Functional Organization Design and Lateral Coordination Processes

Functional Organization Design and Lateral Coordination Processes

The functional structure of an organization is one of the most common in many organizations. Almost everyone has worked in an active organization at a given point. People who have been employed have likely been part of an operating unit of such an organization. Due to my personal experiences working in such an organization, it was easy for me to understand the concept of a functional organization, as explained by Galbraith’s text. An active organization is divided into several units, each responsible for a specific function. For example, in an organization I have worked for, there were several units, such as the finance department, human resource management, sales and marketing department, and the administration department. However, an overview of this form of organization creates the idea of division within a single company. Having functional units does not imply that they are no longer part of the same organization. There is communication and collaboration that takes place between these units to create a single organization. It is the Lateral coordination process that makes this communication and collaboration. I believe lateral coordination is responsible for the organization’s overall operational efficiency. Without the interaction of these units, there would not be a success in achieving the organization’s overall strategy.

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Several organizations in real life properly emulate the lateral coordination processes of successful functional organizations. For instance, an example of a business with an operating system is Apple, Inc. Apple is one of the most successful technology companies in the world. This company has achieved its strategy with the help of various units that make it up. The company has a sales and marketing department, public relations, design, and finance, among others. Since Apple is such a large corporation, it must correctly design its lateral coordination between its various units. There are multiple aspects defined by Galbraith (2002) that need to be considered when designing lateral organization. Many of these aspects have been applied in designing the structure of Apple. First, lateral coordination requires the formation of formal groups. Apple has achieved this guideline by creatilegalmal functional groups that perform their specialized roles. Its members understand the roles and responsibilities of each group. Galbraith (2002) also mentioned the leadership role as very important. Apple can be seen to take the leadership role very seriously by creating managerial positions for every functional group. The leaders of the teams ensure that their teams’ work is efficient and effective. The leaders also act as links between available al units, thus enabling the lateral sharing of information. Therefore, studying Apple’s structure can help understand how operating companies manage their coordination of functions between groups.

Another thing that caught my attention in Galbraith’s text was technology’s role in coordination. Technology plays a vital role in enabling the lateral coordination of organizations. Today, organizations do not have to constantly organize meetings between department heads to manage communication and coordination. Information and communication technology has created opportunities for the virtual connection of departments to allow for e-coordination to occur (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). Communication can be done through mail, telephone calls, and various messages. Technology also created avenues for people to have virtual meetings where video meetings are formed, and they can discuss issues from different locations. In my opinion, this development has helped improve communication and collaboration between people in an organization significantly. In my experience working in the digital age, I no longer have to go to a manager’s office to discuss issues. Technology allows me to call or send an email, which can be received and replied instantly to facilitate efficient communication. This makes coordination less tiresome and time-consuming.

In conclusion, the text on functional organizations and managing lateral coordination shows that it is essential that an organization remains as one unit even when it has been divided into several smaller ones. The strategies of lateral coordination make this possible. They create avenues for Watermint to be successful independently and contribute to the organization’s overall success. Operational efficiency for any business depends on the successful operation of each functional unit and the successful teamwork and collaboration between the several teams that make it up. This can be a challenge, especially for a huge business, but with the simplified strategies presented by Galbraith, any business can get an idea of what it must do.

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References

Galbraith, J. R. (2002). Strategy, Struct, sure Process, and the Business Unit and Enterprise Levels.

Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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u02a1 Reading Reflection Paper 2

Note: Complete this unit’s first discussion before you start working on this assignment.

Overview

The unit readings cover ideas about functional organization design and lateral coordination processes. Your reflective paper assignment asks you to show your understanding of what you have read and to add your thoughts and experiences. Completing this assignment will help you apply your new knowledge of organization design.

Instructions

Reflect on the unit readings. Demonstrate that you can you remember, understand and apply the lesson the real-world examples.

Submission Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA format: Resources and citations should be in the current APA format. Be sure to include de title and reference pages.
• Length: 3 types, double-spaced pages, not including the title and reference pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, pointing.

Resources

• Reading Reflection Paper 2 Scoring Guide.

Reading Reflection Paper 2 Scoring Guide

Due Date: End of Unit 2.
Percentage of Course Grade: 2%.

CRITERIA	NON-PERFORMANCE	BASIC	PROFICIENT	DISTINGUISHED
Apply lateral coordination processes. 50%	Does not explain lateral coordination processes.	Explains lateral coordination processes.	Applies lateral coordination processes.	Applies lateral coordination processes, including examples from experience or scholarship.
Apply the concept of a functional organization design approach. 50%	Does not explain the concept of a functional organization design approach.	Explains the concept of a functional organization design approach.	Applies the concept of a functional organization design approach.	Applies the functional organization design approach concept, citing examples from the readings.