DesignElements
Whenmanagersaredesigningtheorganizationalstructure,theymustcorrectlyconsider6keyfactors:workspecialization,departmentalization,commandchain,controlspan,centralizationanddecentralization,normalization.
Specializationofwork
Examplesoforganizationalstructure(10photos)
Intheearly20thcentury,HenryFordestablishedacarproductionlineAndtherichworldiswell-knownallovertheworld.Hisapproachistoassignspecificandrepetitivetaskstoeachemployeeofthecompany.Forexample,someemployeesareonlyresponsibleforassemblingtherightfrontwheelofacar,whileothersareonlyresponsibleforinstallingtherightfrontdoor.Bydividingtheworkintosmaller,standardizedtasksandenablingworkerstoperformthesameoperationoverandoveragain,Fordusesrelativelylimited-skilledemployeestoproduceacarevery10seconds.Ford’sexperienceshowsthatbyallowingemployeestoengageinspecializedwork,theirproductivitywillincrease.Today,weusethetermworkspecializationorthedivisionoflabortodescribethelevelofdetailintheorganizationthatdividesworktasksintoseveralstepstocomplete.
Theessenceofjobspecializationisthatonepersondoesnotcompleteallofajob,itisbrokendownintoseveralsteps,andeachstepisdoneindependentlybyoneperson.Intermsofitsessence,partofworkactivities,notallactivities.
Inthelate1940s,mostoftheworkintheproductionfieldinindustrializedcountrieswasaccomplishedthroughjobspecialization.Managersbelievethatthisisthemosteffectivewaytouseemployeeskills.Inmostorganizations,somejobsrequirehighlyskilledemployeestocomplete,whileotherscanbedonewithouttraining.Ifallemployeesparticipateineverystepoftheorganization'smanufacturingprocess,thenallpeoplearerequiredtonotonlyhavetheskillsneededtocompletethemostcomplextasks,butalsohavetheskillsneededtocompletethesimplesttasks.Asaresult,inadditiontoengaginginhigher-skilledormorecomplextasks,employeesspendpartoftheirtimecompletinglow-skilledjobs.Sincehigh-skilledemployeesarepaidhigherthanlow-skilledemployees,andwagesgenerallyreflectaperson’shighestskilllevel,itisundoubtedlyaresourcefortheorganizationtopayhigh-skilledemployeeshighsalariesbutletthemdosimpletasks.Waste.
Byimplementingjobspecialization,managementalsoseekstoimprovetheorganization’soperationalefficiencyinotherareas.Throughrepetitivework,employees’skillswillbeimproved,andthetimespentonchangingworktasksorinstallinganddisassemblingtoolsandequipmentduringtheworkprocesswillbereduced.Itisalsoimportantthatfromanorganizationalpointofview,theimplementationofworkspecializationisconducivetoimprovingthetrainingefficiencyoftheorganization.Itiseasiertoselectandtrainemployeesforspecificandrepetitivetasks,andthecostisalsolower.Thisisespeciallytrueforhighlysophisticatedandcomplexoperations.
Departmentalization
Oncethetasksaresubdividedthroughjobspecialization,theyneedtobegroupedbycategorysothatcommonworkcanbecoordinated.Thebasisofjobclassificationisdepartmentalization.
Theclassificationofworkactivitiesismainlybasedonthefunctionsoftheactivities.Manufacturingmanagersorganizetheirfactoriesbydividingexpertsinengineering,accounting,manufacturing,personnel,andpurchasingintocommondepartments.Ofcourse,thedivisionofdepartmentsaccordingtofunctionsappliestoallorganizations.Onlychangesinfunctionscanreflectthegoalsandactivitiesoftheorganization.Themainfunctionaldepartmentsofahospitalmayincluderesearchdepartment,nursingdepartment,accountingdepartment,etc.;whileaprofessionalfootballteammayhaveplayerpersonneldepartment,ticketsalesdepartment,travelandlogisticsdepartment,etc.Themainadvantageofthisfunctionalgroupingmethodisthatitbringstogetherexpertsofthesamekindandcanimproveworkefficiency.Functionaldepartmentalizationrealizeseconomiesofscalebyallocatingpeoplewithcloseprofessionalskillsandresearchdirectionstothesamedepartment.
Worktaskscanalsobedepartmentalizedaccordingtothetypesofproductsproducedbytheorganization.Forexample,inSunPetroleumProducts,itsthreemainareas(crudeoil,Lubricants,waxproducts,andchemicalproducts)areeachundertheauthorityofavicepresident.Thisvicepresidentisanexpertinthisfieldandisresponsibleforallissuesrelatedtohisproductionline.EachvicepresidenthashisownProductionandmarketingdepartment.
Themainadvantagesofthisgroupingmethodare:Improvethestabilityofproductperformance,becauseallactivitiesrelatedtoaparticularproductinthecompanyaredirectedbythesamesupervisor.Ifanorganization'sactivitiesarerelatedtoservicesratherthanproducts,eachserviceactivitycanbedividednaturally.
Thereisalsoamethodofdepartmentalization,whichisbasedontheregion.DivisionofdepartmentsForexample,asfarasmarketingisconcerned,itcanbedividedintofourregions:east,west,south,andnorthaccordingtotheregion,andthedivisionisresponsible.Infact,eachregionisadepartmentformedaroundthisregion.Ifacompany'scustomersaredistributedinawidegeographicalarea,thisdepartmentalapproachhasitsuniquevalue.
ProcessdepartmentalizationThemethodissuitablefortheproductionofproductsandalsoforcustomerservice.Forexample,ifyougotoastatemotorvehiclemanagementofficetogetadriver'slicense,youhavetogotoseveraldepartments.Inacertainstate,therearethreestepsrequiredtoapplyforadriver’slicense,eachofwhichisinchargeofanindependentdepartment:(1)themotorvehicledivisionresponsibleforverification;(2)thedriver’slicensedepartmentresponsibleforthespecificworkofhandlingdriver’slicenses;(3)thefinancedepartmentresponsibleforchargingfees.
Thelastmethodofdepartmentalizationistodepartmentalizeaccordingtothetypesofcustomers.Forexample,acompanythatsellsofficeequipmentcanhavethreedepartments:retailservicedepartment,wholesaleservicedepartment,andgovernmentdepartmentservicedepartment.Largerlawfirmscansetupdepartmentsaccordingtowhethertheyservecompaniesorindividuals.
Accordingtocustomers;thetheoreticalassumptionofdividingdepartmentsbytypeisthatcustomersineachdepartmenthavecommonproblemsandrequirements.Therefore,byarrangingrelevantexpertsforthem,theycanmeettheirneeds.
Whenalargeorganizationisdepartmentalized,theabove-mentionedmethodsmaybeusedcomprehensivelytoachievebetterresults.Forexample,whenalargeJapaneseelectronicscompanyisundergoingdepartmentalization,itorganizesitsbranchesaccordingtothetypeoffunction;organizesitsmanufacturingdepartmentaccordingtotheproductionprocess;dividesthesalesdepartmentinto7regionalworkunits;andEachregionisdividedinto4customergroupsaccordingtotheircustomertypes.However,inthe1990s,twotendenciesweremorecommon:First,customer-baseddepartmentalizationbecamemoreandmorepopular.Inordertobettergrasptheneedsofcustomersandeffectivelyrespondtochangesincustomerneeds,manyorganizationsplacemoreemphasisoncustomer-baseddivisionofdepartments.
Thechainofcommand
20yearsago,theconceptofthechainofcommandwasthecornerstoneoforganizationaldesign,buttodayitsimportanceisgreatlyreduced.However,whendecidinghowtobetterdesigntheorganizationalstructure,Managersstillneedtoconsiderthemeaningofthechainofcommands.
Thechainofcommandisanuninterruptedpowerroutethatextendsfromthehighestleveloftheorganizationtothelowestlevel,clarifyingwhoreportsworktowhom.Itcananswerthequestionsaskedbyemployees:"WhenIhaveaproblem,whodoIgoto?""WhoamIresponsiblefor?"
Beforediscussingthechainofcommands,weshoulddiscusstwoauxiliaryconcepts:Unityofauthorityandcommand.Authority(authority)referstotheinherentpowerofamanagerialpositiontoissueordersandexpectthemtobeexecuted.
Inordertopromotecollaboration,eachmanagementpositionhasitsownpositioninthecommandchain,andeachmanagermustbegrantedacertaindegreeofauthorityinordertocompletehisowndutiesandtasks.Theprincipleofunityofcommandhelpstomaintainthecontinuityofthechainofauthority.Itmeansthatonepersonshouldbedirectlyresponsibletoonesupervisorandonlyonesupervisor.Iftheunityofthechainofcommandsisbroken,asubordinatemayhavetodealwithconflictsorprioritychoicesbetweendifferentordersofmultiplesupervisors.
Thetimesarechanging,andthebasicprinciplesoforganizationaldesignarealsochanging.Withthedevelopmentofcomputertechnologyandtheimpactofthetrendoffullyempoweringsubordinates,theimportanceofconceptssuchaschainofcommand,authority,andcommanduniformityhasgreatlyreduced.TwoparagraphsinarecentarticleinBusinessWeekprovideagoodexampleofthischange:
OnaWednesdaymorninginmid-March,CharlesCatherwasconfusedIglancedattheinventoryreportsentfromthecompany'sdistributioncenter.Accordingtothereportprintedoutbythecomputer,therosebrandvarnishcanonlybeguaranteedfor3days,whichisfarbelowthecompany's3andahalfweeksinventoryrequirement.
