I am about to start a research to investigate the influence that
ogranization strategy has on the structure of the organization..

I need a comprehensive list of articles that are available on WWW that
cover this subject.

In addition, your answer should should give a detailed explanation
(argument-driven) of this relationship in terms of organizational
success. This explanation must be properly referenced.

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 29 Sep 2005 11:58 PDT

Hello strongdave-ga,

This is a huge topic and could be approached in a variety of ways
depending on the purpose of your research. An organization?s strategy
will depend on its purpose for existence. The structure of the
organization will depend on the methods and procedures that are
necessary for it to accomplish its goals and objectives in pursuit of
its mission and vision.

The type of organization you?re considering will determine the range
of possibilities for organizational structure. A startup company in
the early stage of product development will have a different structure
from that same company once it?s grown up and become an international
powerhouse. A manufacturing company will have a different structure
from a service company. A government agency will have different
organizational structure from a religious community or luxury hotel
chain.

What is the focus of your research? What kinds of organizations are
you interested in? What objectives are they directed towards? Also,
this can be a very large project? How many articles will you consider
as a ?comprehensive list? for your needs?

I look forward to your clarification.

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by strongdave-ga on 29 Sep 2005 12:38 PDT

Hello czh-ga

Well, you have pointed out some good issues that I forgot to mention.

The organizations I am interested in are the ones dealing with and
managing engineering projects, say for example construction and civil
engineering projects. Any technology-driven company would be
appropriate.

The objective of this study is to highlight the relationships that may
affect and have influence on the structure of this
engineering-organization. Organizations's strategy is indeed one of
these influencing factors. how important is it in terms of
organizational success.. what are the other influencing factors?

Regarding the number of sources needed, I have put a high price on
this question and I am concerned with the quality of these sources
rather than thier quantity. So, include as much good-quality
references as you can find with your answer. Based on your profile
here in google, I am sure you will be able to come up with a good
answer.

I look forward for your answer or any clarification you may need.

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 29 Sep 2005 13:16 PDT

Hello again strongdave-ga,

Thank you for your prompt response. Please tell me more about your
research goals. You said, ?The objective of this study is to highlight
the relationships that may affect and have influence on the structure
of this engineering organization.? When you say, ?this engineering
organization? are you considering one specific company that you plan
to apply the research results to or are you referring to any
engineering organization in general?

If you?re addressing the situation at a specific company it would be
helpful to know more about the issues you?re trying to address. If
you?re asking about engineering organizations in general it would help
to know your preliminary thinking. In either case, are you looking for
research to prove or disprove some specific theories or observations
you?ve already formulated?

Are you looking for research to demonstrate or refute that certain
types of organizational structures are better/worse for the success of
engineering or technology driven companies? The more you can tell me
about the context of your question, the more likely I will be able to
get you the information you need.

Additional input from you would be very helpful. Thanks.

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by strongdave-ga on 29 Sep 2005 13:46 PDT

hello again,

that was quick! Thank you for your prompt response

I am asking about the engineering organizations in general

I havn't started my research yet so I don't currently prove or
disaprove any specific theory. What I like to see a view of
conflicting ideas together with their justifications about this
subject.

Q.Are you looking for research to demonstrate or refute that certain
types of organizational structures are better/worse for the success of
engineering or technology driven companies?
A. NO. What I want to investigate is the influnce that stratey (and
other possible factors) may have on structuring such organizations.
Analysing the relationshipa between structure and strategy/the other
factors is the aim of the study.

I hope this clarification and the original question can help you to
understand what I am looking for. Please don't hesitate in case you
have any questions.

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 30 Sep 2005 12:46 PDT

Hello again strongdave-ga,

I?ve spent some time researching your question and I?ve discovered
that there is such a wealth of resources available that I?m having
trouble setting up appropriate filters for selecting information that
will be useful to you. Textbooks, white papers, articles and other
resources abound on the subject of the relationship of organizational
structure and organizational strategy.

Please give me additional guidelines for limiting the research. It
might help if I knew what will be the end product you will develop
from the collected research. What questions are you trying to answer
or what problems are you intent on addressing? Are you writing a paper
for class work, a presentation for a conference, or a proposal for
your organization? What do you already know about this subject that I
don't need to research?

