Flatter Organizational Structures Research Articles

Principals in Preschool Management and Leadership: A Necessary Combination to Ensure That Preschool Teachers Are Given Conditions to Be Responsible for Teaching in Preschool

Following the educational reforms of 2010 and the revision of the curriculum in 2018, Swedish preschool principals have a special responsibility for ensuring that preschool teachers have the necessary conditions to assume their responsibility for the teaching and to lead the work team. This indicates that integrating leadership with management is essential for a sustainable and successful preschool education. This study explores this assumption. Building on the concepts of management and leadership, with a qualitative research design, this study analyses data from seven interviews with preschool principals. The results showed a lack of a combination of management and leadership among the principals in relation to their special responsibility of ensuring that preschool teachers are given conditions necessary to be responsible for teaching in the preschool. The principals either lacked both management and leadership or focused on management only with a lack of leadership. Our findings suggest the necessity for principals to combine management and leadership and move from a previous flat organisational structure towards a focus on increasing preschool teachers’ responsibilities and leadership within the work team. Support for principals is needed to be able to perform a combination of management and leadership when their mission is complex and time-consuming.

The role of organizational culture and structure in implementing sustainability initiatives

AbstractTo address the multiple grand challenges facing humanity, there is an urgent need for businesses to become more sustainable. This study explores the implementation of sustainability initiatives through an interview‐based single case study of an organization in the food and beverage industry. Specifically, this study adopts a Natural‐Resource‐Based View of the firm to examine the role of organizational culture and structure in the implementation process. It argues that to successfully implement sustainability initiatives, a flexible structure and a green organizational culture grounded in a shared sustainability vision are essential. The findings reveal that, despite the in‐practice flat organizational structure of the case organization, there was limited knowledge of the organization's sustainability vision among organizational members across all organizational levels. This could be attributed to a lack of internal communication within the organization, which constitutes a barrier to the successful dissemination of green values throughout the organization's family‐like, inclusive, and diverse work environment. This study proposes a three‐part approach for practitioners attempting to implement sustainability initiatives: (1) enhance organizational awareness and communication of the sustainability vision; (2) cultivate a green organizational culture; and (3) advocate for a collaborative, inclusive and decentralized approach to fostering sustainability. This approach is vital not only for sustaining the organization's competitive advantage but also for achieving improved environmental and social outcomes.

Maintaining Warp Speed: Policy Requirements for a Just-in-Time, Capability-Based, Scalable Medical Countermeasure Research and Development Enterprise.

Maintaining Warp Speed: Policy Requirements for a Just-in-Time, Capability-Based, Scalable Medical Countermeasure Research and Development Enterprise.

The Influence of Organizational Structure on the Dynamic Capability of Enterprises: The Regulating Effect of Technological Innovation

How to optimize the organizational structure from the perspective of technological innovation and form the dynamic ability of enterprises is a highly concerned issue of the academia and the industry. In this paper, we analyze the internal mechanism of the influence of organizational structure selection on dynamic capability from the perspective of technological innovative enterprises. This paper constructs a model of the influence of organizational structure innovation on the formation of enterprise dynamic capability based on technology innovation, Using SPSS21.0 and referring to the maturity scale of organizational structure, dynamic capability and technological innovation, 211 valid sample data are empirically tested. The results show that the change of organizational structure has a significant effect on the dynamic capability of enterprises, that is, the flat organizational structure will positively affect the absorptive capacity, integration capability and innovation capability. Organizational structure virtualization positively affects absorption capability, integration capability, and innovation capability. Technological innovation has a positive moderating effect on the positive relationship between organizational structure and dynamic capability. The research conclusion can help enterprises to attach importance to the innovation of organizational structure and technology innovation, and improve the continuous competitive advantage of enterprises.

Political Influence in Sales Organizations

Political influence is increasingly important in the context of management of sales organisations. A growing number of modern companies are embracing a flat organisational structure, getting rid of layers in the management pyramid, which prompts and necessitates the distribution of power. Allocation of power with others strengthens all members of the organization. There are four dimensions to successful empowerment: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. Alternatively, empowerment is a matter of degree and can be classified in two terms: content and context of work. Discussed are three main types of sales representatives, divided according to their main motivators. Understanding the four dimensions, two terms, and three types of sales representatives can be a good marker for the practices of sales managers when using political influence.

