Prompt A:
Structure – Advantages and Disadvantages:
The organizational structure of MTA New York City Transit and by extension, Rapid Transit Operations, is divisional. Advantages of organizations with divisional structures can include faster response and flexibility in unstable environments, concern for costumer needs, and efficient coordination across functional departments. Disadvantages of such organizations include duplication of resources across division, lower levels of specialization, and poor inter -divisional coordination. (Daft, 2016)
By contrast, Staten Island Railway utilizes a functional structure approach. Advantages of functional structures include higher levels of efficiency and economies of scale, specialization, and increased transparency, communication, and control between management and e mployees. Disadvantages of functional structures can include a lack of communication across functional units and slower responses to external changes. (Daft, 2016)
Prompt B:
What advice do you have for the Interim President on how to improve New York City Transit’s Rapid Transit Operation structure of better accomplish its goals?
What factors should be considered when deciding whether to restructure Rapid Transportation Operations structure? Organizational structure and culture are interdependent.
By exte nsion, we can also state that structure follows strategy. The organization structure might not greatly impact the organization’s culture, but the culture may affect the organization’s structure significantly (Schein, 2010).
To help the interim president comprehend the connection between organization structure and culture, observe how different employees across organizational levels and functions interact with each other.
This includes their ability to communicate various issues and how management / supervisors listen and address personal and organizational (functional, etc.) problems.
Prompt C:
The Interim President senses that the organization’s culture has problems, including the potential for burnout and turnover. How would you help the Interim President understand the connection between structure and an organization’s culture?
Be sure to take into consideration that the suggested structural improvements in Question A will help to change the organization’s culture to better meet their goals.
Prompt D:
Finally, change is difficult in organizations. The Interim President would appreciate your advice about how to implement any proposed changes, what resistance should be anticipated, and what can be done to address any resistance