Please tell me more about your goals and objectives for your research
to give me some guidance on how to whittle this topic down to
manageable dimensions.

I look forward to your further clarifications.

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by strongdave-ga on 30 Sep 2005 13:05 PDT

hi again,
What I am looking for to see is a debate of conflicting ideas on this subject. 

The purpose of this is just a personal interest on the subject. 

You can start from the basics. No need to go in deep details in your answer.
However, listing the various references that you found would be helpful.

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 30 Sep 2005 13:26 PDT

Thanks strongdave-ga. I should have something for you later today.

~ czh ~

Hello strongdave-ga,

As you?ve requested, I?ve compiled a comprehensive list of resources
to help you research the subject of the relationship between
organization strategy and organization structure and design. I?ve put
special emphasis on finding information about engineering and
technology companies.

As I indicated in my clarification requests, this is a huge topic and
it is difficult to narrow it down without further guidance from you.
Many college courses, management training workshops, books of business
advice and academic textbooks, white papers, high level research
reports and innumerable articles in the business press are available
on this subject.

I?ve organized the material I?ve found into categories to help you
focus on various aspects of the project you?ve defined. The resources
I?ve collected should provide you with a good collection of starting
points for your research project. Please don?t hesitate to ask for
clarification if any of this is confusing.

Best wishes for your project.

~ czh ~



===================================================
DIAGRAMS AND TEMPLATES OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
===================================================

http://www.maxwideman.com/issacons3/iac1357/sld001.htm
Project Organizational Structures

Organization Options
 -- Fully Functional
 -- Weak Matrix
 -- Balanced Matrix
 -- Strong Matrix
 -- Composite
 -- Fully Projectized

Summary of Organizational Options.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.oit.gatech.edu/inside_oit/organizational_chart/rm_fun_org.cfm
Resource Management 
Functional Organization Chart

-------------------------------------------------


http://ilovelee.freeservers.com/Globalization.html
Decentralization in a Multi-National versus Functional Organization

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.hrexpertonline.com/archive/Volume%2002%20(2004)/Issue%2009%20(November)/V2I9A1.cfm?session=
Configure a Matrix Organization Structure to Track Skills and
Responsibilities Across Product

Key Concept
The use of matrix organization structures in businesses of all sizes
is not a recent phenomenon. Case studies on the design and use of
matrix hierarchies date back to the 1960s and early 1970s when
companies such as Xerox, General Electric, and Dow Corning were among
the first to tout the benefits of cross-functional, matrix-driven
organizational structures. For these large conglomerates, the
allocation of key resources and functional roles across multiple
business lines allowed greater productivity with fewer resources,
which ultimately translated into a more favorable bottom line.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.inastrol.com/Articles/990511.htm
Structuring Organizations
Breaking organization models into more abstract levels offers you more
flexibility and room to grow

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.murata.com/company/summary/matrix/matrix.html
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 2004 
Three-dimensional matrix organization

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.csuchico.edu/mgmt/strategy/module9/sld049.htm
Matrix Organization


-------------------------------------------------


http://www.sogeti.com/services/bimaturitylevels.htm
Business Intelligence Maturity Levels

BI best practices at Sogeti have identified distinct maturity levels
for mapping organizational BI capabilities. The maturity level model
helps companies identify their current position on the BI landscape
and chart a roadmap for leveraging BI capabilities throughout their
processes.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.unc.edu/~nielsen/soci110/nm13/nm13.htm
CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN ORGANIZATION DESIGN
4.  STRUCTURES FOR GLOBAL OPERATIONS



===================================================================
ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY ? ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND STRUCTURE OPTIONS
===================================================================

http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/orgtheory.htm
http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/handouts.htm
Organizational Theory: Determinants of Structure

The objective here is to understand why organizations have the
structure that they do. By "structure" I mean things like degree and
type of horizontal differentiation, vertical differentiation,
mechanisms of coordination and control, formalization, and
centralization of power. See handouts page for more information on
organizational structure.

Contingency Theory
In contrast to the classical scholars, most theorists today believe
that there is no one best way to organize. What is important is that
there be a fit between the organization's structure, its size, its
technology, and the requirements of its environment. This perspective
is known as "contingency theory" and contrasts with the perspective of
classical theorists like Weber, Taylor, Fayol, etc. who thought that
there probably was one way to run organizations that was the best.

