Class Assignment: Structure exercise

The primary purpose of the organization to be designed is to facilitate transfer of knowledge. I prefer to design a hybrid structure with a combination of Matrix and functional structure.

HYBRID Design
The organization will be divided into two broad functions- Core Teaching Unit & Administration Services Unit. This is to segregate between the primary functions of the organization and the backend functions to keep the company running. The Core Teaching Unit performs the primary job of knowledge transfer and has a matrix structure whereas the Administration Services Unit function will be further subdivided using a functional structure. Knowledge- Matrix Structure The Core Teaching Unit has been subdivided using a matrix structure. Refer to the below structure currently being used by NOKIA. As can be seen, NOKIA has different product lines- Mobile Phones, Smart devices & Location and Commerce. All the main functions like Corporate Development, Human Resources, Legal etc span across the product lines to form a hybrid structure. My orgnization would also have a similar structure with product lines like - PGDM, ABM, MDP, EXMP etc. All of these product lines require various functional exertise like training in marketing, finance, operations, HR etc. Hence all the product lines will be serviced by each of these functions in a similar way that NOKIA does. This has the benefit of having one core pool of individuals who are knowledgeble in their respective domains and can then be asked to tailor their teaching style accordingly to the teaching program offered. This saves cost and helps in coordination between various product lines to encourage greater integration in the organization. Matrix Organizational Structure of NOKIA:

Strengths & Weaknesses of Matrix Structure

Strengths Achieves the coordination necessary Flexible sharing of human resources across products Suited to complex decisions and frequent changes in unstable environment Provides opportunity for both functional and product skill development Weaknesses Causes participants to experience dual authority which can be frustrating and confusing Participants need good interpersonal skills and extensive skills Is time consuming; requires frequent meeting and conflict resolution sessions Will not wok unless participants understand it and adopt collegial rather than vertical type relationships Section F, PGP28331

19 November, 2012

Aditya Julka

Operations- Functional Structure My Administration Services Unit will be further subdivided using a functional structure. This will involve functions like Admissions, Accounts, Library, Student Affairs, IT Infra etc. These functions are the key to keeping the organization running smoothly and to enable it to perform its core functions. These functions will be cross linked with the Core Teaching Unit via interaction with the HODs of various domains. This will enable further integration in the organization and enable it to function better and more efficiently.

19 November, 2012

Aditya Julka

Section F, PGP28331