Set of norms, rules and procedures that regulate the flow of authority communication and work linking the subsystems of the entire organisation.
Used by any organisation to achieve its objectives.
# Type of organisational structures
**Formal** -> Run by Directors Orders
**Informal** -> Run by socio-affective relationships
# Dimensions of organisational Structures
**1. Formalisation**
Degree of definition of tasks through rules, norms, etc.
**2. Standardisation**
Degree to which rules, procedures, and communications are written.
**3. Centralisation**
Degree to which authority is concentrated and gives greater or lesser autonomy in decision-making (eg whether design changes can or cannot be made by an engineer from a subsidiary plant)
**4. Specialisation**
Degree to which activities are divided into specialized tasks. (e.g. Montagekette)
Below the apex is the Middle line, a group of managers who are concerned with converting the objectives and broad plans of the Strategic apex into operational plans that can be carried out by the workers.
**Operating Core**
Finally, at the bottom of the organisation, is the Operating Core. These are the people who do the basic work of producing the products or delivering the services.
**Tecnostructure**
As organisations grow and become more complex, they usually develop a separate group of people who are concerned with the best way of doing a job, specifying output criteria (e.g., quality standards) and ensuring that personnel have appropriate skills (e.g., by organising training programmes). This group of analysts is referred to by Mintzberg as the**Technostructure**.
**Support Staff**
The organisation also adds other administrative functions that provide services to itself, for example legal advice, public relations, mailroom, cafeteria and so on. These are the Support staff.
# Types of Structures
**> Simple Structure**
Simple Structure: One or two administrators and few operators. Direct control of the strategic apex. Small organizations. (self-employed)
**> Burocratic-Mechanic**
Standardisation of Work, a lot of techostructure, wide middle line, large companies.
**> Burocratic-Professional**
Standardisation of knowledge, Independent Professionals with supporting staff.
**> Divisionalised Structure**
Standardisation of products, the middle line has a lot of autonomy
**> Adhocracy**
More complex organizations with coordinated teams, with a tendency to disappearing middle line and staff
# Shamrock Structure
The Shamrock or Cloverleaf Structure imagines a core of the top management surrounded by more or less indepentend "leaves":
**> Subcontractors**
Many companies, without going as far as the shamrock model, have made significant use of outsourcing for a range of services. Outsourcing can be used for peripheral activities such as catering and, less commonly, for mission-critical ones such as IT services.
**> Flexible Workforce**
The third leaf comprises the contingent work force, whose employment derives from the external demand for the organisation's products. There is no career track for these people and they perform routine jobs. They are usually temporary and part-time workers who will experience short periods of employment and long periods of unemployment. They are paid by the hour or day or week for the time they work.
**> Professional Core**
It consists of professionals, technicians and managers whose skills define the organisation's core competence.
A fourth leaf of the shamrock may exist, consisting of consumers who do the work of the organisation. Examples are shoppers who bag their own groceries and purchasers of assemble-it-yourself furniture.