ButKaiserknewthatthecompany'sfactoryinJeffersonCity,Missourihadjustshipped346boxes(12bottlesperbox)ofvarnishtwodaysago.Rosebrandvarnishmusthavebeensoldout..Heturnedonhiscomputerconnectedtotheproductionlineandenteredtheinstructions:toproduceanother400boxesofvarnishonThursdaymorning.
Thisisanepisodeintheworkscheduleofaplanningmanager,right?ButinfactKaiserisnotamanager,heisjustaworkerontheproductionline,andhisofficialtitleis"ProductionLineCoordinator"",isoneofthecompany’shundredsofworkersworkingonthecomputernetwork.Theyhavetherighttocheckthedeliveryofgoods,arrangetheirownworkloads,andoftenengageinworkthatwasformerlyamanagerialfield.
Agrassrootsemployeecangettheinformationthatwasonlyavailabletoseniormanagement20yearsagoinafewseconds.Similarly,withthedevelopmentofcomputertechnology,employeesatanypositionintheorganizationareincreasinglyabletocommunicatewithanyonewithoutgoingthroughformalchannels.Moreover,theconceptofauthorityandthemaintenanceofthechainofcommandareincreasinglyirrelevant,becausedecisionsthatcanonlybemadebymanagementareempoweredbyoperatorstomaketheirowndecisions.Inaddition,withtheprevalenceofself-managementteams,multi-functionalteams,andneworganizationaldesignideasinvolvingmultiplebosses,theconceptofcommanduniformitybecomeslessandlessimportant.Ofcourse,manyorganizationsstillbelievethatthroughstrengtheningthechainofcommand,theproductivityoftheorganizationcanbemaximized,buttodaytherearefewerandfewerorganizationsofthiskind.
Spanofcontrol
Howmanysubordinatescanasupervisoreffectivelyguide?Thisissueofspanofcontrolisveryimportant,becausetoalargeextent,itdetermineshowmanylevelstheorganizationhastosetupandhowmanymanagersithastodeploy.Whenotherconditionsarethesame,thewiderthecontrolspan,thehighertheorganizationalefficiency.Thiscanbeprovedbyexamples.
Assumethattherearetwoorganizationswith4096employeesatthegrassrootslevel.Ifonehasacontrolspanof4andtheotherhas8,thenanorganizationwithawidecontrolspanhasfewermanagementlevelsthananorganizationwithanarrowcontrolspan.Twofloorscanbeequippedwithabout800managementpersonnel.IftheaverageannualsalaryofeachmanagerisUS$40,000,anorganizationwithawidecontrolspancansaveUS$32millioninmanagerialsalarieseachyear.Obviously,intermsofcosts,organizationswithawidecontrolspanaremoreefficient.However,insomerespects,awidespanmayreducetheeffectivenessoftheorganization.Thatis,ifthecontrolspanistoowide,becausethesupervisordoesnothaveenoughtimetoprovidethenecessaryleadershipandsupporttothesubordinates,theperformanceoftheemployeeswillbeadverselyaffected.
Narrowcontrolspanalsohasitsadvantages.Bykeepingthecontrolspanbetween5and6people,managerscanexercisestrictcontroloveremployees.Butthenarrowcontrolspanhasthreemaindisadvantages:First,aspointedoutbySabove,themanagementlevelwillincreaseasaresult,andthemanagementcostwillgreatlyincrease.Second,itmakestheorganization'sverticalcommunicationmorecomplicated.Increasinglevelsofmanagementwillalsoslowdownthespeedofdecision-making,andmaketopmanagementtendtobeisolated.Third,anarrowcontrolspancaneasilyleadtoexcessivesupervisionofsubordinatesandhindersubordinates'autonomy.
Thetrendinrecentyearsistowidenthecontrolspan.Forexample,inlargecompaniessuchasGeneralElectricandRenaultMetals,thecontrolspanhasreached10-12people,twiceasmuchas15yearsago.TomSmithisaregionalmanagerofCarbolineCo.,directlyunderthejurisdictionof27people.Ifhewasinhisposition20yearsago,therewereusuallyonly12subordinates.
Broadeningthecontrolspanisconsistentwiththetrendsofcompaniestryingtoreducecosts,cutgeneralmanagementcosts,speedupthedecision-makingprocess,increaseflexibility,shortenthedistancewithcustomers,anddelegatetosubordinates.However,inordertoavoidthereductionofemployeeperformanceduetothewideningofthecontrolspan,companieshavegreatlystrengthenedtheintensityandinvestmentinemployeetraining.Managershaverealizedthataftertheirsubordinatesfullyunderstandtheirwork,orwhentheycangethelpfromcolleagueswhentheyhaveproblems,theycanmanageawiderangeofcontrolproblems.
CentralizationandDecentralization
ExamplesofCentralizationandDecentralization(2photos)
Insomeorganizations,seniormanagersmakealldecisions,Thelower-levelmanagersonlycarryouttheinstructionsoftheupper-levelmanagers.Attheotherextreme,theorganizationdelegatesdecision-makingpowertothemostbasic-levelmanagers.Theformerisahighlycentralizedorganization,whilethelatterisahighlydecentralizedorganization.Centralizationreferstothedegreetowhichthedecision-makingpowerinanorganizationisconcentratedatonepoint.Thisconceptincludesonlyformalauthority,thatis,thepowerinherentinacertainlocation.Generallyspeaking,iftheseniormanagementoftheorganizationdecidesonthemainissuesoftheorganizationwithoutconsideringorseldomconsideringtheopinionsofthegrassrootspersonnel,thedegreeofcentralizationoftheorganizationisrelativelyhigh.Conversely,thehigherthelevelofparticipationofgrassrootspersonnel,ortheirabilitytomakedecisionsautonomously,thehigherthedegreeofdecentralizationoftheorganization.
Centralizedanddecentralizedorganizationsareessentiallydifferent.Inadecentralizedorganization,thespeedoftakingactionandsolvingproblemsisfaster,andmorepeopleprovidesuggestionsfordecision-making.Therefore,thereislessoralmostnoseparationbetweenemployeesanddecision-makerswhocanaffecttheirworkandlife..
Themainstrategicdecisionsthatanenterprisemustmakearerelatedtothedegreeofcentralizationordecentralizationofitsstructure.Thisusuallydependsontheparticularindustry,environment,andtechnologythecompanyisin.
Theadvantagesofcentralizedorganizationmainlyincludethefollowingaspects:
First,itiseasytocoordinatedecision-makingamongvariousfunctions;
Thesecondistostandardizetheformofthereportingline,suchastheuseofmanagementaccounts;
Thethirdistoreachagreementwiththecompany'sgoals;
Thefourthistomakequickdecisionsincriticalsituations;
Fifth,ithelpstoachieveeconomiesofscale;
Fifth,thisstructureismoresuitableforcompaniesthatarecloselymonitoredbyexternalagencies(suchasprofessionalnon-profitcompanies),becauseAlldecisionscanbecoordinated.
Atthesametime,theshortcomingsofcentralizedorganizationsarealsomoreprominent,mainlyinthefollowingaspects:oneisthatseniormanagementmaynotpayattentiontothedifferentrequirementsofindividualdepartments;theotheristhatdecision-makingneedstopassAlllevelsofcentralizedfunctionsreportupwards,sodecision-makingtimeistoolong;third,forlower-levelmanagers,theircareerdevelopmentislimited.
Thetrendofdecentralizeddecision-makingismoreprominent,whichisconsistentwiththemanagementthinkingthatenablesorganizationstorespondmoreflexiblyandproactively.Inlargecompanies,thegrassrootsmanagersareclosertotheactualproductionandhaveamoredetailedunderstandingofrelatedissuesthantheseniormanagers.Therefore,largeretailcompaniessuchasSearsandJ.C.Pennyhavegrantedtheirstoremanagersgreaterdecision-makingpowerintheselectionofinventorygoods.Thisallowstheirstorestocompetemoreeffectivelywithlocalstores.Similarly,BankofMontrealhascombinedits1,164branchesinCanadainto236communities,thatis,agroupofbranchesinalimitedarea,andeachcommunityhasamanagerwhocanpatrolfreelyamongthebranchesunderhisjurisdiction.,Thelongestdistancebetweenbranchesisonly20minutesaway.Herespondstoproblemsinhisownjurisdictionmuchfasterthanseniorexecutivesatthecompany'sheadquarters,andhehandlesthemmoreappropriately.RenatoRevoso,theEuropeanDirectorofIBM,adoptedasimilarapproachtodividecontinentalcompaniesinto200independentbusinessunits,eachwithitsownprofitgoals,employeeincentivemethods,andkeycustomers."Beforewewereusedtotop-downmanagement,justlikeinthearmy."Revossosaid,"Wetryourbesttomakeemployeeslearntomanagethemselves.
Regularization
RegularizationFormalization(formalization)referstothedegreeofstandardizationoftheworkintheorganization.Ifthedegreeofformalizationofajobishigh,itmeansthatthepersondoingthejobhaslittleautonomyinthecontentofthework,workingtime,andworkingmethods.PeopleEmployeesarealwaysexpectedtoworkinthesamewaytoensurestableandconsistentoutputresults.Inahighlyformalizedorganization,thereareclearworkinstructions,complicatedorganizationalrulesandregulations,anddetailedregulationsfortheworkprocess.Relativelyspeaking,forjobswithalowdegreeofregularization,thejobexecutorandschedulearenotsorigid,andemployeeshavemorepermissiontohandletheirownwork.Becausetheindividualpermissionisinverselyproportionaltotheorganization’sregulationsonemployeebehavior,soThehigherthedegreeofworkstandardization,thelesspoweremployeeshavetodecidetheirownworkingmethods.Workstandardizationnotonlyreducesthepossibilityofemployeeschoosingworkbehaviors,butalsoeliminatestheneedforemployeestoconsiderotherbehaviorchoices.
