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The paper compares the organic and mechanistic organization designs in terms of decision-making, job responsibilities and span of control. The paper uses the process of change management as an effective framework for this analysis and explains why the organic design is the only effective means available to a business to maintain the continuous improvement process. The paper shows how the organic design creates a flexible organization structure with fewer levels in the hierarchy, while the mechanistic design is bureaucratic with many hierarchical levels. The paper therefore concludes that the organic design is more effective in the current environment of uncertainty.
From the Paper:"According to Jones (2004, p. 5), the process of innovation involves generating new ideas and putting them into successful application. According to Kumar & Nagpal (2001, p. 9), innovation is the process of lowering costs in relation to benefits. According to Raffee & Kreutzer (1999, p. 7), innovation is the process by which different organizational components i.e. engineering, technology, employee morale, etc. are improved. All three definitions share one element: change. This is facilitated by the organic structure the most important feature of which is the high level of flexibility. The organic structure is also characterized by a flatter organizational structure so that the communications process is much more effective between the employees and their supervisors. This is in contrast with the mechanistic design which is characterized by a taller organizational structure in which the decision making processes are not as flexible. Therefore the process of managing change may not be as effective in the mechanistic design. It has a top down approach which might lead to employee resistance."
Sample of Sources Used:
- Chanaron, J & Jolly, D 1999, 'Technological management: expanding the perspective of management of technology ', Management Decision, vol. 37, pp 23-43.
- Chandra, M 1998, 'Total quality management in management development', Journal of management development, vol. 12, pp 12-15.
- Culpan, R 1997, 'Leadership styles and human resource management: a content analysis of popular management writings', Management Decision, vol. 27, pp 43-54.
- Ganesh, J, Kumar V & Subramanium, V 1997, 'Learning Effect in Multinational Diffusion of Consumer Durables: An Exploratory Investigation', Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 25, pp 214-228.
- Gosling, J & Mintzberg, H 2003, 'The five minds of a manager', Harvard Business Review, vol. 81, pp. 54-63.
Cite this Comparison Essay:
Organic vs. Mechanistic Organization Design (2010, December 22) Retrieved August 01, 2015, from http://www.academon.com/comparison-essay/organic-vs-mechanistic-organization-design-146205/
"Organic vs. Mechanistic Organization Design" 22 December 2010. Web. 01 August. 2015. <http://www.academon.com/comparison-essay/organic-vs-mechanistic-organization-design-146205/>