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ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · Business organisational structure

A small start-up is run by its founder, who personally makes nearly all decisions and directly supervises a handful of staff. Which Mintzberg configuration does this most closely match, and what is its key coordinating mechanism?

This is a simple structure coordinated by direct supervision. The founder at the strategic apex controls decisions and supervises staff personally, with minimal formalisation and almost no technostructure, which suits a small, young and fast-moving organisation.

  1. ASimple structure, coordinated by direct supervisionCorrect
  2. BMachine bureaucracy, coordinated by standardisation of work processes
  3. CProfessional bureaucracy, coordinated by standardisation of skills

Explanation

A simple structure is dominated by the strategic apex, typically an owner-manager, with little formal structure and a small technostructure. Coordination is by direct supervision. The other options involve large technostructures or professional staff, which are absent here.

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