Based on my current work environment, I would say my work organization is a matrix organization. I work within the operations division as manufacture engineer, so I closely work with multiple groups and I report to multiple managers. So far, I have closely worked with the quality operations and operations department. Since the medical device that is being produced within my department is incorporated within surgeries, every aspect of the medical device has monitored closely by quality, and several other departments. As Dr. Simon mentioned earlier, I have already had the experience where I would jump from project to project based on the level of urgency or due date.

Chris

I work in a matrix organization as a Manufacturing Engineer. I love this organizational style because information travels relatively quickly. Just last week I needed help from Regulatory concerning a project. Many members in Regulatory were out due to the holidays. Because of the matrix-styled structure, I could contact anyone in the Regulatory Department and did not have to wait.
Also, with a matrix organization, I feel like projects are completed as a team and are not pushed on any individual. Many people contribute to the completion of the project resulting in quality work for half the amount of time.

In my previous experience, it was more like functional organization. I used to work in a small business where there was a lot of work for a few employees. However, all the projects were done by the same department because there was only 1 department!There was a lot of communication between all the engineers and the work environment was amazing. We got to know each other and we worked as a team i order to complete all the projects on time. That is the type of work environment that I would love to have in the future.

As I have mentioned in a different post. I work in a hybrid organization that utilizes Functional and Matrix organization. This hybrid type uses project managers within departments. There is no specific team responsible for project management. Coming from a small startup company that basically did not have any organizational structure to a company that had an organizational structure was a challenging process. In a small startup company, everyone will do anything to complete the project. Everyone is responsible, and everyone will contribute to whatever the need is. There is no departments or silos. In a big company, each employee has specific job that he/she has to do. They will not be needed in any other part of the project. which will limit their learning process. I believe that matrix organizations are more effective and efficient to get projects to the market at minimal times when compared to companies that has no organizational structure.

I haven’t had the opportunity to be part of this kind of organization, but neither the less, both organization have their advantages and disadvantages as how Dr. Simon mention in the lecture. Both organization seem pretty cool to be part of, and I wouldn’t mind working for either one, but one thing that will me to pick one from the other one is that matrix organization you would have two or more bosses, I might not like that idea the reason why is that when there is to many bosses working for it could get really stressful to please all of them, in a dream world if everyone is in the same page yes I couldn’t mind it but we know that everyone is different and act different and working for multiple bosses like that I wouldn’t like the idea very much, but either way that the only thing I didn’t like from the matrix organization. So in the end I wouldn’t mind working for either organization I care more about me doing what I love the most and is working on making devices to help people.

Functional, project-based, and matrix organizations all have their individual advantages and disadvantages, as discussed per this week’s lecture. Most of you seem to prefer a Matrix structure. In my opinion a Matrix structure is great but it puts a lot more pressure on the staff. As discussed you have two bosses. This type of architect can be hectic and stressful if there isn’t a clear streamline of communication between the managers and the staff. If it is poorly managed this organization will cause multiple delays and will constantly be fighting the fire rather than appropriately managing it. The way I see it the more people managing the more room for error. Where as in a project or functional organization there is mainly one manager and projects/functions are clearly defined and easily tracked.

I would like to work in matrix organizational structure because it brings together employees and managers from different departments to work toward accomplishing a goal. There are advantages of implementing the matrix organizational structure in a business. It can lead to an efficient exchange of information and departments can work closely together and communicate with each other frequently to solve issues. Well-organized lines of communication improve productivity and allow for quick decision-making. For instance, in a matrix structure, individuals from the marketing, finance and product departments may confer with one another to formulate strategies. The specialized information exchange allows managers to respond quickly to the needs of customers and the organization.
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-matrix-organizational-structures-business-organizations-26350.html

I would like to work in a functional organization because it will be easier to work on the project with the people in your department. Even though it may have a disadvantage, I rather have one person make the final decision; instead of so many people having to make one final decision. Currently I think I work in a matrix organization at my job because the power is divided the project manager/ functional heads get a say in the decisions. Is it common for a company to have both a “strong matrix” and “weak matrix”?

I would like to work in a project-based organization since I like the idea of working in a team that will only focus in one particular project that must be executed in a timely manner. Traditional organizations focus on hierarchical structure (such as whom you must report to), functional questions (such as the nature of your job) and operational questions (like what work you are supposed to perform). Project-based organizations are focused on solutions and implementation, its tasks have clear goals and the work can be done quicker and more efficiently. Also, project-based organizations have the flexibility to assign work to the employees best suited for the task, that way they are working in their area of expertise and their knowledge is put to effective use, hence the design and development of a product or device could be executed with a higher quality.

I work in a similar environment. I certainly agree that the convenience of have an entire, or a majority, of the department be familiar with the ongoing projects means that if an individual is unavailable you can seek help from another in the department. I found this especially helpful in the case of documentation control department. Many of the projects I am involved in require new documentation release or procedure updates that have to be approved by doc control. This is often a bottle neck as there is a great deal of projects that require similar review. Having a matrix organization allows for priority projects to be given to any of the personnel in order to speed along its review process.

I work for a matrix organization. I personally like this because it allows me as a researcher to have someone who can more heavily focus on the science of the projects and another to focus more on the business. Very often in R&D I encounter things I have never encounter and having a subject matter expert to go to if I need a second opinion or advice is great. This also works for a company that is on the smaller side that does not have as much manpower. It alleviates some stress and allows for some special focus on business and science.

Although I have not worked in a company, I would prefer working in a matrix organization. As others have stated, information flows quicker through this method of organization. Furthermore, if someone needs help or has a question, there are a lot of people they can ask for help. A big drawback with this type of organization, however, is that the success depends on whether or not the matrix is strong enough. Employees must collectively work with one another and be on top of deadlines for this organizational type to prosper. Furthermore, communication is imperative as employees have multiple bosses that they need to be in constant contact with.

Currently, I work in a functional organization structure. In the research and development department, engineers are required to work on a certain project without input from the quality engineers until the time comes. When the project is said to be completed, the quality department’s voice is heard and signatures from them are finally done. Undoubtedly, there are pros and cons to this sort of organization because while it does increase efficiency in workflow and the projects are worked on with other engineers in your department, there is not much communication between the other departments until documents need to be checked by quality and signatures are required.

I work in a matrix organization and I definitely think I prefer working in that environment. At my company, there are distinct departments within the product development portion of R&D. These include synthetic chemists, analytical chemists, chemical engineers and formulators, for example. Usually a couple people from each of the functional departments are on any given project team.

As others have mentioned, while I technically report to a manager in the engineering department, I actually interact a LOT more with the project manager of the project I'm assigned to. Sometimes this can be demanding, because I have to frequently update my literal manager on the work I'm doing (in addition to the regular updates that I give the project manager). Its more work but I really enjoy being able to work with people in other scientific disciplines versus just other engineers. Not only is there a wide variety of knowledge on any given project team, but typically people in different groups display different types of skills (both technical and soft skills) so you have a very well rounded group.

Currently, I work in a functional organization structure. I am part of the Engineering department when I report to VP of engineering and I am part of an engineering team. We work closely with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality and Regulatory to name a few. All major decisions are made by the superior manager and other supervisors. There has been moments where ideas between departments have clashed with one another and projects have reached a standby because of this. Since i work in a small company, this means that issues like the power struggle can be troublesome. However, this is where a meeting between supervisors are needed to minimize and remove any disagreements.