Formal Organizational Structure Research Articles

Struktur Adhokrasi dan Matriks sebagai Solusi atas Kritik Birokrasi Di Lembaga Pendidikan

Technology and globalization’s challenge, have demanded public service institutions, including educational institutions, continue to innovate and improve themselves in preserving with the times. On the other hand, the bureaucracy used today is less flexible and inefficient, so that it raises a lot of criticism, which shows the powerlessness of the bureaucracy to face that challenge. These criticisms present a new form: adhocracy and organizational matrix, which gives flexibility in the organizational structure. The article proposes to present solutions to overcome bureaucratic criticism by integrating adhocracy and matrix organization in educational institutions bureaucracy. The integration of the three forms of organizational structure is expected to make educational institutions flexible and efficient to be able to resist the challenges of the times.

Italian tourism intermediaries: a social network analysis exploration

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to analyse the application of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to the Italian tourism system. The research question is: do relationships among tourist enterprises affect the organizational asset of the Italian travel system? The research takes as unit of analysis the Italian travel agencies and tour operators system and represents quite a significant disclosure for organizational theses because it offers a different view over the structure and governance of a hospitality intermediaries’ network. SNA is helpful indetecting genuine proficiency and therefore in foreseeing possible losses determined by poor or inefficient configurations. Furthermore, it will help delineate new roles within the organizational networks and evaluate the relation between formal and informal organizational structures. This paper provides a structural analysis of the Italian travel agencies network and highlights its self-organization characteristics (typical of a complex system) that lead to the development of informal communities. The methods of network science proved useful and effective and, together with more traditional approaches and a qualitative knowledge of the system, can provide a deeper and more extensive understanding of the system.

Corporate legal structure and bank loan spread

This study examines how a firm's corporate legal structure may affect its borrowing costs. Corporate legal structure refers to the legal fragmentation of a firm into multiple, separately incorporated entities. This fragmentation is bound to be a factor when lenders determine the pricing of debt and design of contract terms because they can enter into legally enforceable agreements only with specific legal entities. Using a sample of private loans to parent companies in the United States, I find that a more complex corporate legal structure is associated with higher loan spread. The findings are robust to several firm and loan characteristics and are incremental to the effects of other forms of organizational structure, namely business and geographic diversification. Subsequent evidence suggests that the effect of a corporate legal structure on borrowing costs is, at least partly, explained by recovery risk.

Synergistic effects in Methylcellulose/Hydroxyethylcellulose blend: Influence of components ratio and graphene oxide

A specific feature of water-soluble polysaccharides is formation of organized structures in solutions. This study deals with an unexpected effect of 2-hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) on structure and mechanical performance of methylcellulose (MC) films. The values of modulus with 5 and 10 % HEC content exceed those of the linear model, which indicates synergistic effect consisting in formation of ordered structures. However, higher content of HEC leads to worse properties corresponding to contribution of its lower parameters. The structural transformations are confirmed by XRD and polarized-light microscopy. Ability of HEC to support formation of ordered structures in MC solutions is indicated by rheology. Important fact is that low graphene oxide (GO) content has a high reinforcing effect on neat MC or HEC, but its presence in blends is accompanied by elimination of HEC-induced structural transformations. The results confirm complex effect of blending and GO on structure and properties of the MC/HEC system.

ФОРМУВАННЯ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙНИХ ЗАСАД СТВОРЕННЯ АВІАЦІЇ НА РУБЕЖІ ХІХ–ХХ СТОЛІТЬ

The article deals with the processes of formation of organizational structures,which later became the basis of the military aviation command and control organization as a component of the armed forces of the leading countries of the world in the late 19th — early 20th centuries before the World War I. The author also reveals the processes that took place in the armed forces of European countries since the be- ginning of the aerostatic type aircraft using for conducting air reconnaissance dur- ing the Napoleonic wars since the end of the 18th century. The first times of aircraft combat using are described and their results are estimated by contemporaries of the events under consideration. It is being considered the organizational activity of the military-political leadership of the states, public organizations, individual persons and determined their influence on the development of aeronautics, aircraft indus- try, creation of the first aviation units, military aviation schools and deployment of technical personnel training, in particular, on the territory of Ukraine, which at that time was part of the Russian Empire. In addition, emphasis was placed on a number of features of command and control organizations responsible for the development of aviation in the armed forces of the leading countries of the world at that time, namely, laying responsibility for the development of aviation on the command and control organizations of high-tech troops (special forces), predominance in their activity functions of maintenance management and aviation equipment ordering, lack in their activities an aviation units operational management functions, which was observed before the World War I. The contribution of some Ukrainian-related military, state and public personalities in the global context of aviation genesis also being appropriately addressed.