***** See lecture notes for discussion.

-------------------------------------------------


http://college.hmco.com/business/moorhead/organizational/6e/students/chapter.html
Organizational Behavior , Sixth Edition 
Gregory Moorhead, Arizona State University 
Ricky W. Griffin, Texas A & M University

Select a Chapter

Chapter 16: Dimensions of Organization Structure 
Chapter Objectives | Chapter Outlines | Chapter Summaries 
Chapter 17: Organization Design 
Chapter Objectives | Chapter Outlines | Chapter Summaries 

http://college.hmco.com/business/moorhead/organizational/6e/students/objectives/ch16.html
Chapter Objectives 
Chapter 16 Dimensions of Organization Structure 
After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 
 -- Define organization structure and discuss its purpose. 
 -- Describe structural configuration and summarize its four basic dimensions. 
 -- Discuss two structural policies that affect operations. 
 -- Explain the dual concepts of authority and responsibility. 
 -- Explain the classic views of organization structure. 

http://college.hmco.com/business/moorhead/organizational/6e/students/objectives/ch17.html
Chapter Objectives
Chapter 17 Organization Design 
After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 
 -- Describe the basic premise of contingency organization design. 
 -- Discuss how strategy and the three structural imperatives affect
organization structure.
 -- Describe five different approaches to organization design. 
 -- Discuss contemporary approaches to organization design. 

-------------------------------------------------


http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~fmb/articles/mintzberg/
Mintzberg's Taxonomy of Organizational Forms

According to Henry Mintzberg, an organization's structure is largely
determined by the variety one finds in its environment. For Mintzberg,
environmental variety is determined by both environmental complexity
and the pace of change. He identifies four types of organizational
form, which are associated with four combinations of complexity and
change.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.csun.edu/~dmz51283/360-F05/In-class%20PPT%20slides/Ch10-for%20class.ppt
Management 360
Chapter 10 -- Organization Structure and Design



========================================================================
ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE AND STRATEGY ? ENGINEERING / TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
========================================================================

http://www.optimizemag.com/article/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=RLKTRF0X4ULUWQSNDBCCKHSCJUMEKJVN?printableArticle=true&articleId=51202314
Technology's Blind Spot: Adaptability 
New research reveals that the technology industry itself isn't built
for quick response

A second major issue lies in the struggle to create corporate cultures
and organizational structures that accommodate adaptability. More than
half of senior-management respondents viewed their companies' DNA as
unhealthy, while only 28% said their company was resilient. Clearly,
many senior executives are worried because they don't think their
businesses have the organizational DNA necessary for success.

***** This is a long article that discusses the challenges faced by
technology companies in keeping up with rapidly changing business
conditions.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2005/tc20050920_0113_tc119.htm?campaign_id=topStories_ssi_5
SEPTEMBER 20, 2005   
Three-Part Harmony for Microsoft?
The software giant is undertaking a major reorganization, down from
seven divisions to just three. More power is now in fewer hands

The new structure puts more responsibility in the hands of fewer
leaders. Ballmer created the seven-group structure in 2002, and it's
become one of the hallmarks of his nearly six-year tenure as CEO. The
idea was to give division heads more autonomy to pursue product
strategy. But the groups would sometimes stumble over one another as
leaders carried out plans aimed at furthering their own products,
though not necessarily others sold by the company. "This
organizational structure makes it easier to hold executives
accountable," says Ted Schadler, vice-president and principle analyst
at Forrester Research. "The old organizational structure did not."

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.darwinmag.com/read/100103/question54.html
Is a Centralized or Decentralized IT Organization Better?

Each has its set of benefits and limitations. You have to decide which
works best in your case.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.tacadvisory.com/smartadvice.asp?NAME=170504C.asp&Category=Management
Question: How should we assess our IT organizational structure and processes?

Organizational and process structures are defined by the company's
point of evolution. New or fast-growing companies have different needs
than established ones. The associated IT organizations also are
completely different. When you're in new-development mode to support
anticipated growth, you need good project managers as well as reliable
outside partners. Technology understanding, planning, and selection
also are critical in this phase. Established companies require more
maintenance, and are good candidates for process outsourcing.



