Organization Design

question 36

Essay

Organization Design. An effective organization design is one that allocates decision authority to that person or team of persons best able to perform a given task or influence a particular outcome. Decision authority allows individual employees to determine how and when to best deploy the productive resources and valuable information at their disposal. Of course, decision authority confers responsibility. It is thus imperative to monitor and evaluate performance. Managers and all employees must be held accountable for outcomes tied to individual decisions. Accountability can only be measured in terms of the tangible and intangible rewards derived from productive activity, and in terms of the penalties or sanctions tied to unproductive behavior. To minimize the costs of unproductive conflict with the firm, it is essential that the design of the organization effectively allocate decision making authority.
A. Describe centralized decision authority. Under what conditions does it work best?
B. What is decentralized decision authority, and when does it work best?

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Definitions:

Dishabituated

The process of responding to an old stimulus as if it were new again, typically after the stimulus has not been presented for a period of time.

Tiny Tots Day Care

A child care service specifically designed for the care and development of young children.

Infants

Very young children, typically under one year of age, who are at the earliest stage of human life.

Repeat An Action

The process of performing the same action or task again, often to practice or reinforce a skill or behavior.