What is meant by hierarchy in an organisational context?

Hierarchy, chain of command and span of control, centralised and decentralised organisations, tall, flat and matrix structures and their effect on efficiency and motivation, and delayering.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Define chain of command, hierarchy and span of control.

Evaluation

Compare centralisation with decentralisation, and define a tall structure.

Key term

What is delayering and what are its effects?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is meant by hierarchy in an organisational context?
Model answer
The levels of authority within an organisation, arranged from top management down to operational staff.
2
Define chain of command.
Model answer
The line of authority along which instructions pass from senior managers down through the organisation to subordinates.
3
What does span of control refer to?
Model answer
The number of subordinates directly supervised by a manager.
4
What are the characteristics and consequences of a narrow span of control?
Model answer
A manager supervises few subordinates, allowing closer supervision but creating more management layers.
5
How does a wide span of control affect organisational structure?
Model answer
A manager supervises many subordinates, which reduces management layers but limits the individual attention each subordinate receives.
6
What is a centralised organisation?
Model answer
An organisation where decision-making authority is concentrated at senior management level.

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Organisational design

Overview