Compare and contrast the 7S and Mintzberg's configuration models of Essay

Compare and contrast the 7S and Mintzberg's configuration models of organisations - Essay Example Henry Mintzberg enhanced organizational design literature by suggesting different forms of organizations (Clegg, 3-7). McKinsey 7s model explains how an organisation goes about analyzing how well it is positioned to achieve its intended objective. This model has remained persistent over the years because it is applicable in wide range situations where an alignment perspective is useful (Strategic management journal 279). Regardless of how an organization decides to define its scope of operations, alignment issues apply, making the model significant. Organisations being complex, this model eases the difficulty in understanding them, and helps to understand them, consequently yielding maximum benefit and profitability (Clegg, 27). Description Mintzberg defines organizational structure as, the total number of ways in which an organization distributes its labor into distinctive parts and then attains harmonization amongst them. He argues that each configuration comprises of six constitue nts, which are (Clegg, 23-29): Operating core: The human labor directly linked to the manufacturing of goods and services Calculated apex: Aids the necessities of the people in the organisation Intermediate line: Managers who link the premeditated apex with the operating fundamental Techno-structure: The expert who scheme, plot, modify or train the operating fundamental Support staff: Professionals who deliver sustenance to the organisation external of the operating core’s undertakings Ideology: Philosophies and customs that make the organisation exceptional. Each one of the above part is in control to tug an organization in a specific way which is advantageous to them. As a result, Mintzberg presents organisation configuration framework with six valid organizational configurations. They are (Clegg 31-89): Entrepreneurial organization: This is a simple structure characterized by little or no techno-structure; few support staff, minimal division of labor and work differentiati on and little managerial hierarchy. There is no formal behavior, thus coordination is simple with direct supervision. This is the most starting point of many organizations (Davidson 46). Machine bureaucracy: Comprises of high specialized, routine operating tasks, very formal procedures, proliferation of rules, regulations, and formalized communication throughout the organization and reliance on functional basis for grouping tasks. There is centralized decision-making and an elaborate administrative structure with clear distinctions between line and staff. It houses the specialists who do the standardizing. Machine bureaucracy is mostly found in mature or old organizations, large enough to have repetitive and standardized tasks. Managers at this level are not problem solving, rather, they concentrate on enhancing work processes to generate more output efficiently (Hardling, et al 33). Professional organization: This bureaucracy depends on the synchronization on the adjustment of skil ls. It employs duly accomplished experts or professionals for the operational core, and gives them significant control over their exertion. They work autonomously of their coworkers, but, closely to the customers they attend (Semler, 47). Previously