A comprehensive methodology for analyzing the effectiveness of organizational management structures’ performance amidst hierarchy optimization

The article presents the main results of modelling a rational hierarchy corresponding to the transition to a flat organizational structure in the public administration system. The organizational structure of a customs authority served as an example. The obtained results allow to evidently implement a set of measures aimed at transitioning from hierarchical to flat organizational and managerial structures. To substantiate the rational hierarchy, a comprehensive methodology for analyzing the effectiveness of organizational management structures’ performance amidst hierarchy optimization is proposed. Research methodology involved the use of queuing theory tools, economic and statistical methods as well as expert and analytical methods. Modeling proved that the flat organizational structure is more rational than the hierarchical one. This is because when the structure is flat, the speed of attending to customers’ requests increases due to the decrease in internal vertical communication links and the expansion of the horizontal ones through effective redistribution of human resources.

Efficiency in Emergency: A Perception Study of Hierarchical Versus Flat Organizational Structures for Joint Disaster Response in the Bay of Bengal Region

Efficiency in Emergency: A Perception Study of Hierarchical Versus Flat Organizational Structures for Joint Disaster Response in the Bay of Bengal Region

Influence of Organizational Structure on the Performance of Financial Services Associations in Makueni and Kitui Counties of Kenya.

On the surface, the concept of strategy implementation may sound relatively simple, whereby a strategy is developed and put into practice. However, putting strategies into practice is far more challenging and complicated. The present study sought to determine the influence of organizational structure on the performance of FSA in Kitui and Makueni counties. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design, the sample for the study was 280 obtained through a stratified random sampling technique from a population of 938 possible participants. The study applied a questionnaire to gather data for the study using both physical and electronic procedures. Data was analyzed through descriptive and inferential analysis, where a simple binary logistic regression analysis was applied to test a null hypothesis. The study revealed a β of 0.973, a Wald statistic of 21.285, df= 1, and an Exp(B) = 4.812 which was associated with a p-value of 0.001. Firms that adopted flat structures instead of tall structures increased the odds of high performance by a factor of 4.812. The study concluded that organizational structure had a positive and significant influence on the performance of the FSA in Kitui and Makueni counties. The study also recommends for adoption of a flat organizational structure to promote a structure that is a flexible and responsive organizational structure to enhance performance.

Complex Cause-Effect Relationships of Social Capital, Leader-Member Exchange, and Safety Behavior of Workers in Small-Medium Construction Firms and the Moderating Role of Age

Due to workers’ vulnerability in construction sites, workplace safety has become of particular interest, and the current literature offers myriad approaches to dealing with it. From a social and organizational lens, this study explores an empirical model that integrates the dimensions of social capital theory (SCT) and leader-member exchange (LMX) in modelling the safety behavior of construction workers, particularly relevant in small-medium construction firms. The data were collected from 232 construction workers in the central Philippines. The responses were analyzed using partial least squares—structural equation modeling to investigate five hypothesized paths, including the influence of SCT dimensions (e.g., structural, relational, and cognitive) on LMX and LMX on safety behaviors (i.e., compliance and participation). We also tested whether the relationship of LMX to safety behaviors is moderated by age. The results indicate that the three dimensions of SCT have a significant and direct influence on LMX. In addition, LMX directly affects safety participation but does not significantly affect safety compliance. Particularly in small and medium construction firms with relatively flat organizational structures and supervisors displaying diverse roles, these findings suggest that the social relationships of workers tend to promote their trust and professional respect for supervisors who can leverage their position to encourage them participate in safety initiatives. On the other hand, age negatively influences the relationship of LMX to safety participation, indicating that younger workers tend to better translate high quality LMX into initiatives that promote overall workplace safety. Our findings offer the first evidence of the positive relationship between SCT and LMX in advancing the safety participation of construction workers. From these insights, practical inputs to the design of relevant measures and future research works are outlined.

