Horizontal links: concept, management structure, types of links and interaction

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

One of the modern trends in management is the organization of management by the type of horizontal links. Such a structure is characterized by a reduction in the number of decisions that are made at the highest level, the provision of broader powers to lower-level employees. As a result, the response time to new issues and situations is increased. However, such a system also has disadvantages. A certain difficulty is the selection of initiative personnel capable of independently setting and solving problems.

General concept

In any organization, coordination of the activities of employees and departments should be carried out. The interaction between them and the management defines a set of stable links that provide a well-coordinated mechanism, coordination of roles and functions. The set of links that are at the same level of the hierarchy constitutes the management stage.

The main types of connections are as follows:

• Horizontal control links. This notioncharacterizes the relationship between the same level of management units or members of the enterprise.
• Vertical connections. They connect different hierarchical levels and form the distribution of powers. Their main purpose is the transfer of administrative (top-down) and reporting (bottom-up) information. This type of relationship is typical for large organizations. An example of an idealized version is the state administration system during the Soviet era, built on the basis of federalism and unitarism.

Horizontal and vertical management links interact in a single corporate environment. The former contribute to the strengthening of the latter and help the organization as a whole become more resilient to external and internal changes. The tasks of vertical connections are to systematize various forms of horizontal ones, transfer administrative and reporting information, and ensure stability.

Functional and linear links

Vertical and horizontal links in an organization can be linear and functional. The first type is characterized by the fact that the head of a department or organization exercises direct control over subordinates (vertical hierarchy). The advantages of the linear control scheme are as follows:

• clarity and simplicity of setting tasks and monitoring their implementation;
• quick decision making;
• coherence of the work of performers.

Disadvantages include:

• managerial andmanager information overload;
• necessity for a highly qualified leader;
• lack of managerial flexibility under changing external conditions.

When constructing functional vertical and horizontal links in an organization, managerial decisions are made at the advisory level. The simplest scheme reflecting this type of management is a two-level division. It can only be applied to small businesses. Each structural unit (marketing department, engineering service, production, finance and accounting, personnel management) has its own specific range of tasks and functions, and its specialists are responsible for a narrow part of the work.

Linear-functional control

There is also a combined linear-functional management scheme that combines the features of linear and functional relationships. Information and decisions from departments are communicated both through line managers and at the level of individual performers and services. Its virtues are:

• promoting professional growth within the management structure;
• high level of competence of functional managers due to their specialization;
• improving the consistency of work in personnel management, resources, quality, production and other areas;
• reducing the number of repetitive functions for performers of different departments.

To the disadvantages of suchdiagrams refer to:

• lack of quality horizontal links between organizational structures;
• risk of differences in interests and goals between units;
• need to introduce additional managerial middle managers;
• Low flexibility of interaction between employees of the administrative apparatus due to the presence of formal procedures and rules;
• low interest in innovation.

The use of such a scheme is rational within small and medium-sized organizations.

Divisional management scheme

In large companies, the divisional approach is increasingly used - a product management structure in which each of the divisions produces goods or services oriented to different markets. Functional services and a system of horizontal links exist within each division.

Divisional structures are managed with the help of additional intermediate levels. The growth of the vertical hierarchy, on the one hand, helps the company's management to focus on strategic activities, and on the other hand, it helps to oppose the common goals of the goals of individual divisions. If material, financial, labor resources are distributed among them centrally, then a conflict of interest may arise.

Key Features

Horizontal ties are in the nature of an alignment that promotesproductive interaction of enterprise structures to solve problems that arise between them. They help develop self-reliance and initiative among employees. However, not all people are ready to display these qualities, so there is a certain problem in the selection of personnel for the implementation of such a management scheme.

Horizontal links in the organization reflect the level of specialization of employees and are aimed at differentiating functions. The more types of work that require special knowledge and skills, the more complex the system of connections becomes.

When describing such a management structure, the following concepts are also used:

• Span of control - the number of subordinates who must report to the same manager.
• Functionalization is the interaction between top, middle and bottom managers.
• Geographic division of labor. If the organization has regional divisions, then this greatly complicates the structure of vertical and horizontal relationships. Coordination of actions and their control is also difficult.