======================================================
ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE AND STRATEGY ? OTHER INDUSTRIES
======================================================

http://emlab.berkeley.edu/users/bhhall/others/Pierce03%20subvent101.pdf
Does Organizational Structure Affect Firm Strategy and Performance?
Evidence from Consumer Automobile Leasing

***** This is a 41-page paper that explores the subject in great detail.

-------------------------------------------------


http://econwpa.wustl.edu:8089/eps/io/papers/0303/0303003.pdf
Strategy and structure in interaction: What determines the boundaries of the firm?

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.leadingtoday.org/Onmag/feb05/ht-feb05.html
Is Your Company?s Structure Aligned With Your Strategy?

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.family-business-experts.com/organizational-design.html
Organizational Design
structure, systems and information

Organizational design assesses the internal structure and systems of
the family business, its organization (including staffing structure,
internal control systems and the condition and use of information) and
its unique skills and abilities.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.sbea.mtu.edu/cwalck/ba3700/ba3700.html
BA3700 ? Organizational Behavior
Ch19 - Organizational Structure



==============================================================
ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE / DESIGN / STRATEGY ? GENERAL RESOURCES
==============================================================

http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/search/searchResults.jhtml?sid&Ma=1&N=519100+318
Management > Organizational structure > -- 31 resources found

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.marakon.com/expert_areas_strategy.html
Strategy

http://www.marakon.com/ideas_pdf/id_991201_kibble.pdf
Structure Is Strategy: Gaining Strategic Advantage Through Organizational Design

***** This is a 10-page paper with several illustrations.

-------------------------------------------------


http://industries.bnet.com/page.aspx?pid=12
BNET offers an extensive collection of both classic and current
business white papers, case studies, webcasts and other interactive
content created and categorized for decision makers at the Fortune 500
and the world?s most successful small and medium-sized organizations.
Regardless of job function (from HR to Strategy) or industry (from
Financial Services to Retail), BNET provides business leaders with a
trusted source for problem-solving and the tools to get smarter about
what?s working at work.

-------------------------------------------------


http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/search.aspx?kw=Organizational%20structure
HOME > keyword: Organizational structure
311 resources linked 

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.meansbusiness.com/Organizing-Work-and-People-Books/Technologys-Impact-on-Organizational-Structure.htm
Technology's Impact on Organizational Structure

What is MeansBusiness? 
MeansBusiness is the world's largest and fastest-growing online
database of business ideas. MeansBusiness delivers to your desktop
expert thinking and ideas that help solve the business problems you
face daily.

The MeansBusiness database of more than 20,000 verbatim extracts from
1,000 business and management books. One thousand new extracts are
added each month.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/rfield/Organizational%20Effectiveness,%20Structure,%20and%20Technology.htm
Organizational Effectiveness, Structure, and Technology

Measures of Structure 
Structure concerns more than the division of labour or the boxes on
the organization chart. It is also about the reporting relationships
between organizational members. These are the lines connecting the
boxes, rules and regulations about how the work is performed, and
whether organizational decisions are made at the top of the
organization or lower down. In order to compare one organization?s
structure with that of another or to study the effects of structure on
organizational performance, we need to have consistent ways to measure
structure. Three important structure measures are complexity,
formalization, and centralization.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.gsia.cmu.edu/bosch/bart.html
BEYOND THE M-FORM: Toward a Managerial Theory of the Firm 

Abstract 
Driven by a set of radical changes in their internal and external
environments, large global corporations are innovating a new
organizational form. Premised on knowledge and expertise rather than
capital or scale as the key strategic resource, this new form is
fundamentally different from the multidivisional organization that had
emerged in the 1920s and had become the dominant corporate model in
the post-War years. In this article, we describe this new organization
using Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) as an illustration, and highlight its
differences from the classic M-form by contrasting its structure,
processes and decision-making mechanisms against the models proposed
by Chandler (1962), Bower (1970) and Cyert and March (1963). Our
conceptualization of this emerging organization is grounded in a
managerial perspective that is very different from the disciplinary
foundations of existing economic and behavioral theories of the firm.
We conclude by arguing for the need to create a "managerial theory of
the firm" that would be more attuned to the premises of the key actors
within the firm so as to be able to illuminate the corporate world as
seen by managers and encompass the issues that they perceive to be
important.

