Question

tall structures and flat structures. Which would you prefer in work in? Detail the reasons for your selection.

Answer 1

A company's organization structure generally falls into either of the 2 categories:

1. Tall Structure: This structure is the most common structure across organizations where-in a CEO sits at the top of the structure & there are different levels of management. This is mostly followed in large & complex organizations where a supervision on the employees is required. The area of control decreases as we go down the structure.
Tall structure organizations have a lot of advantages as they tend to have clear managerial control & offer proper direction. The responsibilities are clearly defined & the work efficiency leads to a well defined structure for promotion.
However, problems start arising when the structure becomes too tall as communication takes time to travel which leads to delayed progress.

2. Flat Structure: A flat structure in an organization has fewer managerial levels & provide autonomy & freedom to all the employees. Employees have greater responsibilities & are encouraged to work together to solve problems.
Flat structure organizations generally provide employees a higher level of learning. The management is very much approachable and have a better adaptability to changes. However, as there are fewer managerial levels, the top level management generally has a huge workload & there tends to be a confusion within the employees as to what their role in the organization is.

Both the structures have their pros & cons but for an individual it is necessary to start with a tall structure as they are less skilled. Such organizations tend to give a direction in terms of sense of job security & a clear understanding of their role. There is sufficient cushion to fail initially & learn from mistakes. However, once the individual gains a specific skill-set, they should move to a flat structure which gives them an environment to implement their ideas & setup the functions in the best way they can.