BEYOND ORGANIC OF MANAGEMENT CONTROL STRUCTURE

The research objective is to find a new management control structure, in addition to the existing models: mechanistic and organic. The approach used is hermeneutic to reinterpret the text of management control structure in the Padang restaurant from the relevant literature. After finding the meaning of the text, then field observations were carried out. All relevant literature is positioned as a neutral text which is then reinterpreted to get the essence of the concept of management control structure. The research finding is the design of the Padang restaurant management control structure is the development of the organic model. Each restaurant branch is an autonomous organizational sub-unit, which includes three main characteristics, first, a horizontal and non-hierarchical organizational structure design, and a strategic business unit character. Managers in each branch are given full authority in making operational decisions of the company, a picture of radical decentralization can be seen. Second, the communication network follows the design rhythm of a flat organizational structure, namely fluid communication, dominated by informal communication. The third is budgeting, which is flexible, that is, there is no conventional budgeting that contains details, but only outlines.

Application of Probabilistic Random Matrix Management Mode in Student Information Management for Higher Education

Traditional management method of student information is not only slow in operation, poor in confidentiality, and low in work efficiency, but also prone to statistical errors and data loss, which can no longer meet the needs of new situations. Probabilistic random matrix management mode can effectively coordinate the development of various businesses and strengthen their information flow through horizontal and vertical management across functional departments. On the basis of summarizing and analyzing previous literature, this study expounded the research status and significance of student information management of higher education, elaborated the development background, current status, and future challenges of probabilistic random matrix management mode, introduced the methods and principles of probabilistic matrix factorization algorithm and random matrix factorization model, discussed the service and supervision functions of student information management, analyzed the incentive and guiding functions of student information management, conducted the process analysis of student information management for higher education based on probabilistic random matrix management mode, established student identity document and student status management modules, designed student scholarship, statistics, and data management modules, constructed a student information management system for higher education based on probabilistic random matrix management mode, and finally carried out a case application and its result analysis. The study results show that the probabilistic random matrix management mode is a combination of linear and flat organizational structures and has the advantages of short information lines, fast information feedback, and high operation efficiency; it can input the matrix form of prior data and use statistical probability knowledge to derive the probability density function of posterior feature vector and predict the recommendation result through feature vector. The probabilistic random matrix management mode first calculates student’s behavior sequence through their management information and then calculates the student’s preference sequence according to their behavior sequence and label information and subsequently calculates the similarity matrixes about the students and their information and finally integrates the obtained student similarity matrix into the probabilistic matrix factorization model.

Impact of the project manager's transformational leadership, influenced by mediation of self-leadership and moderation of empowerment, on project success

PurposeIn times of crisis and volatility, especially in the Covid-19 scenario, project organisations are facing multifaceted threats. Project organisations are inclining towards flatter organisational structures. Employees are demanding more decision-making authority due to the changing working scenario. Despite the advancement in project management, a hard skill side, project organisations are still struggling to achieve successful projects. The project manager's leadership, employee self-leadership and soft skills are presented as the solution to these aggravated problems. This article attempts to determine whether a transformational leadership style can influence project success, directly and indirectly through employee self-leadership.Design/methodology/approachThe author raises the hypothesis, supported by social cognitive theory, that transformational leadership impacts project success directly and indirectly through self-leadership. Data were collected from 289 project team members in the IT sector, and the proposed relationships were assessed through Partial least squares structural equation modelling PLS-SEM.FindingsResults show that a project manager's transformational leadership behaviour and employee self-leadership positively impact project success. Additionally, self-leadership mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and project success. Lastly, empowerment demonstrated significant moderation for self-leadership and project success, and for transformational leadership and project success.Research limitations/implicationsIn this study, one obvious methodological limitation is a cross-sectional design. Future research can be performed while adopting a longitudinal research design. Another conceptual limitation of the model is that the authors did not include all transformational leadership dimensions, which can be considered for future studies while replicating this research model. Another future front can be by examining other leadership styles. Another research limitation may be the single source data collection, a future study may be conducted by several sources for data collection to adequately test both of the leadership styles at different hierarchies and for project success.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature by finding that, in crises, a project manager's transformational leadership style enhances project success. In practice, project managers are needed to adopt transformational behaviour and encourage employee self-leadership and empowerment.