Thedegreeofformalizationofdifferentinternaljobsvariesgreatly.Anextremecaseisthatitiswellknownthatcertainjobsareverylowformalized,suchasuniversitybooksellers(publishers'agentswhosellnewbookstouniversityprofessors).FreedomofworkpermitsTheyarerelativelylarge,andtheirmarketinglanguagedoesnotrequireauniformstandard.Intermsofbehavioralconstraints,theyjustsubmitasalesreportonceaweekandmakerecommendationsforthepublicationofnewbooks.Theotherextremeisthestaffandeditorpositionsinthesamepublishingcompany.People.Theymustgotoworkontimeat8am,otherwisetheywillbedeductedhalfanhour’swages,andtheymustabidebyaseriesofdetailedrulesandregulationsestablishedbythemanagementstaff.
Fourmajorstructures
Organizationalstructureisgenerallydividedintofouraspects:functionalstructure,hierarchicalstructure,departmentstructure,andauthoritystructure.
1.Functionalstructure:referstotheneedtoachieveorganizationalgoalsThevariousbusinesstasks,proportionsandrelationships.Theconsiderationdimensionsincludefunctionaloverlap(overlap),functionalredundancy,functionallack,functionalfragmentation(orinsufficientlinkage),functionaldecentralization,functionaldivisionoflabor,functionaldislocation,functionalweakening,etc.
2.Hierarchicalstructure:referstothecompositionofthemanagementhierarchyandthenumberofpeoplemanagedbymanagers(verticalstructure).Theconsiderationdimensionsincludethesimilarityofmanagerialfunctions,managementScope,scopeofauthorization,complexityofdecision-making,workloadofguidanceandcontrol,andsimilarityofsubordinateprofessionaldivisionoflabor.
3.Departmentstructure:referstothecompositionofeachmanagementdepartment(Horizontalstructure).Themainconsiderationdimensioniswhethersomekeydepartmentsaremissingoroptimized.Fromtheoverallorganizationtype,theprimaryandsecondarystructureofeachdepartmentisanalyzed.
4.Authoritystructure:
4.b>referstothedivisionoflaborandinterrelationshipsatalllevelsanddepartmentsintermsofpowerandresponsibilities.ThemainconsiderationisbetweendepartmentsandpositionsWhetherthepowerandresponsibilityrelationshipisequal.
Optimizationmethod
Whenoptimizingtheorganizationalstructureofanenterprise,weusuallydivideitintothreepartstocarryout.Throughtheoptimizationoftheenterprise'sorganizationalstructureconstruction,theenterprise'sscientificandsystematicmanagementthinkingmodeisfinallyachieved.
First,thestabilitytransitionortheexistenceofstabilityoftheorganizationmustbethepremise:Stabilizethecurrentoperationandproductionmanagementactivities;theestablishedorganizationhasacertainperiodofstabilityTheoldorganizationcanbesmoothlytransitionedtotheneworganization;thejobadjustmentofpersonnelcanbesmoothlyandsmoothlytransitionedtothenewdepartmentandposition;theoriginalpositionpersonnelwhodonotadapttotheoriginalpositioncansteadilyresign,andthecompanywillnotbegiventothecompanyduetotheresignationofindividualpersonnelItwillbringaboutnegativeimpacts,andwillnottakeawaypersonnelduetoindividualresignation,whichwillcauseemployeestohavenoconfidenceinthecompany'sthinkingchanges.Whetherthestabilityisavailabledependsonwhethertheestablishmentofthedepartmentduringoptimizationandadjustmenthasachievedthe"threefits":
Adaptation:Whetheritmeetstheneedsofenterprisedevelopmentandthebasicrequirementsofmanagementscience.Whetherthescaleofthecompanyandthemarketshareofthecompany’sproductshavegeneratedaninherentneedforadjustments,thegeneralsignsofperformanceare:Althoughthescaleofthecompanyhasexpandedandthenumberofemployeeshasincreased,theefficiencyofthecompanyhasnotmatchedthespeedofimprovement,andinternalincoordinationandprevaricationoftenoccur.,Internalcoordinationoftenrequiressuperiorleadershiptocoordinate.Theoriginaldepartmentsandpositionscannotmeettheneedsofthedevelopmentandsurvivaloftheenterprise.Departmentmanagersandpositionpersonnelobviouslyfeelthattheworkdoesnotknowwhy,whodoesnotknowwhattodo,ignoresthem,isinactive,passiveoractive.
Timely:Hasthecompanyreachedthetimewhenitwillnotbeabletoachievebetterresultswithoutadjustment;whetheritisadjustedoroptimizedattherighttime;whetheritisatanappropriateamountofadvance(relativetoEnterprisemanagementlevel,personnelmentality,personnelquality,etc.);whetheritwilldisrupttheoriginalnormaloperationandproductionorderoftheenterpriseforalongtimeduetoinstitutionaladjustments;whetheritcanhelptheenterprisetosetanewstartinglineinthefuturedevelopment;whetherCanpromotetherapidimprovementofbusinessperformanceandmanagementstandards;whetherithastheeffectof"halfastepback,onestepfurtherortwostepsforward",etc.
Appropriatetalents:Whethertherearesuitablepersonnelorinstitutionstooptimizeandadjust;whetherthetalentsthatcanbeusedbythecompanycanbewidelyfound;whethertheexistingtalentscanbemaximized;whetherExplorethepotentialofexistingtalents.Canwebringintalentsurgentlyneededbytheenterprise?Inshort,canweusehumanresourcestothemaximumandrationally.
Second,thedivisionoflabormustbeclear,whichfacilitatesassessmentandcoordination.Improveuncoordinatedorganizationalrelationshipsontheexistingbasis,preventandavoidpossiblefrictionalrelationshipsinthefuture.Theoptimizedperformanceresultshouldbecleardepartmentfunctions,inplacepowersandresponsibilities,evaluationandassessment,andinter-departmentalmanagementContactandworkproceduresarecoordinated,andthecompany'smanagementsystemcanbeeffectivelyimplemented.
Thirdly,theestablishmentofdepartmentsandpositionsshouldbecombinedwithcultivatingtalentsandprovidinggooddevelopmentspace.Whenoptimizingandadjustingdepartmentsandpositions,itisnecessarynottoconsiderexistingpersonnel,butalsocomprehensivelyconsiderpersonnel;itisnotpossibletosetuphumanrelationsdepartmentsorpositionstotakecareofhumanrelations;atthesametime,itisnecessarytocomprehensivelyconsidertheconductofexistingpersonnelandthecompanyTheabilityandpotentialfordevelopment,etc.,onthepremiseofensuringthecharacterandthevalueoftrainingwithlowrisk,consciouslycombinedepartments,positionsandpersonneltraining,andtheconceptof"enterpriseisapersonaldevelopmentplatform"isadoptedthroughspecificTheemployees’employmentinthedepartmentorpositionisreflected.
ThreeContents
Enterpriseorganizationstructureincludesthreeaspects:
Unit,departmentandpositionsetting
EnterpriseorganizationTheestablishmentofunits,departments,andpositionsdoesnotdivideanenterpriseorganizationintoseveralparts,butasanorganizationthatservesaspecificgoal,itmustbecomposedofseveralcorrespondingparts,justlikeapersonneedsfeettowalk.Itisnotdividedfromthewholetotheparts,butthewholemusthavedifferentpartsinordertoachieveaspecificgoal.Thisrelationshipcannotbereversed.
Thedefinitionoftheresponsibilitiesandpowersofeachunit,departmentandpost
Thisisthedefinitionofthetargetfunctionofeachpart.Ifacertaincomponentdoesnothaveanindispensabletargetfunction,itwillshrinkanddisappearlikeahumantail.Thisdefinitionisadivisionoflabor,butitisadivisionoflaborwithinanorganism.Themouthcanbeusedforeatingorbreathing.
Definetherelationshipbetweenunits,departments,andpostroles
Thisistodefinehoweachpartcoordinates,cooperates,complements,andreplaceseachotherwhenitfunctions.
Thesethreeproblemsarecloselyrelated.Whilesolvingthefirstproblem,thelattertwoproblemshaveactuallybeensolved.Butasalargepieceofwork,thethreehaveamutuallyinheritedrelationship.Weneedtoconductastandardizedanalysisoftheorganizationalstructure.Thefocusisonthefirstquestion,andthelattertwoquestionsarefurtherdevelopmentsofthefirstquestion.
Requirementsforcorporateorganizationalstructuredesignspecifications
Forthisproblem,ifthereisnoorganizationstructuredesignspecificationsanalysistool,youwillfallintoasituationofdivergentopinionsandinconsistentopinions.Wetalkaboutthestandardizationofenterpriseorganizationalstructuredesign,whichmeanstoachievethefourstandardsofcompleteenterpriseinternalsystemfunctions,reasonabledistributionofsubsystemfunctions,matchingofsystemfunctiondepartmentsandpositions,andreasonablemanagementspan.
Fourkeyadjustments
Fourkeysshouldbeprioritizedwhenadjustingtheorganizationalstructure:
1.Businessdevelopment;
2,customerorientation;
3,resourceutilization;
4,managementandoperationefficiency.
