Bureaucratic organizations are often fast to respond to changes in the external environment.

Levels of an organizational hierarchy show the number of levels of formal authority from top to the bottom.

Responsibility describes who is in charge of whom and in what capacity.

The term used to refer to a vertical line of authority within an organization which enables orders to be passed down through the layers of a hierarchy is chain of command.

Matrix structure describes a flexible organization structure made up of representatives from different departments temporarily working together on a particular project.

The term used to describe the number of subordinates who are directly accountable to a manager is chain of command.

Delegation requires workers to be accountable for their work and can be a very effective motivational tool.

In Handy’s Shamrock organization peripheral workers refer to all the temporary, portfolio and flexitime workers employed by organizations on a part-time basis.

Delayering describes the process of removing one or more layers of hierarchy to make the organizational structure flatter.

Outsourced workers in Charles Handy’s Shamrock organization refer to workers or businesses not on an organization’s pay roll, yet are hired to do specific tasks, like creating advertising campaigns.

Taller hierarchical structures are characterised by a wide span of control.

Core staff in Charles Handy’s Shamrock organization refer to full-time, experienced and essential staff critical for the daily operations of the business.

The term used to describe structures where the majority of decision-making is in the hands of a very small number of people, high up in the hierarchy is centralized structures.

The term used to describe the process of entrusting a subordinate (staff) to perform a task for which the manager retains overall responsibility is span of control.

Information overload from availability of cheap and better technologies is a negative consequence of using technology for communication.

Bureaucracy is the term used to describe the administrative systems of a business, which rely on a set of rules and procedures and formal hierarchical structures.

The term used to describe organizational structures with shared decision-making authority and responsibility is decentralized structures.

The term used to describe the extent to which a particular individual is held responsible for the success or failure of a policy or a piece of administration is accountability.

The term used to describe the person directly above an employee on the next hierarchical level is superior.