Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CH 3
CH 3
Behavior in Organizations
Objectives
Yes
No
Communication
Types of organizations
A firm’s strategy has a major influence on its structure. And in turn the type
of structure influences the organization’s control system. The
structures can be divided into three major categories:
1. Functional organizations:
- In which each manager is responsible for a specified function such as
marketing or production.
- The rationale for the functional form of organization involves the notion of a
manager who brings specialized knowledge related to specific function.
- Thus, an important advantage of a functional structure is efficiency.
There are certain disadvantages as well;
- There is no proper way to find the effectiveness of the performance of the
function as the performance of the whole organization is measured together.
- the head of two different functions may have disputes in terms of resource
allocation, performance measurement, operational dependency which will be
solved only at top.
- Functional structures are inadequate for a firm with diversifies products and
markets.
Contd.
2. Business Units:
- The business unit form of organization is designed to solve the problems
inherent in the functional structure.
- In which business unit managers are responsible for most of he activities of
their particular unit, and the business unit functions as a semi-independent
part of the company.
- They are responsible for planning and coordinating the work of the separate
functions and for resolving the disputes between functions.
- The business unit manager is responsible for all the activities but the
important decisions like funds allocation, approving of budgets, judging of
performance will be done by top management only.
- An advantage of the structure is it provides a training ground in general
management.
- Another advantage of this type of structure is that because the business unit
is closer to the market for its products than headquarters is.
- But, with this advantages certain disadvantages or problems are also there
like, there may be a duplication of work because the functional work is done
at unit level will be done at top level also. Which will increase the staff cost.
Functions of the Controller
The person who is responsible for designing and operating the
management control system is considered a controller in the
organization. The controller usually performs the following functions:
- Designing and operating information and control systems.
- Preparing financial statements and financial reports for share
holders and other external parties.
- Preparing and analyzing performance reports, interpreting those
reports for managers an analyzing the program and budget
proposals from various segments of the company.
- Supervising internal audit and accounting control procedures to
ensure the validity of information, establishing adequate safeguards
against theft and fraud, and performing operational audits.