Essay on Managing Change

Submitted By connie415
Words: 1938
Pages: 8
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1. Introduction
Barbour Brown Engineering Ltd（BBE) is a company of consulting engineers that was established in 1990 by David Barbour and Neil Brown in a rural area of Scotland. The company focuses on civil engineering projects, and has an excellent reputation in quality of design and efficiency in the industry. However, organizational structure always restricts the development of the company. This essay will argue that there exists problems in the organizational structure of Barbour Brown Engineering Ltd, and it will then evaluate a possible solution. This essay will consist of three parts. Firstly, the background of BBE will be introduced. Secondly, the problems of the organizational structure of BBE will be analyzed. Finally, it will evaluate a method for making improvements.

2. Background
The Barbour Brown Engineering Ltd is a small to medium sized company which mainly focuses on civil engineering projects. In the 1980s, founders David Barbour and Neil Brown were working in the agency of a bigger company called Floyd and Fleming Ltd. David was the company manager and Neil participated in the development of the company's structure. In 1989, Floyd and Fleming Ltd. decided to dismantle the office, and as a result, David and Neil decided to found their own engineering consulting firm.

The company was officially established in 1990. The company team included David, Neil and two other engineers. Over the next 14 years, BBE developed steadily. In order to provide high quality service, it is important that the employees have the most advanced technology available. Therefore they need technical training and qualification certification. Since 2004 the BBE has employed other two engineers, four technicians and four apprentices.

Within the company, there is a division of labor between David and Neil. Neil focuses on promoting the development and operation of the company, while David manages the company's internal affairs. Although the company does not have a fixed structure of organization, David is the most senior, and would be appointed to the top leadership position. The other engineers who have been engaged in construction projects have caused dissatisfaction, because James is not one of the accredited engineers, and his working ability is relatively low. For a long time, certain factors have caused employee dissatisfaction. Firstly, David never listened to the views of his staff on how to assign tasks. Secondly, Neil and David often have different ideas. Thirdly, the engineers had their own opinions on how the offices should be arranged. James shared an office with the engineers, and they often considered that James was monitoring them, and as a result, the business of the company declined. David recognized that there were problems with the organizational structure of the company. He realized that it needed to undergo corporate restructuring with John Colbert Civil Engineering (JCE).

3. Analysis of problem
3.1 Analyze the present organizational structures.
The organizational chart of Barbour Brown Engineering Ltd：
BBE

Leader David
Leader Neil

Office supervisor
Jack
James

Engineers and apprentices

Engineers and apprentices

Organizational structure refers to how the division of labor for tasks, grouping, coordination and cooperation, and the establishing of good and effective relationships in an organization are all important ways of achieving objectives and performing well (Pugh, 1990). At present, BBE has a flat organizational structure. Flat structures have the advantage of supervisors having to delegate authority. Span of control is simply the number of subordinates that an executive supervises. The management team consists of Neil and David who are on the top level of the BBE. The number of subordinates that can be managed is determined by the organization. On the second level, there are two departments, which are led by Jack and James. However, for reasons of morale and to help
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