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Types of Organisational Structures

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Types of Organisational Structures

As well as being centralised or decentralised, organisational structures can also be classified as tall or flat.

Tall organisational structures

Tall organisational structures

  • A tall organisational structure is a hierarchy with a long chain of command (lots of layers) in the organisation.
  • Usually, each manager has a smaller span of control (is responsible for a smaller number of employees), but lots of people are managers.
Flat organisational structures

Flat organisational structures

  • A flat organisational structure means the opposite. There are fewer layers in the organisational hierarchy.
  • This means that managers have a larger span of control (manage or are responsible for more employees).
Matrix organisational structures

Matrix organisational structures

  • A matrix structure involves an employee reporting to more than one supervisor. For example, in a matrix structure, an employee may report to the manager of their function and to the manager of a certain product or service.
  • Advantage of a matrix structure: it allows a business to bring together teams of expertise without having to break up or disrupt current teams of employees.
  • Disadvantage of a matrix structure: A matrix structure can result in conflict if two managers are giving an employee different instructions.
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