8 Organizational Structure and Design

A photo shows a person holding up a board with the words, Bureaucracies are inefficient.

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Learning Outcomes

  1. 8-1 Describe six key elements in organizational design.

  2. 8-2 Identify the contingency factors that favor either the mechanistic model or the organic model of organizational design.

  3. 8-3 Compare and contrast traditional and contemporary organizational designs.

  4. 8-4 Discuss the design challenges faced by today’s organizations.

Management Myth

People commonly assume that bureaucracies are inefficient. Critics claim these organizations are slow, rule-bound, and have too much “red tape.” The media makes you think bureaucracies are extinct—replaced by empowered teams ...

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