamwork. Efficient leadership is paramount in solving challenges, making great decisions that motivate the members and setting clear goals that can propel t...