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4 - Structure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2014

Howard Thomas
Affiliation:
Singapore Management University
Richard R. Smith
Affiliation:
Singapore Management University
Fermin Diez
Affiliation:
Singapore Management University
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Summary

Every company has two organisational structures: the formal one that is written on the charts; the other is the everyday relationship of the men and women in the organisation.

Harold S. Greneen

In this chapter we will explore the area of organisation structure. The reporting lines, allocation of activities, and clustering of departments are all ways of thinking about structure in an organisation. Structure is the form that the organisation takes in executing processes, decision-making, and working towards the business strategy.

Of course, there are many types of structures and the topic of how to organise an entity can be complex when considering the variety of factors such as market orientation, size of firm, types of discipline, nature of work activities, location of operations, cost profiles, risk factors, regulatory impacts, and the like. We will review some of the key areas in designing an organisation as well as the component parts such as jobs and teams.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

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  • Structure
  • Howard Thomas, Singapore Management University, Richard R. Smith, Singapore Management University, Fermin Diez, Singapore Management University
  • Book: Human Capital and Global Business Strategy
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139519380.005
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  • Structure
  • Howard Thomas, Singapore Management University, Richard R. Smith, Singapore Management University, Fermin Diez, Singapore Management University
  • Book: Human Capital and Global Business Strategy
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139519380.005
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Structure
  • Howard Thomas, Singapore Management University, Richard R. Smith, Singapore Management University, Fermin Diez, Singapore Management University
  • Book: Human Capital and Global Business Strategy
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139519380.005
Available formats
×