ABSTRACT
Concepts of organizational structure apply to all kinds of organizations (companies, institutions, agencies) as well as to their subunits (divisions, departments, projects, and teams). The formal organization structure is publicized in a chart such as the one for NASA in Figure 13.1; a quick glance reveals both organizational hierarchy and groupings for specialized tasks. Looking at the chart in Figure 13.1 one can see, for example:
1. The range of activities in which the organization is involved and the major subdivisions of the organization (exploration, space operations, science, aeronautics research)
2. The management hierarchy and reporting relationships (under “Mission,” for example, directors at Ames, Goddard, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory all report to the administrator for science)
3. The type of work and responsibility of each subdivision (e.g., projects at research centers focus on specifi c disciplines or goals such as space exploration and space operations)
4. The offi cial lines of authority and communication (the administrator is the highest authority, the deputy administrator the next highest, and so on; communication moves vertically along the lines from one box to the next).
