This document outlines key concepts related to organizational structure and decision making. It defines the purpose and elements of an organizational chart, including vertical/horizontal dimensions, chain of command, line/staff positions, authority levels, power, responsibility, and departmentalization. Five steps of decision making are described: identify the problem, analyze alternatives, review alternatives, implement, and evaluate. Effective decision makers are said to have good judgment, experience, creativity, analytic skills, insight, and seek outside input.

1. SQU
Educational technology leadership in
LRTC environment
Dr. Abdelrahman Mohamed Ahmed
Department of Instructional & Learning Technologies
abdoelhaj@squ.edu.om
Fall 2013

2. Objectives
• Purpose of an organizational chart
• Describe the elements of organizational
chart
• Differentiate between rules, procedures &
policies
• Describe five steps of decision making
• List five qualities of effective decision makers

3. Organizational Structure
• Necessary if objectives are to be achieved
• Simple chart shows how an organization
operates
• Shows flow of authority

4. Elements of Organizational Charts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Vertical and horizontal dimensions
Chain of command
Line and staff
Authority levels
Power
Responsibility and accountability
Departmentalization

5. 1. Vertical and Horizontal Dimensions
Vertical = chain of command
Horizontal = staff and service departments

6. 2. Chain of Command
• Who reports to whom
• Shows flow of authority in vertical format
• Top positions represent highest level of
decision-making authority

7. 3. Line and Staff
Line ( )
• Positions carrying command authority
• Represented on vertical plane
• Orders flow from above
Staff (
)
• No decision-making authority
• Provide support to people in chain of
command
• Represented on horizontal plane

8. 3. Line and Staff cont.
Manager
Assistant Manager
Secretary
Director of …
ClerkTypist
Line position = blue
Staff position = lavender

9. 4. Authority Levels
• Makes decisions
Decision must be made (who will do the work,
when the work will be done, who will make
cost estimates, and the defining and
monitoring of quality control)
• Delegates
• Amount of authority depends on level in chain
of command

10. 5. Power
• Authority and power are not synonymous
• Refers to the ability to lead or to influence
attitudes
• Often it is found in informal leaders
• Not depicted on organizational chart
• Alert manager recognizes those with power

11. 6. Responsibility and Accountability
• Responsibility refers to what you have to do
in your position
• Accountability refers to how well assigned
tasks are performed

12. 7. Departmentalization
• Division of an organization into smaller units
• Accomplished along lines of location,
function, process or product
• Depicted on organizational chart in the
horizontal plane

13. Example of Departmentalization
Media Center
Television
Production
Circulation
Maintenance
Audio
Photography
And Repair
Production

14. Rules, Procedures, & Policies
• Rules tell what to do in a specific situation
• Procedures detail how something should be
done
• Policies provide guidelines and identify goals

15. Making Decisions
• Programmed Decisions
– Routine and repetitive in nature
– Problem is well structured
– Solution can be found in policies,
procedures or rules
• Non-programmed Decisions
Made only by upper management
Guidelines may not apply

16. Steps for Making Nonprogrammed
Decisions
• Identify the problem
• Analyze the problem
• Review the alternatives
• Implement the decision
• Evaluate

17. Types of Decision Makers
• Structured
– Gather all pertinent information
– Information is organized
– Analyzed
• Intuitive
– Absorb information from variety of sources
– Nonsystematic
– Information is internalized

18. Effective Decision Making
• Good judgment
• Experience
• Creativity
• Analytic skills
• Insight
• Outside input