Employee Empowerment
Employee Empowerment
Many companies are changing the structure of their organizations from a traditional hierarchy to more modern flat organizational structure to improve the work environment and increase profit. When making this giant leap management must first be prepared to completely plan for the changes and train their employees on what to expect with the new structure. Employers must be willing to prepare their employees at all levels for the shifts in individual and group decision-making responsibility that comes with the flat organizational model. This paper will focus on the methods that employers can use to set up a successful transition for their organization and its employees during the time of grand change.
What is a flat organizational structure? To define the concept of a flat organization, a contrast can be done with a traditional hierarchy structure. In a flat organization, the flow of communication between the workers and top level management runs quicker and more efficiently than in a traditional hierarchy structure which makes problem solving and servicing the customer more effective. The components of the flat structure are more conducive to flexibility, adaptability, and forward thinking versus a traditional structure. Another factor in the flat organizational structure is working in teams and generally having few levels with many workers on each level compared to the traditional hierarchy where there are many levels with few workers on each level (Bhat, 2006). It should be noted that in general flat organizational structures work best in small organizations, but the concept can be adapted to larger organizations.
When a company decides that the organization needs a structural change, the employees have to be ready for what that new structure will require of them. In the case of going to a flat or flatter structure, mangers can employ a few methods to make the transition go smoother. First, a broad meeting should be held...
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