Justification of the transition to flat organizational management structures in the conditions of digital transformation: methodologyand mathematical model

Justification of the transition to flat organizational management structures in the conditions of digital transformation: methodologyand mathematical model

Research on Influencing Factors of Cross-Border E-commerce Enterprise Competitiveness

The rise and prosperity of cross-border e-commerce has brought new development opportunities and great challenges to Chinese enterprises. By discussing the concepts and contents of cross-border e-commerce and enterprise competitiveness, this paper analyzes the influencing factors of enterprise competitiveness of cross-border e-commerce enterprises. By means of questionnaires and interviews with the management of relevant enterprises, the relevant data were obtained. In the dimensional analysis of cross-border e-commerce and enterprise competitiveness, the influencing factors of cross-border e-commerce enterprise competitiveness were discussed. The results show that the flat organizational structure is conducive to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, and the fund management and human resource management play a more obvious role; The mastery of key technologies brings competitive advantages to enterprises. Because laws and regulations belong to the policy environment, compared with other factors, the impact on the competitiveness of enterprises is not obvious. To sum up, service level and customer satisfaction have the greatest impact on enterprise competitiveness; cost management and capital efficiency have a great impact on the competitiveness of enterprises; The conclusion that market demand has a relatively small impact on enterprise competitiveness.

Exploring the factors in aligning information systems and organizational strategies in tall organizational structures in an uncertain environment

AbstractFactors affecting the alignment of information systems (ISs) and organizational strategies (i.e., strategic alignment) vary depending on the organizational contexts, comprising both the structural and environmental contexts. Previous studies of strategic alignment were largely focused on organizations with flatter organizational structures and low environmental uncertainty. Therefore, findings from previous studies might not be applicable to organizations with tall organizational structures and in uncertain environments, like Iranian organizations. To this end, we aimed to discover less‐explored factors in achieving strategic alignment based on the contexts of Iranian organizations, using grounded theory. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 29 experts in different organizations to illustrate and substantiate the development of an eightfold framework that specifies the factors for achieving strategic alignment. Specifically, the developed eightfold framework resulted in identification of 8 factors and 51 elements in achieving strategic alignment. Here, we identified five factors in achieving strategic alignment in addition to the factors reported by previous research (i.e., senior management, communication, and partnership), namely IS leadership, IS capabilities, organizational development, human resources, and IT infrastructure. The results indicate that these factors play a prominent role in determining the challenges and discerning the momentous requirements for achieving strategic alignment in organizations with tall structures in uncertain environments.

The Impact of Superior Roles in Safety Management on Safety Performance in SME Manufacturing in Malaysia

Small and medium entrepreneurship (SMEs) is the backbone of countries’ development. Over the years, there have been a large percentage of workplace injuries by SMEs in Malaysia, including financial and other SMEs’ constraints, which inform of inexpensive approach, thus requiring effective approaches to boost their safety performance. SME is unique in terms of characteristics, such as flat organizational structure. Thus, the owner-managers and the supervisors’ safety management, respectively, are proposed to impact the safety performance. This signals the need to examine how owner-managers and supervisors’ safety management practices improve occupational safety performance in SME manufacturing companies. Grounded on the Theories of Accident Causation, the present study applied a research model examining the relationship between owner-manager safety management practices (safety concern, safety policy and safety motivation) and safety management of supervisors, and the overall safety performance in Malaysia’s SME manufacturing. The questionnaires were distributed to the production workers in SME manufacturing firms in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 165 production workers participated in the study. The data collected were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Based on the analysis, the study revealed that safety concern, safety policy and safety motivation, each, have a meaningful relationship with safety performance, while the supervisor’s safety management did not significantly affect safety performance. Our results extend previous research by highlighting the importance of owner-manager safety management practices in driving safety performance and indicating how each dimension of safety management practices either enhances or inhibits safety performance. The present study is the first empirical research investigating the relationship between manager and supervisor’s safety management and safety performance in the SME manufacturing setting.