Systemform
Straightlinesystem
Examplesoforganizationalstructureformandprinciplesoforganizationalstructuredesign(4photos)
StraightlineSystemistheearliestandsimplestformoforganization.Itscharacteristicisthattheadministrativeunitsatalllevelsoftheenterpriseimplementverticalleadershipfromtoptobottom,thesubordinatedepartmentsonlyacceptinstructionsfromonehigherlevel,andtheresponsiblepersonsatalllevelsareresponsibleforallissuesofthesubordinateunits.Thefactorydepartmentdoesnotsetupanotherfunctionalorganization(functionalpersonnelcanbesetuptoassistthesupervisor),andallmanagementfunctionsarebasicallyperformedbytheadministrativesupervisor.Theadvantagesofthestraight-lineorganizationalstructureare:thestructureisrelativelysimple,theresponsibilitiesareclear,andthecommandsareunified.Thedisadvantageisthatitrequirestheadministrativepersoninchargetobefamiliarwithavarietyofknowledgeandskills,andhandlevariousbusinessesinperson.Whenthebusinessisrelativelycomplexandthescaleoftheenterpriseisrelativelylarge,itisobviouslydifficulttoconcentrateallmanagementfunctionsonthetopexecutive.Therefore,thestraight-linesystemisonlysuitableforsmall-scaleenterpriseswithrelativelysimpleproductiontechnology,andisnotsuitableforenterpriseswithrelativelycomplicatedproductiontechnologyandmanagement.Functionalsystem
Theorganizationalstructureofthefunctionalsystemisthatadministrativeunitsatalllevels,inadditiontothepersonincharge,alsosetupsomefunctionalagenciesaccordingly.Forexample,afunctionalorganizationandpersonnelaresetupunderthefactorydirectortoassistthefactorydirectorinfunctionalmanagement.Thisstructurerequiresadministrativesupervisorstodelegatecorrespondingmanagementresponsibilitiesandpowerstorelevantfunctionalagencies,andeachfunctionalagencyhastherighttoissueorderstolower-leveladministrativeunitswithinitsownbusinessscope.Therefore,inadditiontoacceptingthecommandofthehigher-leveladministrativedirector,thelower-leveladministrativepersonmustalsoaccepttheleadershipofthehigher-levelfunctionalagencies.
Theadvantageofthefunctionalsystemisthatitcanadapttothecomplexproductiontechnologyofmodernindustrialenterprises,andthemanagementworkisrelativelyfine;itcangivefullplaytotheprofessionalmanagementroleoffunctionalorganizationsandreducetheworkloadoflinearleaders.ButtherearealsoshortcomingsObviously:ithindersthenecessarycentralizedleadershipandunifiedcommand,andformsamulti-headedleader;itisnotconducivetoestablishingandimprovingtheresponsibilitysystemofadministrativeleadersandfunctionaldepartmentsatalllevels.Inthemiddlemanagement,therewilloftenbepeoplewhohavemeritoriousservices.Inaddition,whenthereisaconflictbetweenthehigher-leveladministrativeleadershipandtheguidanceandordersofthefunctionalorganization,thelower-levelwillbeataloss,affectingthenormalprogressofwork,easilycausingslackdisciplineandchaoticproductionmanagementorder.Duetotheobviousshortcomingsofthisorganizationalstructure,modernenterprisesgenerallydonotadoptafunctionalsystem.
Linefunction
Line-functionsystem,alsocalledproductionareasystem,orlinestaffsystem.Itwasestablishedonthebasisofthelinearsystemandthefunctionalsystem,drawingonthestrongpointstomakeupfortheweak,andabsorbingtheadvantagesofthesetwoforms.Mostofourcompaniesusethisformoforganizationalstructure.Thisformoforganizationalstructuredividescorporatemanagementagenciesandpersonnelintotwocategories.Onecategoryislinearleadershipagenciesandpersonnel,whichexercisecommandpoweroverorganizationsatalllevelsaccordingtotheprincipleofunificationoforders;theothercategoryisfunctionalagenciesandpersonnel,whicharebasedonprofessionalism.Principles,engagedinthemanagementofvariousfunctionsoftheorganization.Thelineleadershipandpersonnelhavecertaindecision-makingpowersandcommandpowerstotheirsubordinateswithinthescopeoftheirduties,andtakefullresponsibilityfortheworkoftheirowndepartments.Thefunctionalagenciesandpersonnelarethestaffofthelinecommanders,whocannotissueorderstothedirectdepartments,butcanonlyconductbusinessguidance.
Theadvantageofthestraight-line-functionalsystemisthatitnotonlyguaranteesthecentralizationandunityoftheenterprisemanagementsystem,butalsocangivefullplaytotheroleofprofessionalmanagementinstitutionsundertheleadershipofadministrativepersonsatalllevels.Thedisadvantageisthatthecoordinationandcoordinationbetweenfunctionaldepartmentsispoor,andmanytasksoffunctionaldepartmentsmustbedirectlyreportedtoupper-levelleadersbeforetheycanbehandled.Ontheonehand,thisincreasestheworkburdenofupper-levelleaders;ontheotherhand,italsocauseslowworkefficiency..Inordertoovercometheseshortcomings,variouscomprehensivecommitteescanbeestablished,orvariousconferencesystemscanbeestablishedtocoordinatevariousaspectsofwork,playaroleincommunication,andhelpseniorleaderstomakesuggestions.
Thebusinessunitsystem
ThebusinessunitsystemwasfirstproposedbyGeneralMotorsPresidentSloanin1924,soitiscalled"SloanModel"andalsocalled"Federal"Decentralization"isadecentralizedmanagementsystemunderhigh(level)centralization.Itissuitableforlarge-scaleenterpriseswithalargescale,avarietyofvarieties,andcomplextechnologies.Itisanorganizationalformadoptedbylargerforeignjointcompanies.Inrecentyears,somelarge-scaleenterprisegroupsorcompaniesinChinahavealsointroducedthisorganizationalstructure.Thebusinessdepartmentsystemisaformofhierarchicalmanagement,hierarchicalaccounting,andself-financing,thatis,acompanyisdividedintoseveralbusinessdepartmentsaccordingtoregionsorproductcategories,fromproductdesign,rawmaterialprocurement,costaccounting,productmanufacturing,toproductsales,Areresponsibleforthebusinessdepartmentanditsaffiliatedfactories,andimplementseparateaccountingandindependentoperation.Thecompanyheadquartersonlyretainsthepowerofpersonneldecision-making,budgetcontrolandsupervision,andcontrolsthebusinessdepartmentthroughprofitandotherindicators.Therearealsobusinessunitsthatareonlyresponsiblefordirectingandorganizingproduction,notpurchasingandsales,andimplementingtheseparationofproductionandsupplyandmarketing,butthistypeofbusinessunitisbeingreplacedbytheproductbusinessunit.Otherbusinessunitsaredividedbyregion.
Simulateddecentralizationsystem
Thisisastructuralformbetweenthelinearfunctionsystemandthedivisionsystem.
Manylargeenterprises,suchascontinuousproductionofsteelandchemicalenterprises,aredifficulttobreakdownintoseveralindependentbusinessunitsduetothelimitationofproductvarietyorproductionprocess.Andbecauseofthelargescaleoftheenterprise,theseniormanagersfeltthatitwasnoteasytomanagewithotherorganizationalforms.Atthistime,asimulateddecentralizedorganizationalstructureappeared.Theso-calledsimulationistosimulatetheindependentoperationofthebusinessdepartmentsystemandseparateaccounting,ratherthantherealbusinessdepartment,whichisactuallya"productionunit".Theseproductionunitshavetheirownfunctionalinstitutions,enjoyasmuchautonomyaspossible,andbear"simulated"profitandlossresponsibilities.Thepurposeistomobilizetheirenthusiasmforproductionandoperationandachievethepurposeofimprovingenterpriseproductionandoperationmanagement.Itshouldbepointedoutthatduetothecontinuityofproduction,itisdifficulttoseparatetheproductionunitscompletely.Takethecontinuouspetrochemicalindustryasanexample.The"products"producedbyUnitAdirectlybecometherawmaterialsofUnitB.ThisThereisnoneedtostopandtransfer.Therefore,theeconomiccalculationbetweenthemcanonlybebasedontheinternalpriceoftheenterprise,notthemarketprice,whichmeansthattheseproductionunitsdonothavetheirownindependentexternalmarket,whichisalsothedifferencefromthebusinessdepartment.
Inadditiontomobilizingtheenthusiasmofvariousproductionunits,theadvantageofthesimulateddecentralizationsystemistosolvetheproblemoftoolargeanenterprisethatisdifficulttomanage.Theseniormanagementassignedpartofthepowertotheproductionunits,reducingtheirownadministrativeaffairs,andthusfocusedtheirenergyonstrategicissues.Thedisadvantageisthatitisnoteasytoclarifytasksforthesimulatedproductionunit,whichcausesdifficultiesinassessment;itisdifficultfortheleadersofeachproductionunittounderstandthefullpictureoftheenterprise,andtherearealsoobviousdefectsininformationcommunicationanddecision-makingpower.
Matrixsystem
Intheorganizationalstructure,thestructureofbothaverticalleadershipsystemdividedbyfunctionandahorizontalleadershiprelationshipdividedbyproducts(projects)iscalledamatrixOrganizationalstructure.
