Mintzberg's Organizational Structure: Mechanisms and Parts

Mintzberg's Coordinating Mechanisms

Mintzberg defines coordinating mechanisms as the modes of interaction between people that constitute an organization. These are conceptualized as the most basic elements of structure—the glue that holds organizations together.

• Mutual Adjustment: Achieves coordination through simple informal communication, such as a conversation between two operators, without relying on a supervisor to make things work.
• Direct Supervision: Coordination is achieved when one person assumes responsibility for the work of others, issuing orders, instructions, and monitoring actions.
• Standardization of Work Processes: Coordination is achieved by programming the content of work through standards and procedures that define how tasks must be carried out.
• Standardization of Outputs: Specifies the results of work, such as product dimensions or performance metrics. The focus is on clarifying what should be done.
• Standardization of Skills: Coordination is achieved by specifying the expertise required to perform the work. The focus is on who is best qualified to perform a task.
• Standardization of Norms: Rules that affect the entire organization, ensuring all staff operate under the same set of doctrines, similar to a religious order.

The Parts of an Organization

Organizations are structured to direct flow systems and define interrelationships between various parties:

• Operating Core: The base of any organization; the workers who perform the basic tasks related to manufacturing products or providing services.
• Strategic Apex: Those charged with overall responsibility for the organization, including directors and senior managers with global interests, as well as their direct support staff like secretaries and assistants.
• Middle Line: The chain of managers connecting the strategic apex to the operating core, which grows as the organization expands and requires direct supervision.
• Technostructure: Analysts and staff outside the hierarchy who focus on standardizing work processes and outputs to coordinate the organization.
• Support Staff: Specialized units that provide indirect services to the entire organization, operating outside the main workflow.

Organizational Culture

This aspect acts as the dominant ideology, embracing the beliefs and traditions that distinguish an organization from others and infuse life into the skeleton of its structure.