Different organizations use different structures, often based on the
size of the organization or whether it has multiple divisions operating
autonomously. Depending on the reason a company chooses a specific
organizational structure, lines of communication must help facilitate
not only accurate messaging, but also timely responses to prevent missed
opportunities or late delivery of work.
Organizational Structures
While a variety of organizational structures exist, small
businesses generally use a flat or hierarchical structure, based on
their sizes. A flat structure is one that allows a few key staff members
to work directly with the owner rather than through a vertical chain of
command. As companies grow and add departments and employees, they
create a hierarchy with directors, managers, staff workers and
contractors. If a small business has multiple locations or different
divisions, the company might assign some functions to each location,
with a corporate headquarters providing centralized administrative
support. Some businesses use a matrix structure, which creates project
groups who share multiple department managers, requiring more
multi-tasking and careful coordination of communications on the part of
top management.
Lines of Communications
The more employees a business has, the more ways communications
occur, not just in terms of what methods people use but also where and
how they send messages. Lines of communication can include a
chain-of-command that requires employees to communicate only with their
direct superior rather than bringing comments or concerns directly to
leaders higher on the org chart. One of the disadvantages of a strict
chain of command is that employees might "cocoon" in their departments,
creating less interaction and exchanges of ideas with co-workers in
other areas. Other lines of communication might require specific
messaging procedures such as submitting expense requests before making a
purchase, getting work schedule swaps approved by a manager, or
requiring sales contracts to go from sales representatives to a sales
manager, then to the accounting department, then to the production
department.
Communications Structure
Business use specific communications methods to streamline
reporting, such as requiring managers to use the same employee
evaluation form, having employees fill out the same expense
reimbursement form or mandating that vacation requests be submitted to
direct managers by a specific deadline. This type of communication
structure allows those receiving memos, reports and proposals to quickly
get to the relevant information and find the information they need
because the information is presented in the same way every time.
Restraints on Communications
By instituting specific lines of communications, a business can
prevent the chaos that results when workers continually go over the
heads of or around their bosses. It also reduces problem caused by
executives assigning work to staff members without their managers’
knowledge, or by customers calling and speaking to employees other than
their sales rep. While a manager might have to follow a director’s
request that a specific employee perform a specific task, by having the
director go the manager, rather than the subordinate, the manager has a
chance to shift some of that subordinate’s workload or to change other
deadlines. Strict lines of communication help to ensure that key
employees aren’t accidentally left out of important communications.
Mandating that employees put communications in writing prevents
miscommunications and he-said/she-said accusations.
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