Matrixorganizationisanorganizationformtoimprovetheshortcomingsofthelinearfunctionsystemofpoorhorizontalconnectionsandlackofflexibility.Itscharacteristicsaremanifestedintheestablishmentofaspecialorganizationofcross-functionaldepartmentsaroundaspecifictask.Forexample,aspecialproduct(project)teamisformedtoengageinnewproductdevelopment.Inthedifferentstagesofresearch,design,testing,andmanufacturing,relevantThedepartmentsentpeopletoparticipateinanefforttoachieveacombinationofdisciplinestocoordinatetheactivitiesoftherelevantdepartmentsandensurethecompletionofthetasks.
Theadvantagesofthematrixstructureare:mobilityandflexibility,itcanbeorganizedordisbandedwiththedevelopmentandcompletionoftheproject;becausethisstructureisorganizedaccordingtotheproject,thetaskisclear,thepurposeisclear,andthereareexpertiseinallaspectsPeoplecomeprepared.Therefore,inthenewworkinggroup,youcancommunicateandintegrate,connectyourworkwiththeoverallwork,andofferideasandsuggestionsforovercomingdifficultiesandsolvingproblems.Becausethepersonneldrawnfromallaspectshaveasenseoftrustandhonor,Itincreasestheirsenseofresponsibility,stimulatesworkenthusiasm,andpromotestherealizationoftheproject;italsostrengthensthecooperationandinformationexchangebetweendifferentdepartments,andovercomesthedisconnectionofvariousdepartmentsinthelinearfunctionalstructure.
Thedisadvantageofthematrixstructureisthattheresponsibilityoftheprojectleaderisgreaterthanthepower,becausethepeopleparticipatingintheprojectarefromdifferentdepartments,andtheaffiliationisstillintheoriginalunit,onlyforthe"battle."Theyaredifficulttomanageanddonothaveenoughincentivesandpunishments.Thiskindofdualmanagementofpersonnelisacongenitaldefectofthematrixstructure;becausetheprojectmemberscomefromvariousfunctionaldepartments,theystillhavetoreturntotheoriginalunitafterthetaskiscompleted,whichiseasytoproduceTemporaryconceptshaveacertainimpactonwork.
Thematrixstructureissuitableforsomemajorresearchprojects.Enterprisescanbeusedtocompletelarge-scale,temporary,andcomplexmajorengineeringprojectsormanagementreformtasks.Itisespeciallysuitableforunitsthatfocusondevelopmentandexperimentation,suchasscientificresearch,especiallyappliedresearchunits.
Committee
Committeeisaspecialtypeoforganizationalstructure.Itisanorganizationalformthatperformscertainmanagementfunctionsandischaracterizedbycollectiveactivities.Theactualcommitteeisoftencombinedwiththeabove-mentionedorganizationalstructureandcanplayaroleindecision-making,consultation,cooperationandcoordination.
Advantages:
①Canpoolideas;②Conducivetocollectivedeliberationandjudgment;③Preventexcessiveconcentrationofpower;④Conducivetocommunicationandcoordination;⑤AbletorepresentthecollectiveBenefits,easytogainthetrustofthemasses;⑥Promotethegrowthofmanagers,etc.
Disadvantages:
①Decentralizedresponsibility;②Discussionwithoutdecision;③Highdecision-makingcost;④Afewpeopleareautocratic.
Multidimensionalandthree-dimensional
Thisorganizationalstructureisanorganiccombinationofthedivisionsystemandthematrixsystem.Itismostlyusedinorganizationsthatoperateacrossmultipleproductsandacrossregions.
Advantages:Formanyproductproductioninstitutions,theyaredividedbyprofession,product,andregion;themanagementstructureisclear,whichisconvenientfororganizationandmanagement.
Disadvantages:Theorganizationishuge,managementcostsincrease,andinformationcommunicationisdifficult.
Basicconfiguration
ThefiveorganizationalstructureconfigurationsproposedbyMintzbergareentrepreneurialstructure,organizationalstructure,professionalbureaucraticstructure,divisionstructureandspecialstructure.Eachstructureconfigurationisdescribedbelow.Thefollowingtablesummarizesthespecificorganizationalcharacteristicsassociatedwithproperconfigurationintheimplementationofthestrategy.
Project | Entrepreneurshipstructure | Organizationalstructure | Professionalbureaucraticstructure | Businessdepartmentstructure | Specialstructure | |
Strategyandgoals | Development,survival | Defense,efficiency | Analysis,effectiveness | Businessdepartment,profit | Explore,innovate | |
Ageandscale | Young,small | Old,large | Diverse | Oldandverylarge | Young | |
Technology | Simple | Machinebutnotautomated | Service | Separable,roboticstructure | Verycomplex,oftenAutomation | |
Environment | Simpleanddynamic,Sometimeshostile | simpleandstable | complexandstable | QuitesimpleAndstablemultiplemarkets | complexanddynamic | |
Standardization | Almostnone | Alot | Almostnone | Inthedivision | Almostnone | |
Structure | Function | Function | Functionorproduct | p>Products,integration | Functionsandproducts | |
Cooperation | Directsupervision | Verticalalliance | Horizontalalliance | Headquartersstaff | Two-wayadjustment | |
Control | Team | Bureaucratic | Teamandbureaucratic | Marketandbureaucratic | Team | |
Culture | Development | Weak | Bright | p>Subculture | Vivid | |
Technician | No | Many | Almostnone | Therearemanyoperationcontrolpersonnelintheheadquarters | Almostno | |
Administrativestaff | Almostnone | many | manyprofessionals | Headquartersandbusinessdepartmentopened | Therearemanybutintheprojectteam | td> |
Keypartsoftheorganization | Topmanagement | Technician | Productioncore | CenterManagement | Supportersandtechnicalcore |
Thecharacteristicsofthefivetypesoforganizations
1.Entrepreneurshipstructure
Theorganizationoftheentrepreneurialstructureisoftenanewsmallcompanythatisinthefirststageoftheorganization’slifecycle.Theorganizationtakesthemachineasthecoreandconsistsofthegeneralmanagerandworkers.Thisstructurerequiresonlyasmallnumberofauxiliarypersonnel.Noneedforspecializationandstandardization,coordinationandcontrolcomefromtheupperlevel.Thefoundersofthecompanyhavepowerandcreatecorporateculture.Withoutstandardizedworkingprocedures,employeeshavealmostnodecision-makingpower.Thisorganizationissuitablefordynamicenvironments.Itcanadjustquicklyandcompetesuccessfullywithlarger,lessadaptableorganizations.Itmustbeadaptabletoestablishamarket.Butthiskindoforganizationhasnopowerandisvulnerabletosuddenchanges.Unlessitisveryadaptable,itwillfail.
2.Organizedbureaucraticstructure
Organizedbureaucraticstructurereferstobureaucraticorganization.Thiskindoforganizationisverylarge,thetechnologyhasbeenstandardized,anditisoftenforlarge-scaleproduction.Thedegreeofspecializationandstandardizationisverystrong,andthekeydecision-makingcomesfromtheupperlevel.Becausethisorganizationisnotwelladjusted,itsenvironmentissimpleandstable.Theorganizationhasalargenumberoftechnicalandadministrativepersonnel.Technicalpersonnelincludeengineers,marketresearchers,financialanalysts,andsystemanalysts,whousethemtocheckotherpartsoftheorganization,andprogramandstandardizethem.Techniciansarethedominantgroupwithintheorganization.Organizationalstructuresareoftencriticizedforlackofmanagementbylower-levelemployees,lackofinnovation,weakculture,andscatteredworkforces,buttheyaresuitableforlarge,stableenvironmentsandefficiencygoals.
3.Professionalbureaucraticstructure
Theobviousfeatureofprofessionalbureaucraticstructureisthatthecoreofproductioniscomposedofprofessionals,suchashospitals,universities,andconsultingcompanies.
Althoughtheorganizationisbureaucratic,thepeopleatthecoreofproductionhaveautonomy.Long-termtrainingandexperiencehavepromotedtheformationofcollectivemanagementandadistinctivecultureinorganizationsofthisstructure,therebyreducingtheneedforbureaucraticmanagementstructures.Theseorganizationsoftenprovideservicesratherthantangibleproducts,andtheyexistincomplexenvironments.Mostofthepoweroftheorganizationliesintheprofessionalsintheproductioncore.Thetechnicalgroupissmallornon-existent,butitrequiresalargenumberofadministrativestafftohandlethedailyaffairsoftheorganization.
4.BusinessUnitStructure
Theorganizationofthebusinessunitstructureisverylarge,anditisoftendividedintoseveralbusinessunitsbasedonproductsormarkets.Therearealmostnoliaisonmeasuresbetweenbusinessunitstocoordinate,andbusinessunitsemphasizemarketcontrolthroughprofitandlossreports.Thedivisionofbusinessdivisionscanbequitestandardized,becausetechnologyisoftenregulated.
Althoughtheentireorganizationhastoservevariousmarkets,theenvironmentofanybusinessunitissimpleandstable.Eachbusinessunitisautonomoustoacertainextentandhasitsownculture.Thereisdecentralizationwithinthebusinessdepartment,andheadquarterspersonnelwillretainsomefunctions,suchasplanningandresearch.
5.Specialstructure
Specialstructureisproposedtosurviveinacomplexdynamicenvironment.Thetechnologyisverycomplex,suchasaerospaceandelectronicsindustry.Theageofthespecialstructureorganizationislikeayoungormiddle-agedperson,itsscaleisquitelarge,butitneedstoadapt.Thestructureestablishedonthebasisoftheteamhasmanyhorizontaljointsandauthorizedemployees.Technicalpersonnelandproductioncorepersonnelhavepoweroverkeyproductionfactors.Theorganizationhasadetaileddivisionoflabor,butitisnotlimitedtoform.Theemployeesarehighlyspecialized,withdistinctiveculturalvalues,andemphasizinggroupcontrol.Throughdecentralization,peopleatanylevelcanparticipateindecision-making.Intermsofstructure,powerrelations,andenvironment,theadhocstructureisalmosttheoppositeoftheorganizationalstructure.
