The Network Level Needed in Determining Organizational Structure
Abstract
As the external operations of organizationsbecome more complex with increasing globalization and as structures encounter difficulties in multi-tasking and increased information flow management, there is a need for more flexible and faster way of organizing. In order to promote efficiency and flexibility, organizations’ restructuring efforts result from need for coordination and work that increasingly occurs through informal networks of relationships rather than through formal structures. As the rapid adoption of social media and mobile computing are transforming how organizations in all industries relate to their environment, organizationalnetworks can be found inside every business and shape how employees share, communicate and collaborate at the workplace. New structures are emerging that blend different types of networks and hierarchies. The nature and complexity of the business determines the best the way its organizational structure is organized and this paper presents a theoretical model to help determine ideal organizational structures for different needs in order to deal with the pace and ambiguity of the business environment.
Downloads
References
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 25(1), 56–71
Burt, K. (1982). Towards A Stuctural Theory of Action. New York: Academic Press.
Easton, G. & Araujo, L. (1986). Networks, bonding and relationships in industrial markets. Industrial Marketing and Purchasing, 1(1), 8-25. Emerson, R. M. (1981). Social exchange theory. Social psychology: sociological perspectives. New York: Basic Books. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 12(3), 195-216. Fombrun, C. J. (1982). Strategies for network research in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 7(2), 280-291. Gasser, L. & Hill Jr. R. W. (1990). Coordinated problem solvers. Annual Review of Computer Science, 4(1), 203-253. Gulati, R. (1998). Alliances and networks. Strategic Mnr~agemmt Journal, 19, 293-3 17. Gulati, R. (1995). Social structure and alliance formation pattern: A longitudinal analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 49, 61 9-52. Gulati, R. & Gargiulo, M. (1999). Where do interorganizational networks come from? Atnerican Journal of Sociology, 104, 19 3 9-9 3. Harland, C. M. (1995). Networks and globalisation–A review of research. EPSRC Final Report. Lawrence, P. R. & Lorsch, J. W. (1967). Differentiation and integration in complex organizations. Administrative science quarterly, 7, 1-47. Lim, M., Griffiths, G. & Sambrook, S. (2010). Organizational structure for the twenty-first century. annual meeting of The Institute for Operations Research and The Management Sciences, Austin. Lipnack, J. & Stamps, J. (1999). Virtual teams: The new way to work. Strategy & Leadership, 27(1), 14-19. Miles, R. E. & Snow, C. C. (1992). Causes of failure in network organizations. California Management Review, 34, 52–72. Mizruchi, M. S. (1992). The structure of corporate political action: Interfirm relations and their consequences. Harvard University Press. Möller, K. K. & Wilson, D. T. (1995). eds. Business marketing: An interaction and network perspective. Springer Science & Business Media. Nohria, N. & Eccles, R. G. (1992). Networks and organizations: Structure, form, and action. Powell, W. W. (1990). Neither market nor hierarchy: Network forms of organization. Research on Organizational Behavior, 12, 295–336 Rockartand, J. F. & Short, J. E. (1991). The networked organization and the management of interdependence. The corporation of the 1990s: information technology and organizational transformation, 189. Rogers, E. M. (1987). Progress, problems and prospects for network research: Investigating relationships in the age of electronic communication technologies. Social Networks, 9(4), 285-310. Salancik, G. R. (1995). Wanted: A good network theory of organization, 345-349. Smıth, O. J. (1999). Network position and firm performance. Andrews S, Knoke D. Research in the Sociology of Organizations Greenwich, Conn: JAI Press, 16, 129-159. Snow, C. C., Miles, R. E. & Coleman, H. J. (1992). Managing 21st century organizations. Organizational Dynamics, 20(3), 5–20 Tichy, N. M., Tushman, M. L. & Fombrun, C. (1979). Social network analysis for organizations. Academy of management review, 4(4), 507-519. Van Alstyne, M. (1997). The state of network organization: a survey in three frameworks. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 7(2-3), 83-151. Yeung, H. W. (1994). Critical reviews of geographical perspectives on business organizations and the organization of production: towards a network approach. Progress in Human Geography, 18(4), 460-490. Walker, G. (1988). Network analysis for cooperative interfirm relationships. in F. K. Contractor and P. Lorange (eds), Cooperative Strategies in International Business, Lexington, KY: Lexington Press. 227-40. Wasserman, S. & Katherine, F. (1994). Social network analysis: Methods and applications, 8. Cambridge university press, 1994.
Copyright (c) 2017 Information Management and Business Review
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author (s) should affirm that the material has not been published previously. It has not been submitted and it is not under consideration by any other journal. At the same time author (s) need to execute a publication permission agreement to assume the responsibility of the submitted content and any omissions and errors therein. After submission of revised paper in the light of suggestions of the reviewers, the editorial team edits and formats manuscripts to bring uniformity and standardization in published material.
This work will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) and under condition of the license, users are free to read, copy, remix, transform, redistribute, download, print, search or link to the full texts of articles and even build upon their work as long as they credit the author for the original work. Moreover, as per journal policy author (s) hold and retain copyrights without any restrictions.