The Stratification of Work and Organizational Design

Abstract

To try to deepen an understanding of what hierarchies of management levels are about, a descriptive theory is offered of the existence of a natural stratification of the work to be done in organizations. It is based on action-research over a number of years in Social Services Departments in England and Wales. It appears that the first five successive organizational levels are concerned with what may briefly be categorized as: prescribed output work, situational response work, systematic service provision work, comprehensive service provision work, and comprehensive field coverage work. Examples are quoted of how this conceptual framework has been used in practice (a) to clarify and simplify existing managerial structures, and (b) to help design total organization according to the quality of response to the environment which is required.

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