Thekeytothefivestructuralconfigurationsisthatthetopmanagementcandesignanorganizationthatcancoordinateandmatchkeyelementswitheachother.Forexample,theorganizingstructureissuitableforstrivingforhigh-efficiencystrategiesinastableenvironment;butinahostileanddynamicenvironment,itisamistaketoadoptanorganizingstructure.Themanagercanimplementthestrategybydesigningthecorrectstructureconfigurationsuitablefortheenvironment.
Organizationalstructure
1.Measurethestatusofthecompany'sorganizationalstructureandseewherethevariousdepartmentsofthecompanyarelocated.
Second,whatfunctionsarelacking?Thisisthestartingpointforconsideringthemacro-organizationalstructure.Thisorganizationalstructureisderivedfromthecompany’sstrategy,macro-processandorganizationalstructure.Whenmanycompanieschange,humanresourcesneedtoparticipate.
Anyorganizationalstructureshouldreflectthereportingrelationshipandreflectthateachboxisaposition,notadepartment.Oneistoclearlyreflecttherelationshipbetweenpositionsandpositions;theotheristoreflecthowthepositionsandpositionsarecombinedandhowtheteamisformed;thethirdistoshowtheapproximateleveloftherelationshiponthemap,whichisdividedintoseveralLevel.Manypeopledespisethisorganizationalstructure.
Functionalorganizationalstructure
Themostcommonisthefunctionalorfunctionalorganizationalstructure,whichistheeasiesttoacceptinorganizationalstructureorteambuilding.Inthisstructure,thewinnersarethosewhoneedexpertise,whohaveadeepunderstandingoftheirownwork,andcandowhattheydoverywell.Infact,thisisthemeaningofjobdesign-throughdifferentcombinations,sothatemployeeshavebetterworkefficiency.
Butthisorganizationalstructureputsmoreemphasisonindividualsdoingpersonalthings.Thedisadvantageisthatitleadstotoomanylevels.
Organizationalstructurewithproductorserviceasthecore(businessunittype)
Thebusinessunittypestructureisveryfashionable,anditisusuallydividedaccordingtoproductsorcustomersandmarkets.Theso-calledproductrefersto,forexample,anenterpriseproducesbothcarsandairplanes,anddifferentproductshavedifferentorganizationalstructures.
Focusoncustomersorregions
Accordingtocustomers,suchasB-B,B-C,BorCisdividedaccordingtocustomers.Largecustomersorpubliccustomers,thecustomerisacorporatecustomer,andhissalesmarketisdonebyagroupofpeople;ifitisanindividualuser,itisdonebyanothergroupofpeople.Ifcorporatecustomersaresubdividedintoschools,institutions,governmentagencies,etc.,thecustomergroupsaredivideddifferently,andthepracticesaredifferent.Accordingtothemarketapproachisamorepopularapproach,becauseitpaysmuchattentiontocustomerserviceandcustomersatisfaction.Thisorganizationalstructurecanbestmeettheneedsofcustomers.Eachclienthasanaccountmanagerwhocanworkaccordingtotheneedsoftheclient.
Businessprocessteamorganizationstructure
Itusesrelativelylittle,fromsolutions,tocustomerservice,production,logistics,andcompletesstepbystepinaccordancewitheachcustomer'sprocess.
Matrixorganizationalstructure
Basicproblemsoftheorganization:managementstructure
Managementlevels
Managementlevelsaremoreorless.HowmanylevelsareneededfromCEOtoUNE?Fouroreight?Doyouwanttohaveadeputymanager?Flatorganizationissues.
ControlSpan
Numberofdirectsubordinates;narrowandwidecontrolspan.
Processconcentration
Themaindecision-makingoftheenterprise,thedegreeofconcentrationofcontrolpowerandauthority.
Designspecification
Themethodofenterpriseorganizationstructuredesignspecification-targetfunctiontreesystemanalysismodel
1.HowtosolvethefourthproblemoforganizationalstructuredesignstandardizationQuestionsinallaspects?
Speciallyexplorescientificmethodstosolveorganizationalstructuredesign.Sofar,fewpeoplehaveexplored,andthereisnoliteratureinbooks.Inthiscase,thediscussionofthestandardizationoftheorganizationalstructuredesignhasonlybecomeastatementofthepersonalsubjectivepreferencesofthediscussantintheorganizationalstructure.
Whenwetalkaboutstandardizationornot,hereisnotasimplevaluejudgment.Itisnotbasedonoursubjectivepreferencestodeterminewhatisgoodandwhatisbad,buttograspthestandardoftheobjectitself.Nature,usetheinternallogicalconnectionanddevelopmentlawoftheobjecttoberegulatedtodefinethenorm.Inotherwords,itisnottoimposesomethingontheobjecttoberegulatedfromtheoutside,buttolettheobjecttoberegulatedoperateanddevelopaccordingtoitsproperformandlaw.Onlyinthiswaycantheworkofstandardizedmanagementachievethegoalofenhancingthevalueoftheenterpriseasitshouldbe.Standardizedmanagementofanenterprisemustbefullyreflectedinthepromotionofenterprisevalue-theimprovementofmanagementefficiencyandmanagementefficiency.Whenweareexploringtheproblemofstandardizedmanagementofenterprises,wehaverepeatedlyemphasizedtheneedtoseekascientificmethod,themostfundamentalpointofwhichishowtosolvetheproblemofmanagementefficiencyandeffectiveness.
2.Whatisthescientificmethodtostandardizethedesignofcorporateorganizationalstructure?
Beforeansweringthisquestion,wemustfirstunderstandwhattheorganizationitselfis.
AsIhaveanalyzedbefore,abusinessorganizationisanorganicsystem,anorganicsystemthatexistsinalargersystem,anditsinteriorcanbesubdividedintomanysubsystems.Asasocialorganizationcomposedofpeople,theenterpriseorganizationitselfispurposeful,whichmeansthatitsexistenceistoservepeople'sspecificgoals,anditiscreatedbypeopletoachievespecificgoals.Anenterpriseorganizationisnotthesameasanaturalexistence.Itiscreatedbypeople,anditmustservethewillandpurposeofthepersonwhocreatedit.Inthissense,itcanbesaidthatitisatoolcreatedbypeopletoachieveaspecificpurpose.
Asaninstrumentalsocialorganizationcreatedbypeople,thepurposeandgoalofanenterpriseareobvious.Itisalsoobviousthatitsinternalstructuremustservethisspecificpurposeandgoal.Itspurposefulandfunctionalcharacteristicsprovideuswithcluestofindthescientificmethodtoregulateit.Thismethodisthetargetfunctiontreesystemanalysismodeldirectlycorrespondingtoitstargetfunctioncharacteristics.
Theso-calledtargetfunctiontreesystemanalysismodelistoanalyzethetargetfunctionstructureoftheanalysisobjectitselftoanalyzeanddeterminetheinternalstructureoftheanalysisobjectandthelawofdevelopmentandoperation.
Theexistencescreatedbyhumanshaveacommonfeature,whichisthattheyhaveamulti-levelstructurewithgoalsandfunctions.Theexistenceofthelandscapeitselfhasnopurpose,andthehierarchicalstructureofgoalsandfunctionscannotbedistinguishedwithinit.Thegrassitselfhasnowill.Whenitisselectedasaspecialtooltoachieveaspecificpurpose,thatis,peoplegiveitaspecificpurpose.Therolethatcanachievethispurposehasbecomeitsfunction.Whenthiskindofnaturalexistenceisselectedasaspecifictoolofman,itisnolongeranaturalexistenceinthefullsense,butameansandtoolinjectedintoman'swillandgoal.Thegoalhereisactuallyahumangoal,anditsfunctionisitsroleandnaturerelativetothisgoal.
Andgoalsandfunctionsarenotdiametricallyopposed,butinterdependent.Comparedwiththefunction,thegoalbecomesthegoal.Onlywhenthefunctionisrelativetoacertaingoalcanitbecomeafunction.Respirationisthefunctionalroleofthelungs,butitonlyhasthisfunctionalrolerelativetoanimalsthatneedtobreathe.Needisaspecificpurposeorgoal.Andthedefinitionsofgoalsandfunctionsthemselvesarealsorelative.Inacomplexsystemstructure,goalsandfunctionsexistonmultiplelevels.Inordertoachievecertaingoals,theremustbecorrespondingfunctions;inordertoensurethenormalperformanceofcertainfunctions,theremustbeaseriesofsmallfunctions.Thefunctionoftheupperlevelbecomesthetargetrelativetothefunctionofthenextlevel.
Throughthiskindoftargetfunctiontreeanalysis,itisveryconvenientandeffectivetocleartheinternalhierarchicalstructureofthesystem.Asfarasthespecificsystemofenterpriseorganizationisconcerned,analyzingitbyusingthetargetfunctiontreesystemanalysismodelcanaccuratelyprovideaframeworktoolforthedesignofenterpriseorganizationstructure.Thiskindofanalysisnotonlyhelpsustodeterminethegoalstobeachievedindifferentperiodsoftime,butalsohelpsustochoosethespecificmeasuresandmethodsthatmustbetakentoachievethegoalsoftheenterprise.
