Structural Correlates of Organisational Size: Some Australian Evidence

Abstract

Considerable empirical research evidence exists which indicates a strong positive correlation between organisational size and various dimensions of organisational structure. The present study provides a cross-cultural constructive test of some of these relationships. Data on organisational size and three dimensions of organisation structure were collected from 134 South Australian organisations. The results were in general agreement with those reported else where, although a linear rather than nonlinear relationship was indicated. The findings also revealed that in Australia organisational size appears to be more strongly related to the number of authority levels in an organisation than to the perceived degree of work control or the amount of formal communication. It is possible that in the Australian context the latter dimensions of organisa tional structure are affected more by other variables such as technology, and the organisation's operating environment.

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