Organizational Structures and Leadership Discussion Question
- Review the information presented in Chapter 12 of the course text. Focus on the information about formal versus informal structure as well as the types of organizational structures.
- Consider the overall structure or hierarchy of your organization or one with which you are familiar. Which organizational structure best describes your organization—line (or bureaucratic), ad hoc, matrix, service line, or flat? Note: It is possible to have a combination of structures in one organization. Is decision making centralized or decentralized in this organization?
- What is the role of committees, task forces, and councils in the organization, and who is invited to join? Consider how this relates to formal and informal leadership.
- Reflect on how decisions are made within a specific department or unit. Which stakeholders provide input or influence the decision-making process? Assess this in terms of formal and informal leadership.
- To support your analysis, consider your own experiences and investigate these matters by speaking with others at the organization and reviewing available documents. Be sure to consider how the concepts of formal and informal structure and leadership relate to one another and are demonstrated in the organization and in the particular department or unit.
Question write a depiction of your organization’s formal structure, indicating whether it is best described as line, ad hoc, matrix, service line, flat, or a combination. Describe how decisions are made within the organization and within one department or unit in particular, noting relevant attributes of centralized/decentralized decision making. Explain the influence of formal and informal leadership on decision making within this department or unit.
Reading Materials
- Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015).Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
- Allmark, P., Baxter, S., Goyder, E., Guillaume, L. and Crofton-Martin, G. (2013), Assessing the health benefits of advice services: using research evidence and logic model methods to explore complex pathways. Health & Social Care in the Community, 21, pp. 59–68. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2524.2012.01087.x
Downey, M., Parslow, S., & Smart, M. (2011). The hidden treasure in nursing leadership: Informal leaders. Journal of Nursing Management, 19(4), 517–521.
- , J. A., Rycroft-Malone, J., & Charns, M. P. (2014). Leadership for Evidence-Based Practice: Strategic and Functional Behaviors for Institutionalizing EBP. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 11(4), 219-226. doi:10.1111/wvn.12044
