Organisation Design

Glowinkowski
Tel: +44 (0)1206 710945
International

Approach and Toolkit
Organisation Design

Organisations should be structured in such a way that they operate efficiently and effectively and so aid the creation and sustainment of a high-performance Climate. We subscribe to the four principles of organisational design set down by Elliott Jaques during 40 plus years of research, namely that:

1. The roles within a structure must all have clear accountabilities and authorities

  • A role holder is accountable when he/she is held to account by a higher authority for particular outcomes.
  • Accountabilities cascade down through the organisation, as managers are held accountable for the outcomes of their subordinates. This is truly a point of paramount importance. If a manager appoints someone to a role, it is their accountability if they do not perform because it is they who exercised the discretion and judgement to appoint. This raises even more the criticality of using reliable methods of recruitment and selection, which in the Glowinkowski methodology means taking a behavioural perspective.
  • Accountability cannot be shared, although others may contribute to its delivery.
  • Accountability must be matched with authority – if you can’t say yes or no to something, you can’t really be held accountable!

2. Organisation needs hierarchy

  • All organisational work requires a hierarchy. This is not the same as an autocracy or a bureaucracy or a democracy. It is a means by which the work that needs to be done to deliver a strategy can be defined and allocated to different people. The Board holds the Chief Executive accountable for delivering the organisation’s strategy, the CEO holds their Directors and Executives accountable for delivering their part in achieving the strategy. These officers hold their direct reports accountable for delivering key tasks, e.g. delivery of efficient IT systems, sales performance, service quality, great HR practices etc.
  • The hierarchy is based on the level of complexity involved in problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Complexity grows as the role involves dealing with increasing variability, greater uncertainty and longer time horizons.
  • This hierarchy is called ‘Work Levels’.

3. Roles can be assigned to work levels

Illustration to go here

At most, Jaques held there need be no more than seven, possibly eight in the very largest organisation, work levels. 

4. The Golden rule

  • A layer of management is only justified where the level of work is genuinely different from the levels above and below, i.e. where the time-spans of discretion and the corresponding complexities of decision-making do not over-lap.
    Where one role reports into a manager at the same level, there is likely to be a sense of having no headroom to make decisions. In other words, in terms of Climate, Autonomy is affected adversely.
    Where one roles reports into a manager two or more levels above, there is likely to be a sense of being ‘cast adrift’ because the context of the role cannot be adequately explained. In Climate terms, Clarity, Autonomy, Recognition and Involvement may all be adversely affected.

GIL provides a consultancy approach that with the benefit of our partner’s software provides the means to evaluate the effectiveness of your organisation’s design. Initially, we examine the higher levels of an organisation but through transferring skills and expertise to the organisation’s HR function enable lower levels to be reviewed independently and self-sufficiently, which reduces ongoing consultancy cost. We can provide independent quality review to ensure consistency of evaluation and help manage any criticism that may be levelled at HR during what can prove to be a sensitive period. Our emphasis remains focused upon ensuring the structure and the roles it contains is appropriate to deliver the organisation’s intended strategy. We can, of course, also square the circle by applying our behavioural assessment of people to ensure the right people get appointed to the right roles.


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Tel: +44 (0)1206 710945
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