home Management Management - Vikhanskiy OS

Management - Vikhanskiy OS

1.2. Technology of work

The role of technology in the design of the organization is universally recognized. In this context, the technology of work is understood not only the actions of the employee, but also the materials and equipment that he uses to transform the object of his actions. The design of the organization is related to the technology of work in two areas: the division of labor and the grouping of work, i.e. Creation of units. The level of knowledge about actions to transform the work object and the use of appropriate technology in many ways determine the effectiveness of the organization. The development of technology in recent years is explosive in nature (computers, CNC machines, GPS, robots). This increased the attention of managers to the relationship between the structure of the organization and the technology of work.

With reference to the description and analysis of the relationship between the technology of work and the design of the organization, the same variables are used that were used to characterize the relationship between technology and design work. The only difference is that in the previous chapter these variables were considered from the standpoint of the actions or work of the individual performer, and in this context they are considered in relation to a separate subdivision, i.e. Parts of the organization. At the same time, the name of the variables itself changes somewhat: the uncertainty in the arrival of work and the place of its implementation, the uncertainty in the knowledge of how to do the work, the interdependence of the work in the organization.

In Fig. 7.3 shows the possible relationship between the first two variables. Both variables, considered in the high and low uncertainty range, yield four combinations.

Fig. 7.3. The impact of technology on designing an organization

It is a mistake to assume that this or that subdivision of the organization is constantly in the same quadrant of the matrix. As a result of changing conditions and during the re-design of the organization, it is possible to "transition" the department or service from one quadrant to another. So, for example, a heavy equipment wear can shift the repair shop to quadrant 2. It is also important to keep in mind that it is not entirely true to locate the unit in one single quadrant. For example, accounting in most cases is most likely to be located in the center of the matrix. The considered matrix in the course of designing the organization helps to form subdivisions taking into account the similarity of technological characteristics. The very structure of the unit must correspond to its position on the field of the matrix. The simplest structural schemes will be for those units that fall into quadrant 2, and the most complex ones will be in those who will be in quadrant 3.

The third variable, characterized by the interdependence of works, has four types of connection between the work in the organization: folding, sequential, connected, group.

With the evolving interdependence of work in the organization, each unit is relatively autonomous and contributes to the overall business of the organization. So, the computer company's service centers are usually not very much connected with each other. But the sum of their work brings tangible results to the firm.

Consistent interdependence of work appears in the organization when one unit must finish its part of the work before it goes to another or other units. The supply of machined parts from the mechanical shops in the assembly shop of a machine-building plant can be a typical example of such interdependence of work.

Associated interdependence is required in a situation in which the end result of the work of one unit becomes the beginning in the work of the other, and vice versa. Such interdependence of work often occurs between the production units and the R & D department in the process of developing new products.

Group interdependence is the most complex of the existing ones, since it consists, as it were, of many interrelated relationships. Work does not move from department to department, and all work is performed jointly by employees representing the involved departments. Group interdependence is required when the work is characterized by a high degree of uncertainty. An example of group interdependence is the creation of target groups, integrated teams and other organizational entities with the participation of representatives of many departments (Figure 7.4).

Fig. 7.4. Types of interdependence of work in organizational design

The presence of a large number of related and group interdependencies in the work will require the organization to make great efforts to integrate its parts, to complicate its overall structure up to the transition to matrix elements, for example, to target and project groups.

So, before the reorganization of the mid-80's. IBM focused on the centralization and related interdependence between the headquarters of this corporation and the departments of its lower levels. However, by creating semi-autonomous regional offices, IBM succeeded in moving to the emerging interdependence between these offices and the headquarters of the corporation. At the same time, interconnected interdependence remained within each division between its divisions, which is caused by the specifics of their activities, which requires close connection between R & D, production and marketing.

Modern information technologies have significantly changed the construction of many successful organizations, allowing them to effectively solve the problems of interdependence of work. First of all, this refers to the consistent and related interdependencies of works that require a large exchange of information between performers. For example, the company "DIGITTEL Equipments Corporation", using an information system of 27 thousand computers in 29 countries, provides access to it 75 thousand of its employees out of 118 thousand of its employees. Another vivid example of the use of new information technologies is the creation of flexible production systems (FMS), which allow to combine all three types of productions within a single work process in an organization: small-scale, mass and experimental. Today, GPS is the right way for the transition of mass production to organic organizational systems.