Before entering fully into the meaning of the term that concerns us now, we are going to proceed to discover the etymological origin of the two words that give it shape:
-Structure, first of all, derives from Latin. Exactly “structure”, which is the result of the sum of two lexical components of said language: the adjective “structus”, which means “built”, and the suffix “-ura”, which can be translated as “activity”.
-Organizational, secondly, comes from Greek. Specifically, it derives from the word “organon”, which is synonymous with “tool” or “instrument”. To give it complete shape, the suffixes “-al” and “-cion” have been added, which mean “relative to”.
The notion of structure can be used to name the alignment or distribution of the various components of a set. Organizational , on the other hand, is that linked to an organization .
The way chosen by an entity to manage its activity and its resources is called an organizational structure . This structure is given by a series of formal and informal relationships that the corporation develops to achieve its objectives and meet its goals.
The organizational structure of a company involves arranging the roles of employees and executives in a certain way to achieve the best possible performance. With a good structure, interrelationships flow optimally and each of the company's actors can perform their task efficiently.
In addition to everything indicated, we can establish that there are different types of organizational structures:
-Geographical, which is used by many companies that have international operations. It basically consists of organizing itself based on the headquarters that are spread throughout the different corners of the world.
-Functional, which, as its name indicates, is based on the tasks or functions that each employee has.
-Horizontal, which also responds to the name of employment power. It gives the power to employees to self-manage and make decisions.
-Central, which is very common among large companies and which basically consists of each group of employees being under the direction of a supervisor.
-Matrix, where the structural organization is established based on projects.
Beyond the particular characteristics of each company, it can be said that, at a general level, the first step in establishing an organizational structure consists of identifying the activities that must be carried out to classify and group them . Then it is essential to designate a person in charge to supervise each group of activities and make the necessary decisions. This vertical arrangement has to be coordinated horizontally with the rest of the groups of activities for the proper functioning of the organizational structure.
For the process to be successful, it is necessary to precisely define the obligations and rights of each member of the organization. At the same time, it is essential to establish the scope of authority of all participants so that the group can function correctly.