Summary Mintzberg Ch 6 tm 13
Mintzberg Ch 6: Deriving Configurations
Design Parameters:
- Job specialization: refers to the number of tasks in a given job and the
worker’s control over these tasks
o Horizontally: specialized to the extent that it encompasses a few
narrowly defined tasks
o Vertically: specialized to the extent that the worker lacks control of
the tasks performed
Unskilled: typically highly specialized in both dimensions
Skilled (Professional): typically specialized horizontally but not
vertically
o Job enrichment: the enlargement of jobs in both the vertical and
horizontal dimensions
- Behavior formalization: standardization of work processes by the
imposition of operating instructions, job descriptions, rules, regulations and
the like.
o Bureaucratic: structures that rely on any form of standardization for
coordination
o Organic: do not
- Training: use of formal instructional programs to establish and standardize
in people the requisite skills and knowledge to do particular jobs in
organizations
o key design parameter
- indoctrination: programs and techniques by which the norms of the
members of an organization are standardized -> become responsive to its
ideological needs and can be trusted to make its decisions and take its
actions
- unit grouping: the choice of the bases by which positions are grouped
together into units, and those units into higher order units
o function performed
o market served
- unit size: number of positions contained in a single unit
- planning and control systems: standardize outputs
o action planning: specify the results of specific actions before they
are taken
o performance control: specify the desired results of whole ranges of
actions after the fact
- Liaison devices: refer to a whole series of mechanisms used to encourage
mutual adjustment within and between units
o Range from liaison positions through task forces and integrating
managers to fully developed matrix structures
- Decentralization: the diffusion of decision-making power
o Structure centralized: all the power rests at a single point in an
organization
o Relatively decentralized: the power is dispersed among many
individuals
o Vertical decentralization: the delegation of formal power down the
hierarchy to line managers
, o Horizontal decentralization: the extent to which formal or informal
power is dispersed out of the line hierarchy to non-
managers(operators, analysts, and support staffers)
o Selective decentralization: the power over various kinds of decisions
is delegated to the same place
Structure in context
Age and Size
- the older the organization the more formalized its behavior
o as organizations age, they tend to repeat their behaviors -> become
more predictable
- the larger an organization, the more formalized its behavior
o larger organization formalizes what it sees often
- the larger an organization, the more elaborate its structure; that I the
more specialized its jobs and units and the more developed its
administrative components
o grow in size -> specialize their jobs more finely
result: specialize the work of their units more extensively
- structure reflects the age of the industry form its founding
Technical System
Technical system refers to the instruments used in the operating core to produce
the outputs
- The more regulating the technical system – that is, the more controls the
work of the operators – the more formalized the operating work and the
more bureaucratic the structure of the operating core
- The more complex the technical system, the more elaborate and
professional the support staff
- The automation of the operating core transforms a bureaucratic
administrative structure into an organic one
Environment
Refers to various characteristics of the organization’s outside context, related to
markets, political climate, economic conditions, and so on.
- The more dynamic an organization’s environment, the more organic its
structure
o Environment where nothing changes, can predict future
o More dynamic, organization cannot standardize but must remain
flexible through the use of direct supervision for mutual adjustment
for coordination so must be more organic
- The more complex an organization’s environment, the more decentralized
its structure
o Complex body of knowledge, need to decentralize decision-making
power
- The more diversified an organization’s markets, the great the propensity to
split it into market-based units, or divisions, given favorable economies of
scale
o Diversification breeds divisionalization
- Extreme hostility in its environment drives any organization to centralize
its structure temporarily
o Threatened by extreme hostility -> fall back on direct super vision
Power
- The greater the external control of an organization, the more centralized
and formalized its structure
, - A divided external coalition will tend to give rise to a politicized internal
coalition and vice versa
- Fashion favors the structure of the day (and of the culture), sometimes
even when inappropriate
Basic Types of Organizations
Configuration Prime Key Part of Type of
Coordinating Organization Decentralization
Mechanism
Entrepreneurial Direct supervision Strategic apex Vertical and
organization Horizontal
centralization
Machin Standardization of Techno structure Limited horizontal
organization work processes decentralization
Professional Standardization of Operating core Horizontal
organization skills decentralization
Diversified Standardization of Middle line Limited vertical
organization outputs decentralization
Innovative Mutual Support staff Selected
organization adjustment decentralization
Missionary Standardization of Ideology Decentralization
organization norms
Political None None varies
organization
- Strategic apex exerts a pull to lead: by which it retains control over
decision-making, with coordination achieved by direct supervision
- Techno structure exerts its pull to rationalize: through the standardization
of work processes, encouraging only limited horizontal decentralization
o Instruments: machine organizations that rationalize on behalf of a
dominant external constituency
o Closed system: behalf of their own administrators
- Managers of the middle line exert a pull to balkanize the structure: to
concentrate power in their own units through only limited vertical
decentralization to themselves.