Principles and conditions of formation of typical organizational structures of border subsidiaries

Необходимость создания новой системы охраны государственной границы с Российской Федерацией и другими соседними государствами в качестве гарантии суверенитета государства и обеспечения национальной безопасности, повышения эффективности реализации государственной политики в области безопасности государственной границы, внедрения европейских стандартов интегрированной границы Управление и создание условий для реализации прав и свобод человека, развитие приграничного сотрудничества требует создания эффективных организационных структур пограничных подразделений. В статье рассматриваются вопросы основных принципов и условий формирования типовых организационных структур, излагаются особенности их трансформации для пограничных подразделений. Анализируется соответствующая научная литература отечественных и зарубежных авторов. Приведен пример организационной структуры оперативно-боевого пограничного коменданта. Анализируются и обосновываются принципы формирования организационной структуры пограничного подразделения: функциональные, территориальные, функционально-типовые, проектные, смешанные, по стратегическим центрам.Проанализирована классификация организационных структур. Раскрыто содержание основных определений: органическая структура, бюрократическая структура, структура адхократии. Типы представленных сетевых организаций. Классификация организационных структур пограничных подразделений анализируется по ключевым элементам. Охарактеризованы фрагменты разделения ответственности компонентов сектора безопасности и обороны Украины за организацию планирования, реагирование на угрозы и при выполнении задач по назначению. В результате сделан вывод о необходимости разработки инструментов (теоретических основ) для решения проблемы синтеза организационной структуры пограничных подразделений или их отдельных элементов.

Реалізація педагогічних умов формування ключових компетентностей майбутніх фахівців туристичної галузі та менеджменту в процесі вивчення гуманітарних дисциплін

On the base of practical experience of training experts in tourism and economy, as well as analysis of pedagogical and psychological literature, the paper concludes that the key competences` formation of specialists at a high level becomes an indicator of life activity development. The key competencies of the tourism and economic industry specialist are decisive in such areas as: planning (goal setting, task specification, action planning and resource pre-accounting); management of subordinates (formation of organizational structure, definition of functions of each employee, organization of self-control system); control (activity monitoring, problem identification and resolution); developing staff competencies and motivating them to succeed. On the base of our own research, pedagogical conditions for the formation of key competencies of experts in tourism and economy had been determined (the process of formation of positive motivation to studying the humanities due to professional direction of their content; the usage of distance education means for students’ individual work; the fulfillment of classroom activities with problematic and creative educational tasks by using web-quests; the development of students’ professional and personal traits in the process of business games). The effectiveness of pedagogical conditions` application in the educational process is proved. The paper also analyzes the importance of the humanities for professionals in tourist and economic industry. The experimental testing of the method of pedagogical conditions` implementation of key competences formation is described.

Community Participation in Integrated Solid Waste Management in Legetafo-Legedadi Town, Oromia, Ethiopia

The idea and practice of Municipal Solid Waste Management is multifaceted problems that cannot be solved when solutions focuses only on technical performance, but also treated in holistic manner. Hence, the status and types of community engagement in SWM at the study area was addressed in detail as an objective of the study. The study employed descriptive survey research design using quantitative and qualitative data. It applied convenience sampling procedure. The data have been collected through key informants interview, document review, field observation, FGD and questionnaire. The data was analyzed using ordinal regression. This study reveals the following findings. The contribution of the society in different perspectives like finance, material and labor ranging in low status of 61.1%., the formal organizational structure create low status of 65.3%. The capacity building and sensitization aspect accounts to 71.4% with low status in raising the society’s awareness’s and sensitization. Whereas, the FGD pertains that at least there were two waste campaigns at the town administration for awareness creation and cleansing. Most of the respondents accounts 217 (63.8%) do not know the laws, regulations and directives of solid waste; and also the status of community empowerment provides 67.5% low. The formal organizational structures system, roles, and responsibilities has very low and low (65.3%). As a result; LagaTafo LagaDadi town is characterized by poor management of solid waste and low community participation in the process. In consequence, poor SWM is becoming a major threat for health, environment and economic development of the town.

