Critically describe the difference between divisional and matrix organizational structures.

Critically describe the difference between divisional and matrix organizational structures.

Critically describe the difference between divisional and matrix organizational structures.

In a divisional structure, the employee’s organization is based on the clients, the outputs, and also the demography and geographic areas. In contrast, in a matrix structure, dual lines of authority are created. In the matrix structure, functional and departmentalization are combined into one. In the divisional structure, the organization makes use of the structure of block building as it is seen to be accommodating growth in the organization. On the other hand, the matrix makes effective use of the resources and the expertise available to lead growth. The purpose of the resources and the knowledge available in the matrix organization helps in better growth and planning of the organization.

The main focus of the divisional organization structure is on the market. The market for the organization includes the products from the organization and also the clients. The focus helps in better understanding and approach to the market. They help in developing structures and strategies that are used in better client satisfaction and market gap identification (Goś, 2015). The focus of the matrix structure of the organization is mainly on the improvement of communication, becoming flexible, and being innovative. It also has its focus on specializing in the products of the organization and its clients. The focus helps in a better understanding of the needs of the clients and also the way to improve the products to fit the market needs and also to compete with their rivals.

Further, the matrix organization structure sought to find a solution in the event where two divisions in the organization have equal importance. In finding the answer, this structure aims at supporting the vital services and the resources that are needed in these divisions. The structure also helps in improving the flexibility of the organization, its communication, and even its innovation on the services they offer. This focus helps in better production and even performance in the organizations’ focus and services and products growth in the market.

The disadvantages of using the divisional structure in the organizations include the duplication of the roles and the services. The repetition leads to the inefficient use of the organization’s resources. This leads to less production and more input in terms of the support of the organization (Goś, 2015). Also, it has dispersed specializations. The dispersed specializations lead to gaps in the organization on the specialties and even overlapping of the roles in the organization. The divisional structure of the organization also leads to conflicts of the functions or the politics in the organization where two forms have equal value in the organization.

The disadvantage of the matrix structure of an organization is that it leads to increased conflict in the goals of an organization and also growing the ambiguity in the organization. The conflicts in the goals make the accomplishment of the goals in the organization. The conflicts lead to low production, and also more time is taken in the achievement of the purposes of the organization (Heorhiadi & Vilhutska, 2019). Also, the overlapping of the roles in the organization leads to having two people in the leadership roles in the organization. Double leadership leads to diluted accountability in the organization. When the functions are not clearly defined, the leaders tend to lay blame on each other when there is an error in the functioning of the organization. The mistakes lead to low production and development in the organization, and no one takes full responsibility for the mistake.

Further, the matrix organizational structure leads to more conflicts in the organization. The disputes are caused by the increased organization politics and stress that are associated with it. This form of organization structure has so many people in the leadership positions, and they lead to more stress in the management and the allocation of the roles for all the people in the organization (Heorhiadi & Vilhutska, 2019). The problems lead to overlapping in the roles of the leaders and the people in the organization. The overlapping leads to conflicts in the performance of the roles by the leaders and also politics on the roles and the definitions of the positions in the organizations. The stress that erupts from the politics and the overlaps leads to slow accomplishment and functioning of the organizations and its aims.

Section B (1) (up to 600 words) (30 marks)

1. What is globalization? What are the primary drivers of globalization?

The term globalization is used in describing the interdependence that is growing in the relationship between the economies, populations, and cultures of the world. It is brought about through easy and simple trading across borders in the goods and services across the globe. Globalization allows smooth flow of goods and also investments and also the flow of people and information across the boundaries of the countries (Babb et al., 2003). Globalization has led to many countries building economic partnerships that have their aims in facilitating the movements over several years in the world of economics and trade.

The significant drivers of globalization are technology, international cooperation, and transportation.

• Technology has helped in the easy communication and sharing of information that is necessary to empower globalization.
• The growth of international collaboration has been vital in helping the smooth movement of goods and services and also people across the borders of different countries. International cooperation has helped in easing the cost of trade by people across borders and also the ease in investing in foreign countries as the investors are assured of the safety of their investments.
• Transportation, as a driver of globalization, has helped in the movements of goods from one location to the other that they are needed most.

2. What are the different challenges of globalization?

Challenges of globalization include:

• managing the Immigration of the employees

The challenges of managing the vast number of immigrants have been a challenge to the leadership of many of the countries. The numbers of immigrants and the challenges of providing amenities and services that are social and are needed in the country.

• losing culture

The interactions and the immigrations lead to dilution of the cultures of the host countries (MACHIDA, 2012). The migrations also make the people in the country learn about the new cultures, and this leads to them diluting the cultures as they gain the ways of life of the immigrants.

• Loss of local jobs

immigration leads to an influx of people in a country. The influx leads to more people who offer their services and labor to the states. The arrival leads to more competition for available job positions. The competition has led to many of the locals losing their jobs to the immigrants.

