Learning Activity 1
In my point of view, Annie ought to implement a functional organizational structure. In essence, this organizational structure will work well to help her solve the project problem. According to Nahod & Radujković (2007), the functional organizational structure groups equivalent occupation specialties together. In other words, the functional structure classifies the business activities around specialization areas. As reported, Annie has four leadership members each heading a specific division. These divisions include rifle design, rifle manufacture, sales, and customer service. Besides, it is reported that each of the four members has the final decision-making authority in his/her department. Consequently, the functional structure is the most appropriate organizational structure for Annie to implement in her company.
There is nothing that will happen with the addition of a fifth independent link. In other words, the new link will not affect the other functional areas because it will specialize in a specific, different activity. Annie should allocate the company’s resources according to the requirements of every functional area. In an attempt to make the new link in the decision train function on a day-to-day basis, Annie should make sure that she has allocated it enough resources. The functional organizational structure will provide Annie’s company with a clear chain of command. Every leader will make decisions in his/her functional area and report to the leadership team. What is more, this organizational structure will facilitate greater operational efficiency and eventually lead to the success of the project.
Learning Activity 2
Technology has essentially had an impact on how organizations are structured as well as the way work in these structures flows (Ahmad, 2014). As a matter of fact, the businesses are changing their organizational structures so as to adjust to the evolving technologies. The organizational structures in most businesses have essentially transformed from the traditional paper-based workflow to the contemporary, internet-based information system. Technology has played an imperative role in changing the way managers define how tasks are performed in an organizational structure. In essence, technology has improved the way managers define and assign different tasks to the employees in various organizational structures of the company. Besides, the information technology has improved the sharing of information between the managers and the employees. As a result, this has made it simple for the managers to guide the employees on how to go about completing various tasks in different organizational structures. The employees can now seek for the clarification when faced with difficulties when performing different tasks from their managers without difficulty.
Technology has also helped the managers assess the way employees in different organizational structures perform. As a matter of fact, the managers now make use of the computer technology to evaluate how the employees in different departments perform the different tasks they assign them. There are numerous software programs that managers use to examine the performance of the employees in different organizational structures. In essence, these programs ensure that the workers in various organizational structures are meeting the set performance standards. The managers also make use of the computer technology to get worker feedback regarding different tasks. As a result, this feedback makes the managers understand better how to define and assign tasks in the organizational department. What is more, technology has guided the managers in eliminating some redundant job positions in specific organizational structures. Consequently, this has facilitated the improvement in the performance of the organizations.
References
Ahmad, S. (2014). Technology in Organizations. International Journal of Research in Business Management, 2(7), 73-80.
Nahod, M. M., & Radujković, M. (2007, January). Project in different organization structures and transition from non–project to the more project–oriented organization structure. In 5th International Conference TECHSTA 2007.