Computational Governance and Violable Contracts for Blockchain Applications

We propose a sociotechnical, yet computational, approach to building decentralized applications that accommodates and exploits blockchain technology. Our architecture incorporates the notion of a declarative, violable contract and enables flexible governance based on formal organizational structures, correctness verification without obstructing autonomy, and a basis for trust.

Influence of the practice environment on community service nurses’ subjective well-being, compassion practice and psychological capital

BackgroundThe practice environment as experienced by community service nurses (CSNs) has not been explored in the South African context, and few studies have explored the influence of the practice environment on intrapersonal resources such as subjective well-being, compassion practice and psychological capital. AimTo describe the influence of the practice environment on CSNs’ subjective well-being, compassion practice and psychological capital, and the association between these variables and selected personal and situational demographic factors. MethodsA cross-sectional design was employed with self-report questionnaires used to collect data from an all-inclusive sample of CSNs that studied in North West Province and began their community service year there in 2016 (N = 284; n = 60). ResultsCSNs perceive the practice environment as favourable (M = 2.60; SD = 0.65). CSNs are satisfied with life (M = 24.89; SD = 5.68), have high levels of positive affect (M = 39.13; SD = 7.97), compassion satisfaction (M = 5.44; SD = 0.71) and psychological capital (M = 5.67; SD = 0.95). Nurse foundations of quality of care and nurse participation in hospital affairs had the most influence on intrapersonal resources. The positive components of subjective well-being, compassion satisfaction and psychological capital were highly correlated. Situational demographic factors were associated with intrapersonal resources and perceptions of the practice environment. ConclusionHealthcare facilities should provide a positive practice environment for CSNs, that includes an orientation programme with formal organisational and supervision structures, in order to strengthen CSNs’ intrapersonal resources, improve their perceptions of the practice environment, and ultimately improve nurse and patient outcomes.

Organizational Structure, Information Processing, and Decision-Making: A Retrospective and Road Map for Research

Beginning with Simon (1947)—and motivated by an interest in the effect of formal organizational structure on decision-making—a large body of research has examined how organizations process informat...

FAMILY FIRMS AND FAMILY BUSINESS: A CONCEPTUAL APPROACH ABOUT THE AMBIGUITIES, PARADOXES AND UNIQUENESS OF FAMILY BUSINESSES

Family businesses are and have been vital in the European’s socioeconomic contexts. Notwithstanding their relevance and growing interest in academy, as well as in the institutional rationale, the study of family businesses is still a field that lacks autonomy and finds itself embedded in ambiguities, paradoxes and inconsistencies. This lack of systematisation not only compromises the process of data collection and research but consequently a better understanding of this phenomenon. Our purpose here is to discuss the constructs of family firm and family business. Based on the assumption that family firms are usually conceptualised as owned, totally or partially, by members of a family and are potentially intergenerational systems, with a perimeter of variable geometry, but usually rooted in a location, we aim to distinguish between the constructs of family firm and family business. We do this by discussing the concept(s) of family and then move on to the family businesses. Methodologically we carried out a literature analysis or review, based on Bourdieu’s (1972) “Theory of Practice”, understood as an approach that aims to overcome dichotomies in social theory, such as micro/macro, material/symbolic, empirical/theoretical, objective/subjective, public/private, structure/agency, and focuses on the understanding the practical logic of everyday life and understand relations of power. Enabling us to overcome the ambiguities and paradoxes that academically and institutionally surround the use of these constructs – family firms and family business. Our findings allowed us to sustain that the family business emerges as conceptual “leap forward”, i.e., the family firm becomes a family business when it becomes more strategically business-oriented. As an open system, the firm has a flow of inputs and outputs of members, which generate its unique configurations over time and potentiates intra and inter-clan conflicts and political and power struggles between family members and or among family members and their relatives and tends to create formal organisational structures (boards of directors) to assure its continuity and growth. In this context, when the above-mentioned criterion is met, the family business only exists from the second generation onwards. Article visualizations:

School staff advice-seeking patterns regarding support for vulnerable students

PurposeSupporting the learning and wellbeing of vulnerable students is an important yet challenging part of school educators’ work. The purpose of this paper is to investigate advice-seeking patterns around the issue of supporting the learning and wellbeing of vulnerable students, among professional staff in six English secondary schools. The paper focuses on investigating variation in advice-seeking patterns among schools, exploring the association between these patterns and staff perceptions of the school climate for collaboration, and examining how these informal advice-seeking patterns relate to formal support arrangements in the schools.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods approach that combined findings from social network analysis with in-depth interviews was used.FindingsIt was found that advice-seeking patterns among staff vary substantively, even among similar schools. Furthermore, schools with more cohesive and reciprocal advice networks also showed a stronger climate for collaboration (i.e. mutual respect and distributed leadership). Also, formal organizational structures and informal advice-seeking structures showed coherence in the sample, as formally designated leaders, such as the Headteacher and the Special Educational Needs Coordinators, were generally highly central to their schools’ advice network.Originality/valueThis study advances the field as there is little research that examines the social networks of educators in England, and no previous studies that explore teacher advice-seeking networks in relation to supporting vulnerable students, internationally.

