Radial structure
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Tasks involving work of lot of people involves introducing of the hierarchy and division of labor. Such solutions have appeared for a long time, although they were mostly informal. Indeed, it is hard to imagine that several thousand years ago in the operation as complicated as the mammoth hunt, there was any leaders or coordinators.
If the owner or the leader directly manages subordinates such structure is called radial. This is a typical structure for each young organization. At the same time, it is not possible to keep it, if the organization is growing fast. In such case, it develops to a linear structure or other structural solution. This evolution involves the introduction of the positions of the managers, who handles various activities in place of the owner of company.
Characteristics of radial structure
Undoubted advantage of radial structure is its simplicity. However, this is not the most important criterion for evaluation. The efficiency of this solution is present only in the beginning of the company's business. Maintaining this solution for a period longer than necessary, cause a slowdown in the company's development due to the lack of sufficiently flexible changes and restrictions on communication. Why this happens? Employees in each case must ask the owner, who makes every decision and commands every employee. When the owner goes on vacation or gets ill, the company stops working. Employees do not communicate among themselves in matters related to the implementation of the tasks because there is no such need.
Almost every organization passes through a stage of radial structure. In the case of small family companies it lasts longer and in the case of fast-growing companies it lasts very briefly. Radial structure should not be treated as a viable way to manage the organization, because it can hinder its development.
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References
- Tsoukas, H., & Chia, R. (2002). On organizational becoming: Rethinking organizational change. Organization science, 13(5), 567-582.
