Organisation of Management

THEE Historical Note: This was the first ever Structural Hierarchy to be discovered. It was developed in the early 1980s at Brunel University, based on experiences in consulting to the UK's National Health Service (NHS). This section updates the model published in 1990 in the Journal of Applied Systems Analysis. More details here.

Differentiation and Integration

You will recall that work is hard to describe. It is now evident that the work-to-be-done is never as simple as it first appears. Rather, the «same-sounding work» needs to be done at 7 different levels of progressively greater scope. This work-responsibility is expressed as duties as shown in the diagram at right.

ClosedReminder of the 7 Levels

This differentiation of the work-to-be-done to enable effective management immediately poses issues of how work (including management work i.e. meta-work or 'work on work') can be integrated. «Organising management» has as its over-riding goal the integration of the «[management] work-to-be-done» within any organization.

The Structural Hierarchy

The taxonomic form that provides for the necessary integration is a Structural Hierarchy. Each Level in such a hierarchy is a Grouping and contains all Levels of the originating hierarchy. This section will investigate the Groupings and offer formulations which have been well tested in practice.

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Diagonal and concentric circle patterns in a THEE 2x2 Typology Essences Table.

The Groupings and their Groups are ways to integrate work and overcome the differentiation and discontinuity demanded by the hierarchical stratification of duties. They have unique functions and properties and explain phenomena regularly highlighted by management consultants.

Unlike the framework of accountability, where personal factors are virtually irrelevant, the requirements of handling accountability within organizations must now be integrated with a variety of personal and social factors. The result is to provide for management that can not only get the work done and generate achievement, but can also deliver on the varied expectations and obligations intrinsic to employment.


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Originally posted: 19-Mar-2014