Preview

Matrix Management

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2587 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Matrix Management
Seminar Paper
Group 4

Matrix Management

Weight 15%

Members
Alrina Ali – S02003625
Ahara Begum – S11078392

Table of Content

Introduction 3

Evolution of Matrix Management 4

Matrix Basics 6

Advantages, Disadvantages and Applications 8

Conclusion 10

Reference 11

Introduction
Matrix management is a technique of managing an organization (or, more commonly, part of an organization) through a series of dual-reporting relationships instead of a more traditional linear management structure.

In contrast to most other organizational structures, which arrange managers and employees by function or product; matrix management combines functional and product departments in a dual authority system. In its simplest form, a matrix configuration may be known as a cross-functional work team, which brings together individuals who report to different parts of the company in order to complete a particular project or task.

The term "matrix" is derived from the representative diagram of a matrix management system, which resembles a grid of functions and product/project groups. The practice is most associated with highly collaborative and complex projects, such as building aircraft, but is also widely used in many product/project management situations. Even when a company does not label its structure a matrix system or represent it as such on an organization chart, there may be an implicit matrix structure any time employees are grouped into work teams (this does not normally include committees, task forces, and the like) that are headed by someone other than their primary supervisor.

Evolution of Matrix Management

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, during the U.S. industrial revolution, a need emerged for more formalized structures in large business organizations. The earliest models emphasized efficiency of process through managerial control. Described as "mechanistic," those systems were characterized by extensive rules and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Functional structure is departmentalization around specialized activities such as production, marketing, and human resources. Divisional structure is departmentalization that groups units around products, customers, or geographic regions. Matrix structure is an organization composed of dual reporting relationships in which some managers’ report to two superiors –a functional manager and a divisional manager. The most effective structure is the matrix structure because it consists of the other functions, both of which would fail without them. Organizations can determine if they are structured in the most effective and efficient manner by analyzing how their business…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Their organizational structure is functional, with the adoption of a matrix style administration. Each specialty area has a manager, and all staff that falls under that specialty area will report to their specific manager. Advantages of this structure include improved lateral communication and coordination of services, as well as pooled knowledge(Buchbinder & Shanks, 2012, p. 7). The functional structure is common in healthcare settings, and provides for better communication. The matrix allows for each area to have someone to report to. This helps keep people accountable, thus leading the way to a great healthcare…

    • 1452 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Today, most companies have an organizational structure, which gives a lot of character to the company and allows the consumers to see what the company values. Certain companies may have an organizational structure such as a divisional structure which is basically where functionalities of that company are divided based on the “functional” areas. However, there is also a matrix structure. A matrix structure consists of placing employees in an area based on the functional and divisional area.…

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mechanistic structures are mainly for organizations in a stable environment. They are hierarchical in nature with well-defined tasks and central authority. This type of structure works well in an environment where an organization does not need to respond rapidly to changes in the marketplace.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    dow coring case study

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The matrix structure as defined by David Needle (2010 p. 185) is a combination of the customer orientation of the project team and the economies of scale of the functional structure which focuses on specialist orientation and the product or market focus of the multidivisional structure which enforces product grouping. The matrix structure encourages individuals to work across teams and projects as well as within their own departments or functions in order to accomplish a main goal. For example, a project/task team established to develop a new product may include design specialists as well as those that obtain marketing and financial skills.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Matrix organizational structure combines the functional structure and some other organizational structure types. In a matrix organization there are project teams, bringing skilled individuals together from across the organization, but there are still divisions. As such, a person has two bosses: the division manager and the project manager. In this organizational structure, projects benefit from having cooperation across the company in that the best and the brightest in the company can weigh in on projects they otherwise may not have access to. Further, all departments can have a voice in the production process, from the actual fabrication of the product to its marketing and sales. (Kerzner, 2009, pp128)…

    • 2047 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Greggs Swot Analysis

    • 1461 Words
    • 6 Pages

    This type of structure combines the traditional departments seen in functional structures with project teams. In a matrix structure, individuals work across teams and projects as well as within their own department or function.…

    • 1461 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Strictly speaking matrix management is the practise of managing individuals with more than one reporting line (in a matrix organization structure), but it is also commonly used to describe managing cross functional, cross business group and other forms of working that cross the traditional vertical business units – often silos - of function and geography.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Week 3 Assignment

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Matrix organizations are structures that allow for more than one supervisor and greatly support teamwork among those within the organization. Matrix organizational structures are ideal for larger organizations, which is a great advantage given our significant increase in both staff and business. Following a matrix structure would allow the organization to double in size without losing the significance of the goals set forth. A disadvantage of matrix organizational structure, as with large organizations is often inevitable, is the ability of…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Management Structures

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Matrix organization this s a structure that is atypical because it brings employees and managers together from different departments working towards accomplishing a goal. The advantages of this structure is that it pools people together who have the same skills to work in a specific area. It also helps to coordinate resources in a way that helps them effectively on different projects and information is flowing throughout the organization from top to bottom. The disadvantages of this structure is that so many problems can arise as well as conflicts within the group.…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mechanistic organizations have clear, well-defined, centralized, vertical hierarchies of command, authority, and control. Efficiency and predictability are emphasized through specialization, standardization, and formalization. This results in rigidly defined jobs, technologies, and processes. The term mechanistic suggests that organizational structures, processes, and roles are like a machine in which each part of the organization does what it is designed to do. The following are some of the characteristics of Mechanistic organization structure.…

    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The matrix model is the organizational model that is used in the dental clinic within the United States air force. This model consists of teams that work together with often overlapping duties in order to accomplish a united goal in patient care…

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Seitz

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Some of the benefits of the matrix organizational structure include the fact that having people…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Alice Saddy Case Study

    • 1329 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The individual case managers, support workers and human resources manager working at the Alice Saddy Association which is a non-profit organization London and Ontario supporting people with developmental disabilities who were living individually rather than in group houses informed the executive director that the employees thought the present business structure triggered confusion, slowed down decision making ability and endangered all everyone involved with Alice Saddy. The director agreed that there has been some problems connected with Alice Saddy’s organization structure. However he is concerned about mission of the organization and the changes were likely to end up being opposed by the management team. The director would have to decide the direction to go and has to proceed soon.…

    • 1329 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It happens often that students question the concepts that are required for them to learn. They usually say "How is this going to help me in the future?" or "Will I seriously use this in my life?" and that 's because they don 't know the applications of those subjects in a more palpable way. In high school, my classmates and me used to think like this about matrices. A matrix is an assortment of numbers, usually real numbers, organized into rows and columns. Matrices can be added, subtracted, multiplied by a constant or another matrix, divided, and decomposed in different ways. That is why we used to doubt its importance in life, because it used to get so difficult and/or tricky.…

    • 599 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics