This chapter discusses organizational structure and the structural perspective. It covers structural assumptions about rationality and efficiency. The origins of structural thinking come from Taylor's scientific management and Weber's bureaucracy. Organizations must balance differentiation of work with integration through coordination. Vertical coordination uses authority, rules, and planning systems, while lateral coordination employs meetings, task forces, and matrix structures. The chapter contrasts the different structures of McDonald's and Harvard despite their success. Structural design depends on size, goals, environment, workforce, and technology.

1. Chapter 3
Getting Organized

2. Getting Organized
 Structural Assumptions
 Origins of the Structural Perspective
 Structural Forms and Functions
 Basic Structural Tensions
 Vertical Coordination
- Authority
- Rules and Policies
- Planning and Control Systems
 Lateral Coordination
 McDonald’s and Harvard: A Structural Odd Couple
 Structural Imperatives

3. Structural Assumptions
 Achieve established goals and objectives
 Increase efficiency and performance via
specialization and division of labor
 Appropriate forms of coordination and control
 Organizations work best when rationality
prevails
 Structure must align with circumstances
 Problems arise from structural deficiencies

4. Origins of the Structural Perspective
 Frederick Taylor – Scientific Management
 Efficiency, time and motion studies, etc.
 Max Weber – Bureaucracy
 Fixed division of labor
 Hierarchy of offices
 Performance rules
 Separate personal and official property and rights
 Personnel selected for technical qualifications
 Employment as primary occupation

5. Structural Forms and Functions
 Blueprint for expectations and exchanges
among internal and external players
 Design options are almost infinite
 Design needs to fit circumstances

6. Basic Structural Tensions
 Differentiation: dividing work, division of labor
 Integration: coordinating efforts of different
roles and units
 Criteria for differentiation: function, time,
product, customer, place, process
 Suboptimization: units focus on local
concerns, lose sight of big picture

7. Vertical coordination
 Authority (the boss makes the decision)
 Rules and policies
 Planning and control systems
 Performance control (focus on results) vs.
action planning (focus on process)

8. Lateral Coordination
 Meetings
 Task Forces
 Coordinating Roles
 Matrix Structures
 Networks
 Strengths and Weaknesses of Lateral
Strategies

9. McDonald’s and Harvard: A Structural
Odd Couple
 McDonald’s: clearer goals, more centralized,
tighter performance controls
 Harvard: diffuse goals, highly decentralized, high
autonomy for professors
 Why have two successful organizations developed
such different structures?

10. Structural Imperatives
 Size and Age
 Core Process
 Environment
 Strategy and Goals
 Information Technology
 People: Nature of Workforce

11. Conclusion
 Structural frame – understanding the social architecture of work
 Structure is more than red tape and bureaucracy
 Bad structure wastes resources, frustrates individuals, and
undermines effectiveness
 Good structure empowers individuals and units to work
together and achieve goals
 Differentiation and integration as the central structural
challenge: how do we divide the work, and how do we
coordinate once we divide?
 Structure depends on situation
 Simpler more stable  simpler, more hierarchical and
centralized structure
 Changing, turbulent environments  more complex, flexible
structure