Flat / Horizontal Organisation
Traditionally, organisations were organised vertically. This concept presents an alternative way of defining organisational structure as horizontal or flat, and explores its advantages and drawbacks.
Technique Overview
Flat / Horizontal Organisation Definition
Flat organisations are characterised by relatively few levels of management, less emphasis on formalisation and fairly loose connections between sub-units (Triplett, 2007). Work in such organisations is organised around core business processes rather than around specialised functional tasks (Daft, 2010; Ostroff, 1999).
Flat / Horizontal Organisation Description *
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Business Evidence
Strengths, weaknesses and examples of Flat / Horizontal Organisation *
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Business Application
Implementation, success factors and measures of Flat / Horizontal Organisation *
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Professional Tools
Flat / Horizontal Organisation videos and downloads *
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Further Reading
Flat / Horizontal Organisation web and print resources *
Flat / Horizontal Organisation references (4 of up to 20) *
- BBC News (2000) Dyke Moves to Streamline BBC. [Online] Available at: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/827518.stm [Accessed: 9 February 2012].
- Burton, R.M., DeSanctis, G. and Obel, B. (2006) Organizational Design: A Step by Step Approach. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
- Daft, R.L. (2010) Organization Theory and Design. Cengage Learning, Mason, OH.
- Fontaine, C.W. (2007) Organisational Structure: A Critical Factor for Organizational Effectiveness and Employee Satisfaction. Human Resource Management Knowledge Base, Northwestern University. [Online] Available at: professorfontaine.com/files/Organizational_Structure_White_Paper_v7b.pdf
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