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ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · Business organisational structure

A university hospital relies on highly trained surgeons and physicians whose skills are standardised through lengthy external training. They work with considerable autonomy, and the operating core is the key part of the organisation. Which configuration and coordinating mechanism does this match?

This is a professional bureaucracy coordinated by standardisation of skills. The operating core of highly trained professionals is the key part, and their external training standardises how they work, so they keep autonomy. Machine bureaucracy standardises processes through rules instead, which would constrain such professionals.

  1. AMachine bureaucracy, coordinated by standardisation of work processes
  2. BProfessional bureaucracy, coordinated by standardisation of skillsCorrect
  3. CAdhocracy, coordinated by mutual adjustment
  4. DDivisionalised form, coordinated by standardisation of outputs

Explanation

A professional bureaucracy has a dominant operating core of trained specialists whose standardised skills coordinate work, giving them autonomy. A machine bureaucracy standardises work processes through rules and a strong technostructure, which would restrict professionals' discretion. Adhocracy uses mutual adjustment in project teams, which is not the pattern described.

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