Organizational structures and the museum’s educative function. Empty options at the Reykjavík Art Museum

Museum education is a field in flux that faces continuous theoretical and practical challenges. We argue that formal museum organizational structures, the informal, and experiences of museum workers should be intertwined. We also argue that the influence of museum educators on shaping policies is relevant. Formal organizational structures in museums should be acknowledged and systematically embedded in the shaping and governance of sustainable museum education practices if museums are to succeed as learning institutions. We contend that museum organizational structures disempower the development of museum education as a profession, serving other purposes more rigorously. We interviewed twelve museum staff members for this paper. They all worked at the Reykjavík Art Museum’s (RAM) education department as full-time and/or part-time employees from 1991 to 2018. Multiple meetings with the participants occurred from June 2011 until June 2018, resulting in twenty semi-structured interviews.

FAMÍLIA EMPRESÁRIA NO EVANGELHO DE S. LUCAS / FAMILY BUSINESS IN THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE

O artigo pretende estabelecer o estado da arte das organizacoes percursoras da familia empresaria na antiguidade, atraves da leitura nao religiosa do evangelho de Sao Lucas. Procura-se, assim, contribuir para a construcao de conhecimento organizado e estruturado e para uma compreensao mais aprofundada dos conceitos que estao subjacentes ao construto familia empresaria. A estrategia de investigacao prosseguida socorreu-se da “teoria da pratica” de Bourdieu, significando que no momento da realizacao de uma pesquisa, a problematica pode ser alterada, a hipotese modificada e as variaveis reconsideradas, fazendo com que a qualquer instante surja uma visao inovadora do que se passa no campo em analise. Como principais resultados aponta-se para uma estrutura de familia empresaria embrionaria daquela que hoje conhecemos. Tais conhecimentos poderao potenciar um modelo integrador de varias dimensoes teoricas, suficientemente generico e abrangente, qual mosaico arabe, para que o mesmo possa ser aplicado a qualquer tipo de familia empresaria. The article aims to establish the state of the art of organisations were precursors of the family business in ancient times through the non-religious reading of the Gospel of St. Luke. The construct of family business defines a family firm that is totally or partially owned by a family, from the second generation on wards, with formal organisational structures that ensure its continuity, growth and reinforcement of family heritage and status. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the construction of organised and structured knowledge about the particularities of the family business, as opposed to family firm. And, also, to a better understanding of the concepts that underlie the family business construct. The research strategy carried out was supported on Bourdieu’s “Theory of Practice”, an approach that aims to overcome dichotomies in social theory, such as micro/macro, material/symbolic, empirical/theoretical, objective/subjective, public/private, structure/agency, and focuses on the understanding the practical logic of everyday life and understand relations of power. Methodologically meaning that at the time of conducting a research, the problem can be changed and or the theoretical issues can be transformed, the hypothesis modified, and the variables reconsidered, causing at any moment an innovative vision of what is happening in the field under review. Our reading’s main finding suggested an existence in ancient times of the emergence of an embryonic family business structure. Such knowledge could enhance an integrating model of various theoretical dimensions, sufficiently generic and comprehensive, like an Arabic mosaic, so that it can be applied to any type of business family. Article visualizations:

The impact of digital transformation on formal and informal organizational structures of large architecture and engineering firms