Fortheanalysisoftheenterprisesystem,thegoaloftheenterpriseistomakemoney.Howdocompaniesmakemoney?HowcanImakemoney?Alittleanalysiswillrevealthattheenterprisesystemiscomposedoffourmajorsystems:information(informationflow),organization(peopleflow),marketing(logistics),andfinance(fundflow).Thisisananalysisofthefirstleveloftargetfunction.Ifyouwanttofurthersubdivide,enterthethirdandfourthlevelsoftheanalysisofthetargetfunctionrelationship,youcanget61smallsubsystems.Thefollowingisaseparateanalysisofthesystemformedbythe"fourstreams"oftheenterprisetoclarifyitsinternalstructureandthegoalsofthesubsystemsateachlevel
Specificationimplementation
ThepreviousanalysisThestandardoftheorganizationstructureandthemethodthatmustbeusedtostandardizetheorganizationstructure-thetargetfunctiontreesystemanalysismodel.However,howtoimplementthestandardizationoftheorganizationalstructurewillbebrieflyanalyzedhere.
Thefirststepistochoosetodeterminethebasicmodeloftheorganizationalstructure.Thissteprequireschoosinganddeterminingatypicalorganizationalmodelbasedontheactualsituationofthecompanyasthebasicmodelofthecompany'sorganizationalstructure.Inthepracticeofcontemporaryenterprises,itismorecommontochooselinearfunctionalandmatrixstructures,andmoreandmoreenterpriseschoosetoaddthecorrespondingcharacteristicsoftheflexiblemodetosupplementthelimitationsofthebasicmode.
Thesecondstepistoanalyzeanddeterminetheworkloadofeachsubsystem'stargetfunction.Thissteprequiresanalyzinganddeterminingtheworkloadofeachsub-systemwithintheenterprisebasedonthetargetfunctiontreesystemanalysismodel.Therearetwovariablestoconsider:oneisthesizeofthecompany;theotheristhenatureofthecompany'sindustry.
Thethirdstepistodeterminethefunctionaldepartments.Thissteprequiresdeterminingthefunctionalmanagementdepartmentoftheenterprisebasedontheworkloadofthevarioussubsystemswithintheenterpriseandtherelationshipbetweenthedifferentsubsystems.Thatis,theassociationrelationshipandtheindependentrelationship,andthetargetfunctionofthesubsystemswithasmallworkloadaremerged,andafunctionalmanagementdepartmentisthemainundertakingunit,responsibleforthecoordinationandsummaryofthetargetfunctionofthemergedsubsystem.Theobjectivefunctionsofthesubsystemsofthecheck-and-balancerelationshipareassignedtodifferentunits,departmentsorjobroles.
Thefourthstepistobalancetheworkload.Thissteprequiresageneralbalanceoftheplannedworkloadofeachunitanddepartment.Unitsanddepartmentswithexcessiveworkloadsoftenresultinexcessivemanagementspans,andunitsanddepartmentswithtoosmallworkloadsoftenresultinexcessivemanagementspans.Therefore,itisnecessarytorationalizethemanagementspanbybalancingtheworkloadbetweenunitsanddepartments.Here,onethingtonoteis:thesubsystemswithchecksandbalancesshouldavoidassigningtheirtargetfunctionstothesameunit,thatis,priorityshouldbegiventoensuringthatthetargetfunctionsofthesubsystemswithchecksandbalancesareseparatelyassumed.
Thefifthstepistoestablishthesettingsoflower-levelcounterpartunits,departmentsorpositions.Ifthesubsidiaries,independentcompanies,andbranchesoftheenterprisearestillrelativelylarge,andthehigher-levelfunctionalmanagementdepartmentscannotfullyundertakethecoordinationandaggregationofthetargetfunctionsofthecorrespondingsubsystems,itisnecessarytosetupcounterpartsatthislevelThefunctionaldepartmentorcommissionerposition.
Thesixthstepistodrawanorganizationalchart.Thissteprequirestovisuallyconstructtherelationshipbetweentheunits,departmentsandpositionsoftheentireenterprise,andthecorrespondingtasksoftheobjectivefunctionsofthesubsystemsundertaken.
Theseventhstepistodrawupanenterprisesystemanalysisfile.Thisstepistoestablishastandardfortheorganizationoftheenterprise.Theenterprisesystemanalysisdocumentisadetaileddescriptionofthetargetfunctionofeachsubsystemwithintheenterprise,whichunits,departmentsorpositionsshouldbespecificallyundertaken,andthecontentoftheresponsibility,anddefinetheresponsibilitiesandpowers.
Theeighthstepistowriteanorganizationstatementbasedontheenterprisesystemanalysisfile.Thisstepofworkistoanalyzeanddefinethespecificworkresponsibilities,powers,informationtransmissionroutes,resourcecirculationroutes,etc.ofeachunit,departmentorganization,andpositionbasedontheorganizationalstructure.
Theninthstepistodrawupunits,departmentsandpositionsWorkStandards.Clearlydefinethejobresponsibilities,jobgoals,andjobrequirementsofeachunit,department,andposition.
Thetenthstepistoanalyzetheworkaccordingtotheenterprisesystemanalysisdocuments,organizationinstructionsandworkstandardsofunits,departmentsandpositions,andwriteworkinstructions.Inadditiontodefiningtheforegoing,theconditionsandqualificationsofthepositionmustbeclearlydefined.
Theeleventhstepistosummarizeanddiscusstheabove-mentioneddocuments,andformallypromulgatethemafterapproval,andtheorganizationalstructureadjustmentandtransformationworkiscompleted.
Diagnosticdimensions
Whensystematicallyreviewingtheorganizationalstructureofanenterprise,weoftenstartfromthefollowingfourdimensions:businessstructure,functionalstructure,hierarchicalstructure,authoritystructure.
Whentherearemultiplebusinessesintheorganization,wereviewthedivisionoflaborstructureofeachbusinessandtheallocationoforganizationalresources.Specifictoasinglebusiness,westartfromthebusinessprocessandexaminewhethertheorganizationaldepartmentsettingsaresufficienttocoverthebusinessprocessanddonotoverlap.AccordingtoRobbins'sresearchonorganizations,thereareseveralwaystodividebusinessdepartments,eachofwhichhasdifferentadvantagesanddisadvantages,whichwecanflexiblygraspinactualoperation.
1.Dividedepartmentsbyproduct
Advantages:Conducivetoproductimprovementandcoordinationwithinthedepartment.Disadvantages:Departmentalization(standardism),managementHighcost(overlappinginstitutions)
Applicable:largescale,manyproducts,andbigdifferencesbetweenproducts.
2.Dividedbyregion:Concentratethebusinessofacertainregioninacertaindepartment.
Reason:theinconvenienceoftransportationandthedifficultyofinformationcommunicationcausedbygeographicaldispersion.Advantages:strongpertinence,canquicklyrespondtoenvironmentalchangesinthearea.Disadvantages:difficulttocoordinatewiththeheadquarters(noteasytocontrol)
3.Dividedbycustomers:Thepremiseisthatthespecificcustomersservedbyeachdepartmenthavecommonneedsandthenumberissufficient.Suchas:salesofanofficesuppliescompany:retaildepartment,wholesaledepartment,governmentdepartment.
4.Comprehensivecriteria:Inpractice,severaldivisionmethodsareoftencombined
Inthisdimension,weexaminetwoissues,oneiswhetherThereareoverlappingormissingfunctions,especiallywhetherthekeyfunctionsrequiredbytheorganizationareavailable.Thesecondiswhetherthefunctionaldepartmentsareclearlypositionedandwhethertheyhaveaclearmission.
Includethemanagementlevelandmanagementrangeoftheorganization.
Managementlevelisproducedwiththeexpansionofthescaleoftheorganizationandthecomplexityoftherelationship,andiscloselyrelatedtothescaleandmanagementrange.Themanagementrangereferstothenumberofsubordinatesthatasupervisorcandirectlyandeffectivelymanage.Themanagementrangeisinverselyproportionaltothelevel.Generallywethinkthatitismoreappropriatetomanage3-20directreports.Amongthem,seniormanagersmanage3-10subordinates;middlemanagersmanage6-15subordinates;itisreasonableforgrassrootsmanagerstomanage15-20subordinates,butitisnotabsolute.Thefollowingfactorswillalsoaffecttheextentofmanagement:suchasmanagementThequalityandabilityoftheemployee,thequalityandabilityofthesubordinates,jobsimilarity,thestabilityofthesalaryenvironment,thecompletenessoftheplan,theauthorization,thespatialdistributionofpersonnel,theprovisionofassistants,andsoon.
referstothedivisionoflaborandmutualrelationsofrightsandresponsibilitiesofvariousdepartmentsandlevels.AccordingtoRobbins'understanding,therearethreetypesofpowers:
1.Linearpowers:thecommandandcommandrelationshipbetweenthesuperiorandthesuperior.Thisiswhatweusuallycallthe"chainofcommand."
2.Staffpower:thepoweroforganizationmemberstoprovideconsultationandadvicetomanagers.Thisauthoritystemsfromtheneedsoflinepersonnelforprofessionalknowledge,suchasfinance,quality,personnel,andpublicrelations.
3.Functionsandpowers:partofthepowersofthelinepersonnelownedbythestaffdepartmentorstaff.Thisauthorityisthatthelinepersonnel,duetolackofprofessionalknowledge,delegatepartofthecommandtothestaffofficerssothattheycanexercisecommandauthoritywithinacertainfunctionalscope.Functionalauthorityisvalidonlywithinthescopeofitsfunction.Itisalimitedcommand.
