Organising is the managerial function that converts plans into action by creating a structure of roles, authority and relationships. It decides what work will be done, who will do it, how work will be grouped, and how coordination will be achieved. Concepts such as delegation, authority–responsibility relationships, departmentation and span of control are central to building an effective organisation.
Organising means arranging resources and activities in a structured manner so that objectives can be achieved. It establishes who reports to whom and clarifies roles and responsibilities.
Nature/features:
Formal organisation is the officially established structure with clearly defined roles, authority and rules.
Features:
Informal organisation is a network of personal and social relationships that develops naturally among employees.
Features:
Note: Informal organisation cannot be eliminated; it should be used positively for cooperation.
These three are closely related:
Relationship:
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Organising is the managerial function that converts plans into action by creating a structure of roles, authority and relationships. It decides what work will be done, who will do it, how work will be grouped, and how coordination will be achieved. Concepts such as delegation, authority–responsibility relationships, departmentation and span of control are central to building an effective organisation.
Organising means arranging resources and activities in a structured manner so that objectives can be achieved. It establishes who reports to whom and clarifies roles and responsibilities.
Nature/features:
Formal organisation is the officially established structure with clearly defined roles, authority and rules.
Features:
Informal organisation is a network of personal and social relationships that develops naturally among employees.
Features:
Note: Informal organisation cannot be eliminated; it should be used positively for cooperation.
These three are closely related:
Relationship:
Delegation is the process by which a manager assigns work to a subordinate and gives the necessary authority to perform it, while retaining overall accountability.
Barriers related to manager:
Barriers related to subordinate:
Organisational barriers:
Centralisation means concentration of authority and decision-making power at top levels.
Merits: uniformity, strong control, suitable for small organisations and crisis. Demerits: delays, overload of top managers, low initiative at lower levels.
Decentralisation means systematic delegation of authority to lower levels.
Merits: quick decisions, motivation and initiative, managerial development, better local responsiveness. Demerits: difficulty in uniformity, risk of wrong decisions, need for strong control systems.
Centralisation and decentralisation are not absolute; organisations adopt a suitable balance.
Departmentation means grouping similar activities into departments to facilitate specialisation and coordination.
Span of control means the number of subordinates a manager can effectively supervise.
Narrow span: better supervision and control, but costly and slow due to many levels.
Wide span: economical and quick communication, but may weaken supervision if too wide.
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From this topic
The organising process involves: (i) identifying activities required to achieve objectives, (ii) grouping related activities into departments (departmentation), (iii) assigning duties to individuals according to ability and specialization, and (iv) establishing authority relationships by defining reporting lines, delegation and coordination mechanisms so that activities are integrated.
Formal organisation is the officially designed structure with defined roles, authority and rules created by management to achieve objectives. Informal organisation is a natural network of personal and social relationships among employees, not created by management. Formal organisation supports coordination and control through authority; informal organisation supports communication and morale but may also create rumours and group pressure.
Delegation of authority is the process by which a superior assigns work to a subordinate and grants the necessary authority to perform it, while the superior remains ultimately accountable for results. Delegation is essential for smooth functioning and growth because one manager cannot perform all tasks alone.
Elements of delegation: (1) Assignment of responsibility—the subordinate is given a definite task and expected results. (2) Granting of authority—the subordinate is given the power to take decisions and use resources needed to perform the task. (3) Creating accountability—the subordinate is answerable for performance, but final accountability remains with the superior who delegated.
Barriers to effective delegation: From the manager's side, barriers include fear of losing importance/control, lack of confidence in subordinates, fear of mistakes and the attitude “I can do it better myself.” From the subordinate's side, barriers include lack of confidence, fear of failure or criticism and unwillingness to accept additional responsibility. Organisational barriers include unclear policies, over-centralisation, poor communication and weak control and reporting systems. Removing these barriers through clarity, training, trust and proper feedback makes delegation effective.