- Members of operation core exert a pull to professionalize: to minimize the
influence that others, colleagues as well as line and technocratic
administrators, have over their work
- Support staff exerts a pull to collaborate in order to involve itself in the
central activity of the organization
- Ideology exists primarily as a force in organizations of other types,
encouraging their members to pull together
- Politics also exists in organizations of other types, the force of conflict that
causes people to pull apart
Mintzberg Ch 6: Deriving Configurations
Design Parameters:
- Job specialization: refers to the number of tasks in a given job and the
worker’s control over these tasks
o Horizontally: specialized to the extent that it encompasses a few
narrowly defined tasks
o Vertically: specialized to the extent that the worker lacks control of
the tasks performed
Unskilled: typically highly specialized in both dimensions
Skilled (Professional): typically specialized horizontally but not
vertically
o Job enrichment: the enlargement of jobs in both the vertical and
horizontal dimensions
- Behavior formalization: standardization of work processes by the
imposition of operating instructions, job descriptions, rules, regulations and
the like.
o Bureaucratic: structures that rely on any form of standardization for
coordination
o Organic: do not
- Training: use of formal instructional programs to establish and standardize
in people the requisite skills and knowledge to do particular jobs in
organizations
o key design parameter
- indoctrination: programs and techniques by which the norms of the
members of an organization are standardized -> become responsive to its
ideological needs and can be trusted to make its decisions and take its
actions
- unit grouping: the choice of the bases by which positions are grouped
together into units, and those units into higher order units
o function performed
o market served
- unit size: number of positions contained in a single unit
- planning and control systems: standardize outputs
o action planning: specify the results of specific actions before they
are taken
o performance control: specify the desired results of whole ranges of
actions after the fact
- Liaison devices: refer to a whole series of mechanisms used to encourage
mutual adjustment within and between units
o Range from liaison positions through task forces and integrating
managers to fully developed matrix structures
- Decentralization: the diffusion of decision-making power
o Structure centralized: all the power rests at a single point in an
organization
o Relatively decentralized: the power is dispersed among many
individuals
o Vertical decentralization: the delegation of formal power down the
hierarchy to line managers
, o Horizontal decentralization: the extent to which formal or informal
power is dispersed out of the line hierarchy to non-
managers(operators, analysts, and support staffers)
o Selective decentralization: the power over various kinds of decisions
is delegated to the same place
Structure in context
Age and Size
- the older the organization the more formalized its behavior
o as organizations age, they tend to repeat their behaviors -> become
more predictable
- the larger an organization, the more formalized its behavior
o larger organization formalizes what it sees often
- the larger an organization, the more elaborate its structure; that I the
more specialized its jobs and units and the more developed its
administrative components
o grow in size -> specialize their jobs more finely
result: specialize the work of their units more extensively
- structure reflects the age of the industry form its founding
Technical System
Technical system refers to the instruments used in the operating core to produce
the outputs
- The more regulating the technical system – that is, the more controls the
work of the operators – the more formalized the operating work and the
more bureaucratic the structure of the operating core
- The more complex the technical system, the more elaborate and
professional the support staff
- The automation of the operating core transforms a bureaucratic
administrative structure into an organic one
Environment
Refers to various characteristics of the organization’s outside context, related to
markets, political climate, economic conditions, and so on.
- The more dynamic an organization’s environment, the more organic its
structure
o Environment where nothing changes, can predict future
o More dynamic, organization cannot standardize but must remain
flexible through the use of direct supervision for mutual adjustment
for coordination so must be more organic
- The more complex an organization’s environment, the more decentralized
its structure
o Complex body of knowledge, need to decentralize decision-making
power
- The more diversified an organization’s markets, the great the propensity to
split it into market-based units, or divisions, given favorable economies of
scale
o Diversification breeds divisionalization
- Extreme hostility in its environment drives any organization to centralize
its structure temporarily
o Threatened by extreme hostility -> fall back on direct super vision
Power
- The greater the external control of an organization, the more centralized
and formalized its structure
, - A divided external coalition will tend to give rise to a politicized internal
coalition and vice versa
- Fashion favors the structure of the day (and of the culture), sometimes
even when inappropriate
Basic Types of Organizations
Configuration Prime Key Part of Type of
Coordinating Organization Decentralization
Mechanism
Entrepreneurial Direct supervision Strategic apex Vertical and
organization Horizontal
centralization
Machin Standardization of Techno structure Limited horizontal
organization work processes decentralization
Professional Standardization of Operating core Horizontal
organization skills decentralization
Diversified Standardization of Middle line Limited vertical
organization outputs decentralization
Innovative Mutual Support staff Selected
organization adjustment decentralization
Missionary Standardization of Ideology Decentralization
organization norms
Political None None varies
organization
- Strategic apex exerts a pull to lead: by which it retains control over
decision-making, with coordination achieved by direct supervision
- Techno structure exerts its pull to rationalize: through the standardization
of work processes, encouraging only limited horizontal decentralization
o Instruments: machine organizations that rationalize on behalf of a
dominant external constituency
o Closed system: behalf of their own administrators
- Managers of the middle line exert a pull to balkanize the structure: to
concentrate power in their own units through only limited vertical
decentralization to themselves.
- Members of operation core exert a pull to professionalize: to minimize the
influence that others, colleagues as well as line and technocratic
administrators, have over their work
- Support staff exerts a pull to collaborate in order to involve itself in the
central activity of the organization
- Ideology exists primarily as a force in organizations of other types,
encouraging their members to pull together
- Politics also exists in organizations of other types, the force of conflict that
causes people to pull apart
