Organizational Structure Types for Project Managers
Different organizational structure types will affect various aspects of your project and will require you to adjust your management approach accordingly.
Project Manager’s Resource
Project Management for Flat Organizations
Organizational structure refers to the way a company or organization is setup. It is usually defined using a
hierarchy chart that shows how groups or functions report within the organization.
For Project Managers, a company’s organizational structure type will affect how resources are allocated to the project
and will be a factor in how much influence the Project Manager will have within the organization.
There are three basic types of organizational structures…
Functional organizations are structured around the organization’s primary functions.
Examples of functions within a company are:
In a functional organization, every employee is positioned within only one function and has one manager they report to,
the Functional Manager. The Functional Manager assigns and manages the employees work and handles administrative tasks
such as employee compensation.
Project-based organizations are structured around projects and not functions. This type of structure is also called
a projectized organizational structure.
In a project-based organization most of the organization’s resources are involved in project work. Project Managers
have high levels of independence and authority for the project and control the project resources.
Matrix organizations blend features of project-based and functional organizational structures.
The key challenge with a matrix organization is that every employee has two (or more) managers they report to, their
Functional Manager and the Project Manager. If they are working on multiple projects, they may have even more managers
to report to.
There are three types of matrix organizations:
A weak matrix organizational structure maintains many of the features of the functional organizational
structure. The role of the Project Manager is more that of a Project Coordinator. Their ability to make or enforce
decisions is low and most of the authority remains with the Functional Manager.
A balanced matrix organizational structure recognizes the need for a Project Manager. However, the Project
Manager does not have full authority over the project, project staff or project budget.
A strong matrix organizational structure has many of the features of the projectized organizational
structure. They have full-time Project Managers and project administrative staff. Project Managers have considerable
authority over the project in this organzational structure.
Two of the key project aspects affected by organizational structure types are Project Manager Authority
and Resource Availability.
As you move across the spectrum from Functional to Matrix to Project-Based organizational structure types, the organization
will move from favoring ongoing operations to favoring projects.
On the left side of the spectrum are Functional Organizational Structures. As a Project Manager, you will have limited
positional authority in these type of organizations. You will need to rely on expert authority and
referent authority to get project tasks completed. Because of this, you will need to develop your influencing
and negotiating skills if you want to be successful.
From a Resource Availability perspective, you will be dependent on the Functional Managers in your organization to
provide you with resources. In these cases, the project resources will report indirectly to you.
On the right side of the spectrum are Project-Based Organizations. As a Project Manager, you will have more
positional authority the further right your project sits on the spectrum. This doesn’t mean you can just command
others, but you will have more formal authority for getting project tasks completed.
From a Resource Availability perspective, you will also have greater control over your project resources since they will
be more likely to directly report to you and not to a functional manager.
Understanding what type of organizational structure is used by your company will help you
determine how you should manage your project.
These project management principles will help you build a strong
foundation from which to manage your projects. Learn how you can use
these fundamentals to ensure your projects succeed.
What
is project management? Going beyond your typical definition of project
management, find out why project management is exhilarating,
challenging, and inspiring.
The Project Management Life Cycle
The
project management life cycle provides a framework for managing any
type of project. From Project Initiation to Project Closure, learn the
key aspects about each phase of the project life cycle.
Project Manager Duties and Responsibilities
Understanding
key project manager duties will help you lead your projects
successfully. Using the four functions of management, learn about the
main responsibilities and duties of a project manager.
Avoid Project Management Failure: Tips for Achieving Project Success
Do
you want to avoid project management failure? Learn three critical tips
that will significantly increase your ability to achieve project
management success.
Subscribe to Project Success Tips, my FREE Project Management Newsletter where I share tips and techniques that you can use to get your Project Management Career off to a great start.
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Research & References of Organizational Structure Types for Project Managers|A&C Accounting And Tax Services
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