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of digital technologies adoption on the forms of organization of large architecture and engineering (A/E) firms. Network theory has attracted scholarly and managerial attention, particularly from the perspective of the changes of project organization. However, little research focuses on network theory as a lens for understanding and managing the new forms of firms’ organization. Additionally, conventional organizational analyses are hampered by the lack of methods for understanding the changes in roles and relationships due to the adoption of digital technologies and examining their impact on organizational structures.Design/methodology/approachTo address this gap, this research adopted a mixed-method case-study approach. This approach combined interviews, regular check-ins, and document analysis with data mining and social network analysis (SNA) to capture the changes of intra-organizational roles and relationships and for understanding their impact on the firm’s organizational structure. Using the data gathered, the authors created a dendrogram that shows the formal organizational structure, a sociogram that displays the informal organizational structure and a network map that visualizes the interplay between the two structures.FindingsFrom this analysis, the authors identified four main findings: informal roles – as go-to people for advice and information about digital technologies – play within A/E firms facing digital transformation; such go-to people operate through informal networked relationships and beyond their formal roles; most of these relationships do not overlap with the formal reporting relationships; the combination of both these roles and relationships create an informal social network. The authors also show how managers can use SNA to understand the changes in roles and relationships due to the adoption of digital technologies and to diagnose their impact on organizational structures.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature of organizational design and change management from a network perspective in the context of the digital transformation of large A/E firms. It provides a systematic data-driven approach to understanding the changes of intra-organizational roles and relationships within A/E firms facing digital transformation and to diagnosing the impact of these changes on firms’ organizational structures.

Building communities. Presenting a model of community formation and organizational complexity in southwestern Anatolia

In this paper, a model of community formation and organizational complexity is presented, focusing on the fundamental role of social interactions and information transmission for the development of complex social organisation. The model combines several approaches in complex systems thinking which has garnered increasing attention in archaeology. It is then outlined how this conceptual model can be applied in archaeology. In the absence of direct observations of constituent social interactions, archaeologists study the past through material remnants found in the archaeological record. People used their material surroundings to shape, structure and guide social interactions and practices in various ways. The presented framework shows how dynamics of social organisation and community formation can be inferred from these material remains. The model is applied on a case study of two communities, Sagalassos and Düzen Tepe, located in southwestern Anatolia during late Achaemenid to middle Hellenistic times (fifth to second centuries BCE). It is suggested that constituent interactions and practices can be linked to the markedly different forms of organizational structures and material surroundings attested in both communities. The case study illustrates how the presented model can help understand trajectories of socio-political structures and organizational complexity on a community level.

Formal networks: the influence of social learning in meta-organisations from commons protection to commons governance

ABSTRACT The governance of shared resources through collective actions to prevent “the tragedy of the commons” has long been a controversial topic in management studies. Hampered by a lack of formal organisational structures, small locally-governed commons are usually managed through informal networks and, hence, largely studied in this context. However, Italy’s formalised network contracts initiative provides a unique and relatively rare opportunity to study how the business-led collective action of a formal meta-organisation influences the use of commons. Using a mixed-methods qualitative approach, this paper reveals how particular organisational features, especially collaborative and social learning, can play a critical role in driving formal meta-organisations towards positive outcomes in three progressive stages: commons protection, commons stewardship, and commons governance. The analysis is framed by two different streams of literature – meta-organisation theory and sustainability science – with implications for the theory and praxis of both.

Formal Organizational Structures and Emotion Regulation Actions in Organizational Innovation

We conducted a longitudinal, real-time field study of innovation process in a large corporation. Our research revealed two types of structures with diverse implication: task-related structure–the s...

Managing Information Flow in Self-Organising Networks of Communication Between Construction Project Participants

Abstract Construction projects are characterised by complexity in the technical, organisational and environmental sphere. The organisational complexity of such projects makes it necessary to manage relationships between actors who fulfil various functions. Formal organisational structures that have been developed for this purpose do not always reflect the actual relationships between construction project participants. In literature, scholars more and more often point to the need to identify and monitor such informal relationships and attempt to manage them in order to effectively carry out projects. Structural analysis of so-called self-organising networks of relationships between project participants is carried out on the basis of established structural measures by performing Social Network Analysis (SNA). In a situation when inappropriate communication between project participants relative to management staff expectations is detected, interventions meant to improve communication in such networks are possible. The goal of the article is proposing an optimisation-oriented approach to planning such interventions while taking various constraints, such as communication costs, into consideration. As a part of this optimisation, the authors proposed a method from the heuristic methods group. This solution will support decision-making in terms of intervening within an informal relationship structure. The method was presented on the example of an actual construction project involving the construction of a complex of housing buildings. the self-organising network structure was defined on the basis of a survey carried out among the project’s participants and concerned communication between them over a four-week period. As a result of the structural network analysis, abnormalities in communication between project participants were detected. The optimisation method developed by the authors pointed to possibilities of improving communication effectiveness within this network. The effects of the analysis confirmed the application potential of the method that was presented.