Organization Size as an Influence on Organization Behavior.
Abstract
An investigation was made of the impact of company size and of size of unit (department, division) within a company on each of 18 empirically developed dimensions of organizational behavior. The sample studied included 283 units from 13 general business firms and 103 research and development units within an additional four companies. Three organizational dimensions were found to be related to size: Staffing (personnel flexibility among assignments, development for promotion within the organization); delegation (work responsibilities delegated by supervisors); results emphasis (results, output and performance emphasized rather than procedures). Each of these dimensions is related to size of the unit. The organizational dimension, staffing, is related also to size of company. The organizational dimension, delegation, is related also to an interaction of unit and company size. The relationship between size and the effectiveness of a unit was examined. Size was found to have no direct relationship with effectiveness. It appears to act indirectly on effectiveness through its influence on organizational characteristics such as delegation. These various relationships and their implications for managerial practice are discussed. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0747951
Entities
People
- Norman F. Crandall
- Peter J. Frost
- Thomas A. Mahoney
- William F. Weitzel
Organizations
- University of Minnesota