Learning Diary: Solution for Question No.

Question4: Relate the existing structure of your department to any structure discussed in chapter VI. Has
it changed recently (last 3-5 years) and explore the influence of environment in those structural changes?

Answer: I am working as safety officer at one unit- Sukinda Chromite Mine of Ferro Alloys &
Mineral Division in Tata Steel. In safety department at FAMD, there are 9 officers looking after
safety function at different 5 locations. If I consider safety function at my unit only then it is a
functional structure but if I consider safety function of FAMD division, then this will be divisional-
Geographical structure. As there are 5 different location with different sorts of operation- some
where it is plant operation, some where it is mine operation, even in mines and plant also there
are different types of operation. Resources available is widely varied for different location. All
safety officers are facing different sort of Challenges. There are 3 level of vertical differentiation
and 5 level of horizontal differentiation. Vertical differentiation has been done mainly for
integrating the function mainly based on hierarchy of control. Horizontal differentiation has been
done for covering different plant mainly.

GM(o),FAMD

Unit Head-GDQ

Unit Head-SCM Unit Head- Head-Safety,

Unit Head-MGM Unit Head-FAPJ
FAPB FAMD

Sr. Manager- Asst. Manager- Asst. Manager- Sr. Manager- Asst. Manager-
Safety, SCM Safety,GDQ Safety, FAPB Safety,MGM Safety, FAPJ

My
position Asst. Manager-
Safety,MGM

Head-safety reports directly to General Manager-operation and station at same location from where GM
operates. As described in divisional geographical structure, it is on the locational safety officer to take
responsibility at their location and report to head safety for any matter. But in this structure frequent
communication is not possible and we rely on daily coordination meeting for better communication
through internet facility like web link. Each safety officer has dual reporting i.e. locational safety officers
 Learning Diary: Solution for Question No. 4

also report to their unit heads for administrative purpose. Due to geographical spread structure, we have
very less opportunity to interact with each other and learn functional traits.

Head Safety takes feedback from respective unit heads about performance of safety officers. Our section
is more of organic sort of structure as individual rely more on mutual adjustment, decentralization and
joint specialization for completing their task at respective unit.

This structure has been changed 3 years back, earlier safety officers were only reporting to their locational
unit head there was no reporting to GM directly. But as the organizational environment focusses more on
safety factor due to changing government regulations and industrial and socio-economic environment, it
was felt to keep safety officers directly reported to GM. Thus, their reporting was changed from unit head
to GM directly though they were reporting to respective unit head administratively. This structure is
shown in diagram below-

GM(O)

Unit Head- Unit Head- Unit Head- Unit Head- Unit Head-
SCM GDQ FAPB MGM FAPJ

Asst. Asst. Asst.

SR.Manager- Sr. Manager-
Manager- Manager- Manager-
Safety Safety
Safety Safety Safety

As it was felt that geographical location is quite wide spread and it is not possible to integrate safety
function of all location, vertical differentiation done - one hierarchy (Head Safety) was created for better
coordination among safety officers at different unit.

Feedback of unions was also responsible to change of this structure as they were of the view that
locational safety officer need to be given more voice so that they can take decision more independently
to ensure the health and safety welfare of worker at location.