There are many organisational structures and they include:
This structure has many layers but a lot of problems are found especially with communication being a huge problem. The person with the most control of the company covers the top layer. Underneath are the employees who do not have as much authority as the staff above them.
The flat structure has the wide span of control and fewer layers than the tall structure and there are also fewer subordinates. The staff member who is in control can find this difficult because he would have to deal with many enquiries and problems all at the same time. However, employees underneath the chain can find this easier to have their problems sorted out very quickly.
This structure is important to employees, as they must have the willingness to organise themselves and their work. Each team member can end up with two bosses and they can be project leader and department manager. Staff will enjoy their work on this structure as get to work with different possessions and not their same routine everyday. This aids the cause of the business as staff are enjoying work and they are motivated to work harder.
This structure is very conventional and very systematic. It starts from the top to all the way down and it is a structured chain of command. Most companies use this structure and it is a very successful method. At the top of the chain would be board directors and managing directors, underneath orders from them would be received by the department managers who would pass messages to heads of each section and finally to the staff working in the shop.
This structure is where the decision-making is made at the top of the hierarchy and the store managers are told what to achieve. The employees follow the instructions set by the managers. This can lead to coherent strategies in marketing and production and sharing of resources. Decision-making can speed up, but this structure also reduces the opportunity for input from the lower levels.
This structure is where the decision-making and financial resources are passed down the hierarchy and this enables junior staff to make the decisions. With this responsibility, it motivates the junior employees, which could lead to innovation and enthusiasm. However as they are not experienced enough, tight control and communication must be maintained.
C2
The organisational structure in Sainsbury’s would be of the matrix structure as the organisation is trying to be minimised. The company would not use the conventional methods like hierarchical structures etc.. This structure would affect the business in a huge way and make the company more successful as the member of the team is more organised and has a willingness to work for the company, therefore, their work will be of the highest quality. The staffs also enjoy this structure as their work routine changes so they do not work the same schedule every day.
The management style of Sainsbury’s is autocratic because the company is a huge organisation known throughout the country and as well as the matrix structure, they have a tall structure. The autocratic style is where the manager sets the objectives, allocates the tasks and insists on obedience. With this leadership style, the group become dependent on the manager. However, the leadership normally makes the group often dissatisfied. This results in little unity, the need for high levels of supervision and poor levels of motivation amongst employees. But this type of leadership has also proved effective. In Sainsbury’s, the decisions are made by the directors and the decisions they make could affect the sales and also affect the company financially.
Every Sainsbury’s company throughout the country have a store manager and they responsible over everything that takes place everyday in the store. Beneath the store manager is the deputy store manager and assistant managers who have a controlling task but in different areas of the store. The staff are given instructions by the managers and they are expected to carry out the tasks. The managers are also there for the staff if they have any problems. In my opinion, Sainsbury’s is autocratic because objectives have to be met to be successful.
The culture also affects the business. These are patterns of behaviour and value systems that characterise an organisation. The organisations culture is very much concerned with the way in which people in the organisation interact with each other, and the typical patterns of interactions that have developed over time.
I think the culture used in Sainsbury’s is the matrix as I have already mentioned above. This can also be known as the task culture. People from different departments have the flexibility to work on projects with or other departments. The advantages of this task culture would be that it is appropriate where flexibility, creativity and teamwork are important qualities. This would be where the market is volatile or the product life cycles are short. Also another advantage of this culture is that different teams across the functions can be combined as appropriate to meet the needs of different projects. This adds interest and variety to the working life and therefore is seen as a motivator.
However, where there are advantages, there will be disadvantages which affect the business and they are that much of the power and influence in a matrix system lies at quite low levels in the management hierarchy. The other disadvantage is the control may be difficult in the task culture. Intensity of power and control are the price paid by the senior managers for fast response and more teamwork.
