Mintzbergs 5 building Blocks

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Henry Minztberg

Diagram

Henry Minztberg produced an organisational ideology divided into 5 organisational configurations

that help in understanding better how an organisation should be structured.  

It is important to add that these configurations may not exist in real world but can be very helpful for someone who would like to understand the realities of an organisational structure.

The groups are...

  1. Strategic Apex = Top Management

     Strategic Apex has to do with the top management and those who make the rules (decision makers)

    It drives the direction of the business through control over decision-making.

  2. Middle Line = Management

    – performs the managerial functions of control over resources, processes and business areas.

  3. Operating Core = Normal employees of the firm

    – performs the routine activities of the organisation, also known as the “do-er's”.

  4. Technostructure = No line management responsibilities. Produce systems manuals etc 

     These are the people who guide the operating core in being efficient in their jobs.

    They drive efficiency through rules and procedures.

  5. Support Staff = Secretarial, cleaning, repairs, IT etc

    – support all the companies' activities and provides expertise and service to the organisation.

Whichever group is most powerful dominates the organisation structure

Most powerful group Structure
Strategic Apex Entrepreneurial. Leaders give sense of direction
Operating Core Highly skilled workers with lots of influence e.g. Schools, hospitals
Middle Line Localised and divisionalised company

Remember that poor performance in a company may simply be due to having an inappropriate structure for the environment and the strategies it follows

Mintzbergs 6 Configurations

  1. Simple Structure

    Entrepreneurial. Strategic apex gives direct control, little middle line, support staff or technostructure. Owner are often managers. Flexible, quick to react

  2. Machine Bureaucracy

    Technostructure dominant. Controls through regulations. Slow to react to change

    Needs standardisation in simple, repetitive and stable environments. Typically found in large, mature organisations

  3. Professional Bureaucracy

    Operating Core dominant. Highly skilled professionals abound

    Machine bureaucracy generates its own standards BUT  professional bureaucracy standards come from the outside 

    It's "the power of expertise"

  4. Divisionalised

    Middle line dominant. Division leaders powerful and often able to restrict strategic apex influence

    The autonomy in the Professional Bureaucracy are individuals—BUT—in the Divisionalised Form they are units in the middle line

    Each division has its own structure.

    Divisions are created according to markets served

  5. Adhocracy

    Complex and disordered. Extensive teamwork/project type work. Support staff very important as close relationship to external suppliers can be vital. Innovation is a strength here

    No standardisation

    Most suitable structure for innovative organisations which hire and give power to experts

    Project managers are particularly numerous

  6. Missionary

    All member share a common set of beliefs. Difficult to accept change. Only suitable for small, stable environments

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