Please note that this is an important topic from a PMP exam point of view, and you
may see a few questions on this topic on your exam.
In todays blog post, Im going to explain to you about the organization structure,
why it is needed, its benefits, and its various types. I hope that this blog post will
help you understand the concept of organization structure.
Organization Structure
Organization structure is a setup or a framework which determines the hierarchy of
people, its function, workflow, and the reporting system in an organization.
Of course, you will select the functional organization structure because the
functional structure is good for an organization involved in production operation.
In this case, you will select the projectized organization structure, because here you
are dealing with only projects.
Your organization is very big, spread out over a large geographical area and it
works in a dynamic environment where customer requirements and market demand
is constantly changing. In this case, what kind of structure will you select?
In this case, you cannot select the functional organization because the functional
organization structure does not allow quick changes to its operations.
You can also not select the projectized structure because, although this structure
supports a dynamic nature, it cannot account for other things because your
organization is too big and you need some permanent functional units with
supportive staff to keep your organization functioning smoothly, and this is not
possible with a pure projectized organization.
Therefore, you will select a matrix organization structure. This structure has
qualities of the functional organization structure as well as the projectized
organization. So, you will select this structure because only this structure can
support your operations and help you achieve your organizations objective.
The PMBOK Guide sorts organization structure into the following four categories:
1. Functional Organization
2. Matrix Organization
3. Projectized Organization
4. Composite Organization
And Wikipedia classifies it into six categories:
1. Pre-bureaucratic structure
2. Bureaucratic structure
3. Post-bureaucratic structure
4. Functional structure
5. Divisional structure
6. Matrix structure
Some others divide it into following categories:
1. Simple Organization
2. Functional Organization
3. Divisional Organization
4. Matrix Organization
5. Team-Based Organization
6. Network Based Organization
7. Modular Organization
There are other classifications available as well, but the above given classifications
are more popular.
Since this blog is aligned with the PMBOK Guide and dedicated to professionals
preparing for the PMP certification exam, I will therefore follow the classification
given in the PMBOK Guide. At the end of this blog post, I will explain the rest of
the classifications in brief.
Note: I have described the first three types of organization structure in separate
blog posts; therefore, here I will give you a very short description of them with a
link pointing to the detailed description.
Before ending this blog post, lets have a brief look at other types of organization
structure, those which are not mentioned in the PMBOK Guide. (Dont expect to
see a question about these types of structure in your PMP exam.)
Team-Based Structure
This is another name for projectized organization structure.
In a network structure, the organization keeps its core business to itself and the rest
of the processes are outsourced. Sometimes this type of organization is also known
as hollow corporations or hollow organizations.
Pre-Bureaucratic Structure
Pre-bureaucratic structure type organizations do not have the standard procedures
and policies. This type of structure is used by a small-scale organization with few
employees who handle simple tasks. It has a central command with one decision
maker at the top position.
Bureaucratic Structure
Organizations which use the bureaucratic structure are usually larger and have
standard procedures and processes. This type of structure is suitable for very large
organizations which involve complex operations and require smooth
administration. An example of this type of organization is the food and beverage
industry where they have to follow strict rules and regulations.
Post-Bureaucratic Structure
Post-bureaucratic organizations are fully developed and have various standards and
procedures, with a central command consisting of several board members where
decision making is done by a democratic procedure.
Divisional Structure
In a divisional structure, an organization is divided into various divisions where
people with diverse skills are kept together in the form of groups by a similar
product, service or geographic location. Each division has its own resources
required to function properly and is capable of doing the task on its own.
The division can be based on product, service or the geographical area: e.g. Dell
USA, Dell India, etc.
The organization structure defines how an employee will report to his superior,
which helps in coordination and cooperation within the members of the group. The
main advantage of having an effective organization structure is that it reduces the
friction among employees by clarifying the roles, responsibilities, and reporting
structure.
This is where this blog post ends. If you have something to add, you are welcome
to post your thoughts or questions in the comments section below.