Using Simultaneous Structures to Cope With Uncertainty
- 1 December 1983
- journal article
- Published by Academy of Management in The Academy of Management Journal
- Vol. 26 (4) , 727-735
- https://doi.org/10.5465/255918
Abstract
The article discusses a study pertaining the corporate use of simultaneous structures in work units to cope with uncertainty. A work unit in this context refers to a supervisor and their subordinates, all of whom perform related tasks. The research indicated that supervisors rely on multiple structures in order to carry out the different tasks of the work unit. It is believed that a supervisor's use of a particular structure may depend on their personal preference or their perception of the employees' decision making ability.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- Work Characteristics and Subunit Communication Structure: A Contingency AnalysisAdministrative Science Quarterly, 1979
- Information Processing as an Integrating Concept in Organizational DesignAcademy of Management Review, 1978
- Technology and the Structure of Subunits: Distinguishing Individual and Workgroup EffectsAdministrative Science Quarterly, 1977
- Relations Among Perceived Environmental Uncertainty, Organization Structure, and Boundary-Spanning BehaviorAdministrative Science Quarterly, 1977
- A Task Contingent Model of Work-Unit StructureAdministrative Science Quarterly, 1974
- Mltiple Decision-making Structures in Adapting to Environmental Uncertainty: The Impact on Organizational EffectivenessHuman Relations, 1973
- Organization Structure and Strategies of Control: A Replication of the Aston StudyAdministrative Science Quarterly, 1972
- Organizational Structure, Environment and Performance: The Role of Strategic ChoiceSociology, 1972