Horizontal connections serve as a kind of motivational resource. It is impossible to ensure vertical career growth for all employees of the organization. The task of horizontal links in the modern management system is to encourage the employee to perform more duties within the unit and do it at the highest level. As a result, he can move up the career ladder to the next step in the hierarchy.

The difference between horizontal links is that theyit is impossible to accurately formalize, that is, describe the rules of relationships, the distribution of functions and roles, since they arise between departments and employees who are not directly subordinate. In most cases, these connections are made through informal processes that enhance the overall, formal structure.

Basic shapes

The most common forms of horizontal connections in the management structure of an organization are:

• direct contacts between heads of departments;
• horizontal transition of employees;
• formation of temporary groups to solve a specific problem or implement a project;
• establishment of permanent groups to address recurring issues;
• formation of additional structures for integration and management of horizontal processes;
• Introduction of a dual system of responsibility in the functional management structure. The project manager works with specialists who are not directly subordinate to him. Responsibility extends to critical points that must be fulfilled according to a specific program.

Direct contact of executives

An example of direct contact between leaders can be the following situation. The procurement department overfulfilled the plan. Another shop, mechanical assembly, currently cannot cope with such a volume of workpieces due to the large load. Through direct contactthe heads of these two structures solve this problem among themselves without involving the director of the enterprise (creation of a warehouse backlog in a procurement workshop or in an intermediate warehouse).

This form of horizontal links in the organization's management structure is the simplest and least expensive. With this approach, senior management can focus on solving more complex, strategic problems. However, there may be cases where the decision of two leaders may not be in the general interest of the company. For example, in the situation discussed above, this is a violation of the rhythm of production. Therefore, it is important that a clear communication link be established.

Employee transition

Horizontal transitions of employees between departments are a more "exotic" form than the one discussed above. This scheme is usually implemented as part of the professional development of employees.

Such transitions not only contribute to the accumulation of professional experience and the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, but also to the development of informal communication among staff, which helps to strengthen horizontal ties in the organization. Issues that have arisen are more often resolved through oral contact, and not through a written form of communication (memos and other types of official letters). It is recommended to conduct such transitions more often, as the information received by employees becomes outdated over time.

Target groups

Target groups are created in cases where provision is requiredhorizontal links in the organizational structure between a large number of units. In this case, direct contacts are practically not applicable. Such problems usually require a higher level solution and the integration of the efforts of specialists from different departments and even divisions.

The form of participation in the target group can be different: employment during the whole working day, part of it or only in the form of consulting assistance. After solving the task and disbanding the group, its members return to their previous work duties. Regulations and a work plan are being developed to coordinate their work.

Permanent teams

If the previous forms of interaction turn out to be ineffective, then permanent groups are created, the purpose of which is to resolve frequently arising issues. They can be discussed at different intervals - every day or once a week.

Teams can be organized at various managerial levels. Its members can be both leading specialists and heads of departments. The greater the heterogeneity of tasks, the more authority the team has and the more management levels involved in it. The structure of a permanent group may have a formalized description in the project.

Conditions for the effectiveness of groups and relationships

In the management of organizations, the following conditions for the effectiveness of temporary and permanent groups are distinguished:

• Motivation of employees. Solving problems assigned to the groupperceived by employees as an additional burden. Therefore, it is required either to release them from their former functions, or to develop a system of encouragement. Experience shows that the partial removal of routine duties has a greater effect, since it does not lose contact with the department in which the employee works.
• Identification of line managers who should be responsible for problem solving.
• Information support. Participation in the implementation of tasks should be taken by all interested units.
• Giving the members of the group the necessary powers to be able to involve other specialists in the work.
• Rational selection of team members by hierarchical status in the management of the organization. If there is a barrier between them due to a large difference in official position, then the work of the group will become ineffective.
• Combination of horizontal and vertical links. Horizontal processes are most often used to solve day-to-day problems, while vertical processes are most often used for strategic ones.
• Experience in conflict resolution. When making a decision in a group, situations often arise when the interests of different departments collide. In this case, there should be a productive exchange of information to obtain an alternative option.