Description
The purpose of this assignment is to have the student identify and analyze various organizational structures, along with how structure impacts work.
Using class material, the articles listed below, and research where appropriate develop a 6-8-page research paper that addresses the relationship of structure to culture in creating an effective and efficient place to work. For this assignment, you will evaluate the strategies managers can utilize to impact organizational structure and culture. Address the following in your paper:
- Explain how organizational structure interfaces with organizational culture to create a smooth work and decision-making flow. Be sure to include a discussion of how organizational purpose relates to the relationship between the integration of structure and culture.
- Compare and contrast good and not so good organizations. First select two organizations from the best places to work (Forbes, Glassdoor, etc.). Research and describe each organizations' structures and cultures.
- Analyze why the structure and culture work well in those organizations that are deemed the best places to work.
- Identify three strategic ways a manager could improve the interface of structure and culture.
- Finally, many large organizations are trying to transition to smaller more flexible structures. Identify three management strategies that can make a bureaucratic organization a more team-oriented, collaborative, and inclusive culture.
- Use of at least three scholarly articles and other professional sources to support your work.
Additional Requirements and How to Prepare the Submission
- APA formatting with in-text citations and a reference list is required.
- Read the grading rubric for the assignment
- Check the instructions to make sure all elements of the assignment have been covered.
- Third-person writing is required. Third-person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first-person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second-person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person .
- Contractions are not used in business writing, so the expectation is that students do not use contractions in assignments.
- Paraphrase and do not use direct quotation marks. This means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document, put a passage from a source document into your own words, and attribute the passage to the source document. Provide the page or paragraph number as appropriate for APA format. Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa.
- Do not use books as source material.
- Students are expected to use a variety as well as multiple course readings and research to support ideas, reasoning, and conclusions.
- Submit the final project into the appropriate assignment submission folder. Once submitted, the project is eligible for grading and students will not be permitted to make changes or make another submission.
Additional Sources may include:
The Best Companies to Work For
10 Unmistakeable Signs of a Toxic Culture
Money Worst Companies to Work For
UPDATED/MORE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS:
Here are a few ways to ensure a good submission.
1. Let's keep this assignment to 6 pages of content, a cover sheet, and a reference page for a total of 8 pages.
2.The first bullet point asks you to explain how an organization's ability to achieve its mission is enhanced when the organization's structure and culture are aligned. Name three ways in which an alignment between culture and structure can help an organization achieve its mission more effectively or efficiently. Use either one of these alignment patterns. Hierarchical/ mechanistic or organic/clan
3. The second bullet asks you to compare and contrast, but the instructions only ask you to report on best places to work. Here is what I want you to do. Look at one best place to work and compare and contrast it to one of the worst places to work. Then answer the question in bullet 3.
Bullets 4, 5, and 6 remain the same.
The rest of the instructions are straight forward, but if you have any questions then then just ask.
Use the following headings in your submission.
Structure, Culture and Mission
Best vs. Worst Places to Work (you can combine bullet 2 and 3 under this heading).
Three Ways to Improve Alignment between culture and structure
Three Ways to Improve Bureaucratic Structures
Explanation & Answer
Attached. Please let me know if you have any questions or need revisions.
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Organizational Structure and Culture
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Course Number and Name
Instructor
Date of Submission
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Organizational Structure and Culture
Organizational structure and culture are closely related concepts fundamental to
organizational performance. Primarily, an organizational structure dictates the process through
which different activities are directed, and it fosters the achievement of organizational goals and
objectives thus supporting success. On the other hand, organizational culture is an inherent
element in the workplace encompassing aspects such as values, behaviors, and the shared vision
important in contributing towards the environment of the organization. The two concepts, culture
and structure, are interrelated to some extent, as the culture partially defines the structure and
vice versa.
Structure, Culture, and Mission
The structure of an organization plays a critical role in shaping employee behavior and
ultimately performance. The most common organizational structure is hierarchical/mechanistic,
and it is characterized by aspects such as a centralized authority, specialized functions, and
formalized procedures and practices. Essentially, the structure closely dictates the different
activities occurring within the organization, functioning like a machine such that each part of the
organization engages in specific predetermined activities and performs based on specific
standards and expectations. Aligning the structure with the organizational culture is crucial in
paving the way to the achievement of the organization’s mission.
One way the alignment of organizational structure and culture can benefit the
achievement of the organizational mission is strategy creation, communication, and execution.
Essentially, strategy creation is an important step towards a business distinguishing itself in the
marketplace and gaining a competitive advantage. Indeed, most successful businesses thrive by
effectively aligning their structures and cultures thus creating stable environments within the
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workplaces such that strategy creation, communication, and execution are possible. According to
Myler (2012), achieving a sustainable business balance requires an effective alignment of
various key facets in business, with culture and structure being fundamental among them (par.
3). Fundamentally, having aligned the two concepts effectively, each individual knows what he
or she should do in the pursuit of organizational success. At the same time, the workplace is
shaped to accommodate the exact aspects required to foster success, and at each step, the
workforce and the management can interact effectively thus advancing the organizational
strategy towards the achievement of the mission.
Besides the organizational strategy, the alignment of organizati...
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