flat organization

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flat organization

an ORGANIZATION which has only a few managerial layers. This avoids excessive bureaucracy (see TALL ORGANIZATION); decision-making is more closely in touch with customer needs and the organization is able to adapt quickly to changes in its external environment. Small firms are usually flat organizations, but increasingly larger firms have attempted to improve their competitiveness by cutting down on their management structures and by establishing more focused business divisions. See STRATEGIC BUSINESS UNIT, RIGHTSIZING, HIERARCHY, DELAYERING.

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References in periodicals archive ?

It was always a relatively flat organization and it has gotten flatter.

Seasoned supervisor: as head of UBS' West Division, Lane Strumlauf has his hands full. Fortunately, he has a head full of ideas and the professional experience to help him meet the challenge

A decentralized, flat organization started to emerge--especially on Facebook--and created an opportunity for this movement to prosper.

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In the digital age, you really need to have a flat organization, a flat environment, he said, referring to many of the office structures of Silicon Valley's most successful technology companies.

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A flat organization is one where there is no (or very few) levels of management in between staff and executives.

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Deputy Director Marion Ekpuk succinctly described the structure: "Despite our titles, we operated as a flat organization.

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Because we are young, at the onset [its founders] wanted it to be a very flat organization, that is, very nimble and easy to work with," says Yeigh.

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GL ShipManager allows us to optimally utilise our flat organization and network of offices around the world, by making sure that we have the right information to hand wherever we need it.

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Exploration companies today often adopt flat organization structures that give geoscience teams full access to senior leadership; decisions are, thus, often made on the basis of direct communication among small groups of empowered individuals.

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4) Too few growth and advancement opportunities: Even in a relatively flat organization, employees who perform well should achieve career growth, recognition, and lots of self-satisfaction.

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I created a flat organization where everyone has a chance to grow and eventually become a partner, because I plan for the company to become employee-owned.

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He credits this devotion to goals to a flat organization structure adherent to the Gulf Coast Foundation in Venice, Fla.

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Even in a flat organization with only a few hierarchical layers, the very human tendency to avoid conflict and spare the feelings of others leads to false politeness and an unwillingness to share information and management's true perspective.