-------------------------------------------------


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_management
Strategic management is the process of specifying an organization's
objectives, developing policies and plans to achieve these objectives,
and allocating resources so as to implement the plans. It is the
highest level of managerial activity, usually performed by the
company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive team. It
provides overall direction to the whole enterprise. An organization?s
strategy must be appropriate for its resources, circumstances, and
objectives. The process involves matching the companies' strategic
advantages to the business environment the organization faces. One
objective of an overall corporate strategy is to put the organization
into a position to carry out its mission effectively and efficiently.
A good corporate strategy should integrate an organization?s goals,
policies, and action sequences (tactics) into a cohesive whole. To see
how strategic management relates to other forms of management, see
management.



===============
SEARCH STRATEGY
===============

"organization structure" types
engineering OR technology company "organization structure"
technology company organizational structure
how does strategy influence organization structure?
how does strategy influence "organization structure"?
image search < organization structure OR chart >
organizational structure business strategy
company strategy influence on organization design OR structure

---

Request for Answer Clarification by strongdave-ga on 01 Oct 2005 09:47 PDT

Good job ^czh^ !!

Could you please give some examples for international organizatins
that had thier stuctures influenced by such factors (including
strategy)


strongdave-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by czh-ga on 01 Oct 2005 14:09 PDT

Hello strongdave-ga,

Here are some additional resources to help you explore international
companies and how companies succeed in the global marketplace.

All the best.

~ czh ~

=============================================================
INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL ORGANIZATION STRUCTURES AND STRATEGIES
=============================================================

http://www.softwareceo.com/white_papers/GlobalOrganizations.pdf
Global Organizations ? An Analysis

***** This is a 10-page white paper that discusses what differentiates
global organizations from domestic and multinational ones. It includes
extensive comments about company strategy and organizational
structure.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.growth-insights.com/articles/GES_GlobalExpansion.pdf
Global Expansion ? Serving International Markets

http://www.growth-insights.com/SearchResults.asp
Search Results: 30 records found matching global
Search Results: 18 records found matching International

***** Many of these articles address issues of organizational
structure and strategy as the company embarks on global or
international initiatives.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.cba.hawaii.edu/elaine/ihrmoded.htm
INTERNATIONAL HRM: THE STATE OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

Corporate Strategy and Human Resource Management 
Large, worldwide businesses tend to evolve from international to
multinational to global structures (Zeien, 1991). An international
company transports its business outside of its own country although,
in general, each of its operations is a replication of the company's
domestic experience. Typically, an international company is structured
geographically and involves subsidiary general managers. A
multinational company, in contrast, grows and defines its business on
a worldwide basis, but continues to allocate its resources among
national or regional areas so as to maximize the total. Companies with
multiple product lines often find it difficult to remain
geographically organized for a variety of reasons, such as the need to
have a common accounting system, common financial and management
controls, and interrelated marketing programs. As a result, such
companies tend to evolve into multinational structures, with
combinations of product-line and solid-line responsibilities (Zeien,
1991).

Global organizations treat the entire world as though it were one
large country. The global organization may be the entire company or
one or more of its product lines. Some firms operate with a mixture of
two or even three of these models of organizational structure
simultaneously. Changes in organizational structure have important
implications for the management of people within those structures. As
an example, consider the business system of Japanese multinationals.
It is comprised of five interlocking parts (Campbell, 1991):

***** These lecture notes give you a good overview of the challenges
of executing the strategies of international organizations.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.lib.uwo.ca/business/ORG_INTRO.html
COMPANY ORGANIZATION CHARTS 

The staff members in the Business Library are frequently asked for
sample organization charts. As a result, we have identified as many in
our collection as we could find and  are providing a list of them here
for your convenience. They range chronologically from the 1950s  to
the 1990s and they illustrate the corporate structures of companies
from around the world. The charts will be found in 6 sources that  are
listed below. If the name of the company is followed by the number 2,
for example, this means that the chart for that company will be found
in the second reference source.

***** The resources listed here might be useful for continuing your research.

---

Clarification of Answer by czh-ga on 01 Oct 2005 18:25 PDT

Hello strongdave-ga,

I'm glad the research was useful. Thank you for the five stars. You
should know that sometimes questions are removed if they include
personal contact information.

~ czh ~

good job