Organizing Function & Morale

Employee morale can be affected by so many things it may not be as obvious to consider the impact of an organizations structure on morale. Depending on the experience level of those within an organization and their willingness to share in the credit some organizational structures will boost morale and some may hurt it.

With a team of highly experienced and educated mangers the matrix structure may seem like a slap in the face for all their hard work. The matrix structure seeks to give everyone a chance to contribute and be part of the decision making process no matter their title or experience. For someone new or trying to move up in the company this may seem like a great environment because they are not limited by their lack of positional title or education level. They will feel excited and welcome to contribute to decisions. The opposite may occur for those with the experience and education. They may feel like they have earned and deserve to be making the decisions and someone comparable experience or education should not be part of those discussions.

While a matrix structured organization will benefit those with less experience and education a functional organization will benefit those with more experience and education. In a functional structured organization those with less experience and education may feel frustrated and forgotten. They do not have the experience and education to move up to through the hierarchal levels of the organization but they are not being given an opportunity to gain that experience either. Whereas someone with higher education and experience will feel justified and challenged within the functional structure because they are reward for all their hard work up to this point.