What Is A Matrix Organisation?

A matrix organization is a kind of management system, whereby people who have similar skills will be gathered together to work on particular assignments. So for instance, all engineers may be working within one particular engineering department, and be under the same management - but these engineers will no doubt be assigned to a number of different projects, and have to report to different project managers during the process of completing the project. Hence, every engineer within the workplace will have to work under a number of different managers in order to get their own particular job done.

Some businesses and organisations will fall between the fully functional matrix, and the pure matrix. These organisations that use the matrix can be defined as ‘composite’, as defined in the ‘Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge 4th Edition’. For instance, even a functional or matrix organisation may go about creating a special project team to handle a project that has become increasingly important and increasingly problematic.

Project-centred organisations, however, have structures that are built around project teams too - but more as functional units. The matrix organisations follow traditional structures that have been put in place, but have had some adjustments to the system of hierarchy to support the project units.

There is some controversy surrounding the Matrix organisation, however. There is one particular disadvantage of the matrix management system, which is that conflicting loyalties and confusion can easily occur within the organisation. However, if the system is correctly managed through a cooperative effort in the right environment, then the disadvantages can be eliminated. As long as there is an effort to ensure that everybody has the right priorities and that everybody works as hard as they can to ensure that the business or organisation works, then it shouldn’t matter.

A matrix organisation can be defined as a team approach, usually to the development of a product or another specific project. In a matrix, a team is created from people from different parts of the cmpany, wtih different strengths and areas of expertise. Though usually led by a project manager, it is more equal than a traditional hierarchical (or pyramid) structure, and more independence is expected from individual members of the team. Roles may also be less clearly defined, with some overlap regarding areas of responsibility. A matrix may be permanent, but is often changed according to the needs o the current project.

If you go to www.learnmanagement2.com you can get a more detailed overview of this kind of organisation, its advantages and disadvantages.

Organizations in which people with similar type of skills are categorized in their own respective departments. For example engineers would be reporting to a senior engineering manager. However, they may be assigned different types of jobs as well. It creates a synergy that contributes positively to the whole working experience as engineers readily share their information with each other and creates a kind of technical specialization. Usually organizations tend to be partially Matrix organizations.