MGT Chap 10

Span of management

Sometimes called span of control, refers to the number of employees reporting to a supervisor.

Staff authority

The right to advise, counsel, and recommend in the manager's area of expertise.

Delegation

When managers transfer authority and responsibility to positions below them in the hierarchy.

Chain of Command

an unbroken line of authority that links all individuals in the organization and specifies who reports to whom.

Horizontal

flat structure is characterized by an overall broad span of management and relatively few hierarchical levels

Centralization

means that decision authority is located near top organization levels.

Decentralization

means that decision authority is pushed down to lower organization levels.

Accountability

means that people with authority and responsibility are subject to reporting and justifying task outcomes to those above them in the chain of command.

Team-based structure

one in which the entire organization is made up of horizontal teams that coordinate their activities and work directly with customers to accomplish organizational goals.

Work specialization

sometimes called division of labor, is the degree to which organizational tasks are subdivided into individual jobs.

Vertical

tall structure is characterized by an overall narrow span of management and a relatively large number of hierarchical levels.

Responsibility

the flip side of the authority coin; it refers to the duty to perform the task or activity that one has been assigned.

Authority

the formal and legitimate right of a man- ager to make decisions, issue orders, and allocate re- sources to achieve outcomes desired by the organization.

Line authority

the formal power to direct and control immediate subordinates

Virtual network structure

the organization subcontracts most of its major functions to separate companies and coordinates their activities from a small headquarters organization.

How to delegate

the process that managers use to transfer authority and responsibility to positions below them in the hierarchy. Most organizations today encourage managers to delegate authority to the lowest possible level to provide maximum flexibility to meet customer needs and adapt to shifts in the environment.