Secondary organization
Secondary organizations are cross-hierarchical or complementary organizational units that are used to solve interface and other complex problems, as the hierarchical structure in the primary organization often means that it is not possible to efficiently lead them to a result. In practice, the individual characteristics can be traced back to four basic principles.
Forms of secondary organization
Staff principle
With the staff principle , the primary organization is supplemented by staff units that can either be consulted by all company units (e.g. legal departments) or that are only intended to relieve individual line departments of various detailed work. They are mainly used for information gathering, information processing and coordination. Another task of the staff is to ensure communication at interfaces. Formal decision-making powers and authority to issue instructions do not exist, which is intended to ensure the uniformity of the order placement. Staff line organizations come in different forms in practice.
Central staff unit
This type of staff unit is a support unit for corporate management. It is known as a management staff or management staff. This organizational unit can consist of a staff department with its own management position . An example of such a central staff unit is the management assistant.
Decentralized place
This type of position is a staff position that cannot be assigned to company management but to the hierarchically subordinate management level (departments). Unless otherwise specified, communication between the individual staff units takes place via the management units to which they are assigned.
Staff hierarchy
The efficiency of the staff work can be increased by allowing direct communication between the staff units. Here, the higher-ranking staff unit can have the right to issue instructions to the subordinate staff units. So there is a separate staff hierarchy parallel to the hierarchy of the line positions. Such a multi-level staff can lead to problems because the staff units receive instructions from the higher-level staff unit as well as from the line unit to which they are directly assigned.
Strengths :
- Relief of the line offices
- More intensive preparation → higher quality of decisions
- The introduction of staff does not affect the existing organization
- Broad scope as the existing organization does not have to be changed
- Staff functions are suitable as preparation for line functions
Weaknesses :
- Conflicts of competence between staff and line
- Isolation of the staff units
Wands are widely used in large organizations today.
Matrix principle
With the matrix principle , in contrast to the primary form of organization, matrix organization, only one common problem area is formed that is to be dealt with by the departments involved. The dimensions of a secondary matrix organization are the primary form of organization and, secondly, the relationship to the problem. The individual matrix points are responsible for coordinating their own dimensions and taking them into account when solving the problem. Overlapping competencies are deliberately used in this system in order to make mutual coordination of the departments necessary, whereby the solution quality is to be increased.
Spin-off principle
The spin-off principle is when certain problem areas are carved out of the primary organization and summarized in new organizational units. They should then also have all the resources and skills necessary to solve the problem. This form can often be found in R&D (research and development), as well as in companies with business unit organization in the form of centralized departments.
Working group principle
With the working group principle , tasks and decision-making powers are transferred to cross-hierarchical working groups. In this, everyone should let their own goals, points of view and solution ideas flow into them, whereby the coordination takes place via self-agreement. This form of organization is sometimes referred to as a matrix without a line system.
literature
- Manfred Schulte-Zurhausen : Organization . Vahlen Verlag, Munich 2002 ISBN 3-8006-2825-2
- Helmut Kasper, Wolfgang Mayrhofer: Personnel management, leadership , organization . Linde Verlag, Vienna 2002 ISBN 3-7073-0430-2