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Organizing

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Organizing is the act of rearranging element following one or more rules. It can also be seen as the opposite of messing up.

One organized opposite could be disordered, since ordered is almost [[synonymous. The difference between ordered and organized is that something is only ordered as long as it is both organized and standardized.

Examples

Anything is commonly considered organized when it looks like everything has a correct order of placement. But it's only ultimately organized if any element has no difference on time taken to find it. In that sense, organizing can also be defined as to place different objects in logical arrangement for better searching.

Organizations are groups of people frequently trying to organize some specific subject, such as political issues. So, even while organizing can be viewed as a simple definition, it can get as complex as organizing the world's information.

History

Historically, humans have always tried to organize ourselves. Be it on religion, through books and spoken word, or in science, through journals and studies, or in many other ways. Writing ideas in a book, not to talk to someone, but to specifically catalog is also an attempt to organize information.

Science books are notable by their organization attempt of a specific subject. Encyclopedias, instead, usually try to organize any subject into one place, for faster indexing and seeking of meanings.

Applications

Organizing, in companies point of view, is the management function that usually follows after planning. And it involves the assignment of tasks, the grouping of tasks into departments and the assignment of authority and allocation of resources across the organization.

Structure

The framework in which the organisation defines how tasks are divided, resources are deployed, and departments are coordinated.

1. A set of formal tasks assigned to individuals and departments.
2. Formal reporting relationships, including lines of authority, decision responsibility, number of hierarchical levels and span of managers control.
3. The design of systems to ensure effective coordination of employees across departments.

Work Specialization

• The degree to which organizational tasks are sub divided into individual jobs; also called division of labour
• With too much specialization, employees are isolated and do only a single, tiny, boring job.
• Many organizations enlarge jobs to provide greater challenges or assigning to tasks that are rotated.

Chain of Command

• An unbroken line of authority that links all individuals in the organisation and specifies who reports to whom.
• Unity of Command - one employee is held accountable to only one supervisor
• Scalar principle - clearly defined line of authority in the organisation that includes all employees

Authority, Responsibility, and Accountability

• Authority - formal and legitimate right of a manager to make decisions, issue orders, and allocate resources to achieve organisationally desired outcomes.
• Responsibility - duty to perform the task or activity an employee has been assigned
• Accountability - the fact that the people with authority and responsibility are subject to reporting and justifying task outcomes to those above them in the chain of command

Delegation

• The process managers use to transfer authority and responsibility to positions below them in the hierarchy
• Organisations today tend to encourage delegation from highest to lowest possible levels
• Can improve flexibility to meet customers needs and adaptation to competitive environments
• Managers often find delegation difficults

Line and Staff Authority

• Line authority - in which individuals in management positions have the formal power to direct and control immediate subordinates.
• Staff authority - granted to staff specialists in their areas of expertise. Narrrower than line authority and includes the right to advise, recommend, and counsel in the staff specialists' area of expertise. It is a communication relationship with management.

Span of Management

Factors influencing larger span of management.

1. Work performed by subordinates is stable and routine.
2. Subordinates perform similar work tasks.
3. Subordinates are concentrated in a single location.
4. Subordinates are highly trained and need little direction in performing tasks.
5. Rules and procedures defining task activities are available.
6. Support systems and personnel are available for the managers.
7. Little time is required in nonsupervisory activities such as coordination with other departments or planning.
8. Managers' personal preferences and styles favour a large span.

Tall vs. Flat Structure

• Tall - A management structure characterised by an overall narrow span of management and a relatively large number of hirarchical levels. Tight control.
• Flat - A management structure characterised by a wide span of control and relatively few hirarchical levels. Loose control. Facilitates delegation.

Centralisation, Decentralisation, and Formalisation

• Centralisation - The location of decision making authority near top organisational levels.
• Decentralisation - The location of decision making authority near lower organisational levels.
• Formalisation - The written documentation used to direct and control employees.

Departmentalization

The basis on which individuals are grouped into departments and departments into total organisations.

Approach options include;

1. Functional - by common skills and work tasks
2. Divisional - common product, programme or geographical location
3. Matrix - combination of Functional and Divisional
4. Team - to accomplish specific tasks
5. Network - departments are independent providing functions for a central core breaker

Importance of Organising

• Organisations are often troubled by how to organise, particularly when a new strategy is developed
• Changing market conditions or new technology requires change
• Organisations seek efficiencies through improvements in organising

See also

• Order theory
• Sorting
• Community organizing
• Union Organizer
• Professional Organizer
• Organizing Consultant
• The organization of the artist

References

• Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern, Owl Books 1998 ISBN 0-8050-5649-1
• Eliminate Chaos...The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life by Laura Leist, Sasquatch Books 2006 ISBN 1-57061-467-9

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Friday March 07, 2008 at 17:30:40 PST (GMT -0800)
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