Inthereviewoftheauthoritystructure,weneedtograsptwokeypoints:First,istheauthorizationreasonable?Second,istheinformationcommunicationsmooth?
Throughtheabovefourdimensions,wecanusuallycarryoutasystematicanalysisoftheorganizationalstructureoftheenterprise.Ofcourse,eachenterprisehasitsowncharacteristicsandbackground,andtheproblemsfacedaredifferent,whichrequiresustobeflexibleinouractualwork.
Timingofreform
1.Thecorporatestrategyhasundergonetremendouschanges,andtheorganizationalstructurehasbeendifficulttoadapt.
2.Thedevelopmentstageofthecompanyhaschanged,andtheorganizationalstructurehasbecomeadevelopmentRestrictions
3.Organizationalpersonnelormanagementmodechanges,andorganizationalstructureneedstobeadjustedurgently
4.Externalmarketchanges,competitors’networkschange,andurgentadjustmentsareneededOrganizationalstructure
5.Theorganizationalstructureisbloated,coordinationisdifficult,communicationisnotsmooth,anddecision-makingisslow.Itisurgenttooptimizetheorganizationalstructure
6.Theorganizationissuperfluousandbureaucratic
7.Informationisnotsmooth,decision-makingexecutionisoutofshape
System
Inthesenseofmanagement,theorganizationalstructureisessentiallyapower-responsibilityrelationshipstructure.Amodernandsoundorganizationalstructuregenerallyincludesthefollowingrelationshipsubsystems:
⒈Decision-makingsubsystem
Theorganization’sleadershipsystemanddecision-makinginstitutionsatalllevelsandItsdecision-makersconstitutethedecision-makingsubsystem.Decision-makingagenciesanddecision-makersatalllevelsarethecoreoforganizationaldecision-making.
⒉Commandsubsystem
Thecommandsubsystemisthecommandcenterfororganizingactivities.Ineachfunctionalunitordepartment,thepersoninchargeorexecutiveheadanditsmembersAsystemthatcomposesaverticalform.Themaintaskofthechiefexecutiveistoimplementthedecisionsofthedecision-makingbody,andberesponsiblefordirectingvariousactivitiesoftheorganizationtoensurethatvariousactivitiesarecarriedoutsmoothlyandeffectively.Thedesignofthecommandsubsystemshouldproceedfromtherealityoftheorganization,reasonablydeterminethemanagementlevel,andaccordingtotheprincipleofauthorization,delegatethecommandpowerlevelbylevel,establishamulti-level,authoritativecommandsystemtoexerciseunifiedcommandovertheorganization'svariousactivities.
⒊Thestaff-functionalsubsystem
Thestaff-functionalsubsystemisahorizontalsystemcomposedofstafforfunctionaldepartments.Eachstafforfunctionaldepartmentisthestaffandassistantofthechiefexecutive,andisresponsibleforacertainaspectofbusinessactivities.Indesigningthestaff-functionalsubsystem,itisnecessarytosetupthenecessarystafforfunctionalagenciesinaccordancewiththeactualneedsandtheprincipleofprofessionaldivisionoflabor,andstipulatethescopeoftheirdutiesandworkrequirementstoensuretheeffectivedevelopmentofallaspectsofmanagement.
⒋Executivesubsystem,supervisorysubsystem,andfeedbacksubsystem
Thedecision-makingcenterdeterminestheorganization’smajorpoliciesandthecommandcenteristhestartingpointfortheimplementationoftheplan.Theexecutivesubsystem,thesupervisorysubsystemandthefeedbacksubsystemaretheinstitutionsthatenabletheplantobeimplementedcorrectly.
Thecommandcenterissuesinstructions,whichontheonehandleadstotheexecutingagency,andatthesametimetothesupervisoryagencytosupervisetheexecution.Thefeedbackorganizationcomparesthedifferencebetweentheeffectandtheinstructionthroughtheprocessingoftheinformationsystem,andthenreturnstothecommandcenter.Inthisway,thecommandcentercanissuenewinstructionsbasedonthesituation.
Theexecutiveagencymustaccuratelyimplementthecommandcenter'sinstructions.Inordertoensurethis,thereshouldbeasupervisoryagencytosupervisetheimplementation,andthefeedbacksubsystemreflectstheeffectoftheimplementation.Theexecutivesubsystem,thesupervisorysubsystem,andthefeedbacksubsystemmustbeindependentofeachotherandcannotbeintegratedintoone.
Unreasonable
Acommonmistakethatisusuallymadewhensettingupanorganizationalstructureistousean"ideal"or"universallyapplicable"Themechanicalorganizationmodelwasimposedonanotherlivingenterprise.Astheenterprisedevelopstoacertainstage,somecontradictionsoftheunreasonableorganizationalstructurewillbecomeincreasinglyacute.Thedirectmanifestationsare:
1)Therearetoomanymanagementlevelsintheorganization,sothatacapablepersoncanItookupamanagementpositionatayoungageof25,butIcouldnotgothroughthenormalpromotionladdertoreachaseniormanagementpositionwhenIwasstillquiteyoungandefficient;
2)Theorganization’sattentionwasfocusedonnotOnappropriateissues,itintensifiesunnecessarydisputesandmakesfuss;
3)Increaseweaknessesanddefects,ratherthanstrengthenstrengthsandadvantages;
4)ManagersspendThetimeatthemeetingexceededaquarterormoreoftheirwork,andthedangerofanunreasonableorganizationalstructurewasself-evident.Thiskindofproblemhascausedtheorganizationtohaveamereappearance.Basedonthis,adjustingtheorganizationalstructuretomakeitfittheactualsituationoftheenterpriseisontheagendaoftheenterprise.
Developmenttrend
(1)Theevolutionlawofenterpriseorganizationstructure
Fromtheperspectiveofthehistoryofenterpriseorganizationdevelopment,enterpriseorganizationTheevolutionprocessofthestructureitselfisaprocessofcontinuousinnovationandcontinuousdevelopment.Organizationalstructuressuchasthelinearsystem,thematrixsystem,andthedivisionsystemhaveemergedsuccessively.Atpresent,thepyramidalhierarchicalstructurecannolongermeettherequirementsofmodernsociety,especiallytheeraofknowledgeeconomy.Thedevelopmentofenterpriseshasshownthecharacteristicsofglobalizationofcompetition,customer-orientedandeducatedemployees.Therefore,theformofenterpriseorganizationmustbeflexibleanddecentralized.Therefore,modernenterpriseshighlyvalueprocessreengineeringandorganizationalrestructuring,aimingattheneedsandsatisfactionofcustomers,fundamentallyrethinkingandcompletelyrebuildingtheexistingbusinessprocessesoftheenterprise,usingadvancedmanufacturingtechnology,informationtechnologyandmodernizationManagementmethods,tomaximizetherealizationoftechnicalfunctionintegrationandmanagementfunctionintegration,inordertobreakthetraditionalfunctionalorganizationstructure,establishabrand-newprocessorganizationstructure,soastoachieveahugebusinesscost,quality,serviceandefficiencyImprovetobetteradapttothemodernbusinessenvironmentcharacterizedbycustomers,competition,andchange.
(2)Thedevelopmenttrendofcorporateorganizationalstructureandneworganizationalstructure
FromtheactualsituationintheUnitedStates,thedevelopmentofcorporateorganizationalstructureappearsNewtrendsareemerging,whicharecharacterizedby:1.Polarizationofthecenterofgravity;2.Flatappearance;3.Flexibleoperation;4.Dynamicstructure.Neworganizationalstructuressuchasteamorganizations,dynamicalliances,andvirtualenterpriseshaveemergedoneafteranother.Specifically,theneworganizationalstructureswiththesecharacteristicsare:
First,horizontalorganizations.Thehorizontalorganizationalstructureweakenstheverticalhierarchy,breakstherigiddepartmentalboundaries,andfocusesonhorizontalcooperationandcoordination.Itscharacteristicsare:(1)Theorganizationalstructureisbuiltaroundworkprocessesratherthandepartmentfunctions,andtraditionaldepartmentalboundariesarebroken;(2)Verticalorganizationallevelsarereducedandtheorganizationalstructureisflattened;(3)ManagersaremoreempoweredLower-levelemployeesattachimportancetotheuseofself-managementteamforms;⑷reflectscustomerandmarketorientation,organizestheworkprocessaroundtheneedsofcustomersandthemarket,andestablishescorrespondinghorizontalconnections.
Second,borderlessorganization.Thisorganizationalstructureseekstoreducethechainofcommands,reducethehierarchicalorderofmemberstothelowestpoint,haveunlimitedcontrolspans,cancelvariousfunctionaldepartments,andreplacethemwithauthorizedworkteams.Theconceptofborderlessreferstobreakingtheinternalandexternalboundariesoftheenterprise:breakingtheinternalboundariesoftheenterpriseismainlytoformamulti-functionalteaminsidetheenterprisetoreplacethetraditionallyseparatedfunctionaldepartments;breakingtheexternalbordersoftheenterpriseisrelatedtoexternalsupplyBusinesses,customers,includingcompetitors,carryoutstrategiccooperationandestablishcooperativealliances.
Third,thenetworkingandvirtualizationoftheorganization.Borderlessorganizationsandvirtualorganizationsarespecificformsoforganizationnetworkingandvirtualization.Organizationalvirtualizationcanbevirtualoperationsorvirtualofficespaces.