Social entrepreneurship and social change: a practice-based study in non-governmental organizations

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how social entrepreneurship (SE) practices give rise to social change in the context of urban Brazil.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on a broader inductive, ethnographic and iterative practice-based study conducted in three Brazilian non-governmental organizations.FindingsSocial change is established through intertwined practices that involve active interplay of ambivalent positive and negative feelings associated with the social mission pursued by the social enterprise; flat organizational structures that encourage participation and taking of ownership among all stakeholders; and focused organizational objectives (social purposes).Research limitations/implicationsThe paper presents an analytical framework composed of five propositions that may be used in future research aimed at maturing and refining the understanding of SE. The study also provides a methodological contribution for future studies of new phenomenon and young fields of research that often must rely on inductive methodologies, by demonstrating how an iterative thematic analysis can be used in practice-based studies.Practical implicationsThis paper has practical implications directly connected to its social implications, because understanding how social change is achieved may enhance the effectiveness of SE practitioners in bringing desired changes about. Furthermore, the discussion also provided insights for practitioners to reflect upon the paradoxical nature of practices aimed at social change.Originality/valueThe study suggests a set of propositions and an original definition of SE that mitigates conceptual inconsistencies found in literature drawing on empirical data and by incorporating the political lens found in practice theory.

Effects of trust, structure and processes on effectiveness in a military organization: exploring a moderated mediation model

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to better understand the consequences of trust between personnel at different hierarchical levels for organizational effectiveness. The authors aim to explore the direct effects and the interaction effects of trust with organizational structure and processes. The study focuses on military organizations and expands on models and research from this context.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from a Norwegian military exercise organization at two different hierarchical levels. The hypothesized relationships between the variables were tested using moderation and serial mediation analyses.FindingsTrust between personnel at different hierarchical levels was found to positively influence organizational effectiveness in terms of higher shared awareness of tasks and responsibilities, better information sharing and, in turn, better decision-making. A perceived flat organizational structure and decentralized processes were found to increase flexibility, an increase that in turn improved decision-making. Moderation analyses further suggested that trust between hierarchical levels could attenuate the negative effects of personnel's perception of their organization as hierarchical and centralized.Practical implicationsThe study’s results suggest that, at least in Norwegian military contexts, practitioners should be concerned with building trust between personnel at different hierarchical levels, flattening the organizational structure, and decentralizing processes to increase organizational flexibility and effectiveness.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to a better understanding of the role of trust between personnel at different hierarchical levels in the effort to achieve effective organizational structures and processes in military contexts.

Readiness Assessment for Implementing Business Process Re-engineering: Case Study of a Bank in Iran

One of the concepts used to improve and make changes in organisations is business process reengineering (BPR). With regard to the existing challenges and high failure rate in engineering open projects, in this study, the readiness of the studied organisation for implementation of BPR has been assessed. The case studied here is Keshavarzi Bank (Agriculture Bank) in Iranian banking industry. Nine factors were studied including strategic alignment, top management commitment, flatter organisational structures, organisational culture, change management, human resources, IT infrastructures, effective process redesign, and project management. 56 questionnaires were distributed in Keshavarzi Bank headquarters in Tehran using the census method. For data analysis, one-sample t-test was used to understand the status of the research variables, and Friedman test was used to rank the factors. Based on the results, this bank is ready for BPR implementation in terms of strategic alignment, top management commitment, organisational culture, human resources and IT infrastructures.

Readiness assessment for implementing business process reengineering: case study of a bank in Iran

One of the concepts used to improve and make changes in organisations is business process reengineering (BPR). With regard to the existing challenges and high failure rate in engineering open projects, in this study, the readiness of the studied organisation for implementation of BPR has been assessed. The case studied here is Keshavarzi Bank (Agriculture Bank) in Iranian banking industry. Nine factors were studied including strategic alignment, top management commitment, flatter organisational structures, organisational culture, change management, human resources, IT infrastructures, effective process redesign, and project management. 56 questionnaires were distributed in Keshavarzi Bank headquarters in Tehran using the census method. For data analysis, one-sample t-test was used to understand the status of the research variables, and Friedman test was used to rank the factors. Based on the results, this bank is ready for BPR implementation in terms of strategic alignment, top management commitment, organisational culture, human resources and IT infrastructures.