Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Organization Structure and Change
Organization Structure and Change
Organizational theory refers to the study of organization design and function (Pugh, 1966)
Organizational Structure
Span of control is the number of workers who must report to a single supervisor.
Centralization is the degree to which decision-making power rests at the upper levels of the
organizational hierarchy.
Traditional vs Nontraditional
Traditional organizations have formally defined roles for members and are rule-driven, stable,
and resistant to change.
Jobs and lines of authority are clearly defined, so that much work behavior is regulated and kept
within organizational standards.
Nontraditional organizations are characterized by less formalized work roles and procedures.
They are flexible and adaptable, without a rigid status hierarchy; they are often called “organic”.
Traditional Organizations
Tend to be large, with greater coordination needed with larger numbers of workers.
Nontraditional organizations
Tend to be smaller
Are often organized around a particular project or product line, and are responsible for all
aspects of the project.
Team Organization
All organizations and individuals experience the need and pressure to change.
Like people, some organizations seem to cope with change better than others
Organizational Development (OD) is the process of assisting organizations in preparing for and
managing change.
Occurs in phases:
Intervention implementation
Internal pressure come from people and technology within the org.
Competition
Resistance - There is a natural tendency for people and organizations to resist change
Lack of resources
Poor timing
How to combat Resistance
Planning and OD
1) Unfreezing:
Reducing those forces maintaining the organization’s behavior at its present level
2) Movement or Change
Changing through cognitive restructuring: Helping employees and others to see things, judge
things, feel things, and react to things differently based on a new point of view
3) Refreezing: Stabilizes the organization at a new state of equilibrium (“From now on..”)
Kriegel and Brandt (1996) suggest that maybe the first step toward organizational change is a
“sacred cow hunt”
Sacred Cow Hunt -Organizational practices that have been around for a long time and invisibly
reduce productivity.
Paper Cow- The paper cows are unnecessary paperwork usually forms and reports that cost org.
money to prepare, distribute and read.
Meeting Cow -The meeting cow is the number and length of meetings
Cause employees to work at a faster than optimal pace resulting in decrease quality, increased
stress and increased health problems
Additional Strategies
Think like a beginner: ask stupid questions like why things are being done a certain way
Don’t be complacent with something that is working well. Keep looking to improve
Denial Stage
Defense Stage
After employees begin to believe that change will occur: They become defensive and try to
justify their positions and way of things
Discarding Stage - The employee begins to realize that the organization is going to change and
the employee will have to change
Adaptation Stage- The employees test the new system, learn how it functions and begins to
make adjustments in the way they perform the job.
Employees spend a lot of energy at this stage and can often become frustrated and angry.
Internalization Stage- The employees have become immersed in the new change or culture and
are comfortable with the new system
Legitimate
o financial reasons
o external mandates
o productivity improvement
Whim
Popularity
Degree of respect
Change agents - people who enjoy change and often make changes just for the sake
of change
Change analysts - not afraid to change or make changes but want to make changes
only if the changes will improve the organization.
Receptive changers - people who probably will not instigate change but are willing
to change
Reluctant changers - will not instigate change or welcome change but will change if
necessary
Change resisters - hate change, are scared by it, and will do anything they can to
keep change from occurring.
Organizational Development
Positive effects may be greater in job satisfaction and organizational commitment than in
increased productivity (Bass, 1983).
Successes of OD programs may be long-term changes that are difficult to trace back to
OD.