• Immigration challenges

Immigration has led to problems such as security in the host countries. The high level of immigration has come with many countries blaming the high number of foreigners to the high level of threats in the states.

3. Provide a discussion of the main advantages and disadvantages of globalization for the organization and the host countries.

There are many ways that globalization has impacted businesses. The benefits of globalization include:

• It has led to accessing new cultures, and this has led to better living and understanding the way of life of other people and appreciating their inheritance.
• Has helped in spreading the development of innovation and technology. It has led to the introduction of new technologies and innovations that have been developed in other countries into the states that they invest in.
• Provisions of goods at a lower and affordable cost. The availability of different goods from different sources has led to the reduction of the prices of the products in these countries.
• Access to new markets. The opening of the borders for trade has led to the introduction of the new products that were previously not available in the areas and countries.

the disadvantages that have been caused by globalization include:

• Competition for the available resources. There has been massive competition for the locally available resources by the locals and the immigrants.
• Dilution and loss of culture (MACHIDA, 2012). There have been many people and communities whose cultures have been diluted while others were lost when they interacted with the immigrants who arrived due to globalization.

SectionＣ (2) (up to 600 words) (30 marks)

1. Define Project and describe how project management is different from general management?

Project

A project can be defined as a personal or an organizational undertaking that most likely involves researching and designing and requires careful planning and has a particular aim. A project has an effort that is concrete and organized with an aim of motivating the achievement of a desire or a need. a project seeks to realize a deliverable that is unique and innovative for example a new service, a product, a process or even scientific research. a project is bound by three constraints which are time, cost, and quality needs (Ponnappa, 2014). Projects have different impacts that are either positive or negative. Some projects consist of formal documentation and the required deliverable. A project can also be defined to be an endevor that is temporary and is designed to give a product, service or result that is unique. Projects have a defined starting and ending.

• Project management vs general management

When compared to general management, project management refers to the act where a work of a project is initiated, planned, executed, controlled and closed. It involves the use of a team whose aim is to meet the goals of the Project that are specific and also the success of the Project. Its main challenge is achieving the goals is the time frame that the Project is supposed to work within. There are descriptions of the information in the documentation of the Project that is often created before the Project is started.

• General management and project management are similar in that they have constraints such as time, scope, budget and the quality expectations.

These constraints are common in both general management and also project management as the term management is related to having constraints such as time, budget and also the expectations and also the quality of the outputs that is needed in the work (Ponnappa, 2014).

• Project management has an objective of producing a project that complies with the objectives of the clients and also which is complete.

Management is a practice  that is associated with care and also following instructions. In project management, the vital element is completing the Project which will be complying with the needs of the client.

2.Explain the project lifestyle using the 4D model.

Projects have a defined lifestyle that includes the start, the middle and the end which are well defined and planned. At the end of the life cycle, they are gauged to determine the success of the Project. A standard project consists of four phases which are the initiation, planning stage, implementation or action stage and also the closing stage (P. Raut, 2017). These phases represent the life of the Project from its inception to its closure.

• Initiation stage or phase

It included identifying the objectives of the Project. It also includes a documentation of the timeframe for the Project, the budget and also the objectives of the Project.

• Planning phase

At this phase, the solution for the Project is further discussed and developed. All work and tasks in the Project are identified at this phase. the tasks and the resources are also identified.

• Execution or implementation phase

It is the third phase and it involves putting in motion the project plan and the performing the work of the Project. control and communication are the important aspects in this phase of the Project.

• closing phase

This is done on the completion of the Project.Its main aim is on looking at the realization of the final deliverable to the client. This phase includes handling the Project and the documentation over to the client (P. Raut, 2017). It also involves breaking the project committee and also giving the resources for the projects and also telling the stakeholders of the closure.

References

Babb, S., Held, D., & McGrew, A. (2003). Globalization/Anti-Globalization. Contemporary Sociology, 32(5), 613. https://doi.org/10.2307/1556500

Goś, K. (2015). The Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Matrix Organizational Structures. Studia i Materiały Wydziału Zarządzania UW, 2015(2), 66–83. https://doi.org/10.7172/1733-9758.2015.19.5

Heorhiadi, N. H., & Vilhutska, R. B. (2019). MATRIX-NETWORK APPROACH TO FORMING ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES OF ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT. Efektyvna Ekonomika, 8. https://doi.org/10.32702/2307-2105-2019.8.5

MACHIDA, S. (2012). Does Globalization Render People More Ethnocentric? Globalization and People’s Views on Cultures. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 71(2), 436–469. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1536-7150.2012.00835.x

61. Raut, M. S. (2017). Improve the Productivity of Building Project using Building Information Modelling (BIM) Based 4d Simulation Model. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology, V(IV), 53–61. https://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2017.4010

Ponnappa, G. (2014). Project Stakeholder Management. Project Management Journal, 45(2), e3–e3. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21400

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