1. Compare and contrast between horizontal and vertical silos?

Which
between the two is the better functional organization? and Why?

ANSWER:

The concept of horizontal silos mainly focuses on breaking complex

tasks into smaller manageable tasks, granting employees to initiate
decisions without seeking superior approval. The horizontal organization
focuses on dividing people into groups on managing various tasks within
the same level. Moreover, it eliminates the barriers between executives
and staff levels as it fixates on assigning areas to a particular group/s of
people in an organization.

On the other hand, vertical silos have a hierarchical layering of

management functions. This is where having a top-down management
level takes place, from CEOs who prioritize the long term planning,
followed by the directors whose responsibility is for the short-term,
formulating what will be next on the company or division’s agenda. Next,
supervisors and managers are assigned to day-to-day tasks that include
overseeing employees and supervising the implementation of company-
wide initiatives. With this kind of set-up, there’s already a barrier
between the employees, with regards to the position of each worker.
Also, superior approval is strictly present in this kind of framework.

If I were to ask which is the better functional organization between the

two, I will choose the vertical organization. We all know that running an
organization takes several factors to develop to its target potential and
have sustainability. But one of the essential factors is effective strategic
planning. The horizontal organization offers freedom to have teamwork
and collaboration yet the disadvantage of this is it has no clear lines of
authority and reporting within the business. Meanwhile, vertical
organization captures the bigger picture. The chain of command and the
division of management levels attain more efficiency and productivity
because it allows employees to concentrate on one’s responsibility and
development prospects. 

With this kind of set-up, it is absolute that at the end of the day, it’s not
just the dissolved complex tasks that will be managed but also visualize
various situations that the organization will encounter and implementing
strategies in the long run. Concisely, the vertical organization, not just
fathoms what is being encountered at the moment, but also foreseeing
what matters in the future.

2. Does our university cater the needs of our students? Yes or No? How
and Why?

ANSWER:

Yes, the university does cater for the needs of our students. The reason
why is, because the university has various departments that offer
services to cater for the needs of our students in several aspects,
including the Office of the University Registrar or OUR that provides the
students’ needed and stored documents. Another is the Office of the
Student Services, also known as OSS that gives the students variety of
services including student wellness (guidance and counselling), student
development (scholarships and student organizations), university library
and information (technical, technology and literacy services) and
university health (dental and medical services).

By having these particular categorized departments that offer services

specifically and are beneficiary to students, I can conclude that the
university follows the implementation of functional silos. Functional silos,
as comprehended from the given module, is a separation of team
members based on their function or the compartmentalization of one’s
workforce by role. Considering the students as the customers, just like in
the workplace, there’s a specific department that provides customer
support.

3. Is Student First Policy must be implemented and practiced by all

instructors in our university? Yes or no and Why?

ANSWER:

As stated in my preceding answer, the university considers the students

as its primary customers, giving the organization a customer-centric
approach. However, my stand in the Student First Policy should not be
implemented and practised by all instructors. This is somehow similar to
the company Dell’s strategy to improve its relationship with its
customers. Even if they administer customer centricity, not everything is
in favour of their customers. They do not pre-assemble the computers.
Instead, they provide configuration options to its customers via their
accessible platforms. Just like how it should be in the university as well,
if we were to put Student First policy at all times, the syllabus of each
course would not be followed. Instead, professors and administration
must research the students’ capabilities and knowledge first to create
lesson plans.

By choice, reconsidering the Student First Policy at SOME times. For

example, due to the pandemic rise, the university will still have the same
syllabi that were prepared and followed, but the information flow varies
on the student’s convenience, whether it’ll be online asynchronous,
online synchronous or modular. With this set-up, there’s an effective
communication and disseminating of information with the students
(customers). Briefly, if we were to implement Student First Policy at all
times, the information and activities involved highly rely on the students,
which I disagree to have for this cause the lack of improvement and
preparedness in one’s career path, preventing to thrive the scholars to
their potential, and the organization’s goals.