Question

write at least two paragraphs describing your chosen structure and why you selected it. your written explanation must include three properly referenced and defined terms from the module reading. for example if you selected functional structure explain each relevant function?

Answer 1

In a Matrix environment, it is a structure that creates dual lines of authority and combines functional and product departmentalization. I wish to work in the Human Resources Department of a Healthcare industry in future. In this regard, the matrix structure shall be used in Human service organizations due to the following benefits:

• Gains the advantages of functional and product departmentalization while avoiding their weaknesses.
• Facilitates coordination of complex and interdependent activities.

Apart from the above advantages, following shall be its usage in the HR field of Healthcare sector:

• It pressurizes the use of scare resources across all the product lines as there is coordination between the functions and the departments with the utilization of resources such as labor or physical resources. For example, when it is a medium-sized firm, the Firm may lack enough large specialized equipment to be employed with every given department within the firm and hence the departments would be under stress to utilize the equipment according to their requirements and then pass it on to the other departments who need to use the same. Owing to the financial constraints, the same equipment thus could not be purchased for all the required parties thereby pressurizing them to coordinate and derive the benefits from the same.
• There would be the need of environmental depth for the critical outputs which may be two or more in number for example the frequent new products that relates to the divisional structure or appropriate technical knowledge that relates to the functional structure.
• The environmental sphere of the Firm being complex in nature coupled with uncertainties, the adaptability of random changes happening in the external domain of the firm and the high level of interdependence across the departments for the scarce resources, makes it necessary for the considerable volumes of information to penetrate both horizontally and vertically within the firm. For example, the want of a professional engineer could be required by the higher authority for decision making process and to the lower managements for implementation process. The lower management levels are further categorized as per their departmental roles and this engineer may be required by each of them as well. Hence the direction could be both in vertical or horizontal to utilize and coordinate with this resource.