AQA Information and Communication Technology/ICT4/Organisational Structure

An organisation is a group of resources that join together to fulfil a purpose. For example, it may produce goods (as in a business), or provide a service to help people (such as a charity).

Levels of management

Most organisations typically have a hierarchical structure, and different aspects of an ICT system are required to fulfil the different aspects of the hierarchy. A simple hierarchy may consist of:

• Senior management (strategical)
• Middle management (tactical)
• Workers/staff (operational)

Senior management

Senior management are interested in strategies and objectives – setting goals to meet and timeframes to meet them - this is over a long time period - years. This means that the information they require must be broad, but doesn't have to be detailed.

Middle management

Middle management prepares the tactics – the means in which to achieve these strategies - this is over a medium time period - months. This means they require information that is less broad than senior management, but is more detailed.

Workers/staff

The workers perform the tasks assigned to them by middle management to fulfil the objectives of the organisation, and they communicate between themselves the operational data required to perform their task- this is over a short time period - days. The workers only require information that is very specific about their area of work, so lacks breadth, but is very detailed