Mapping of Organizational Models in Portuguese Companies

Abstract

Researchers have focused on the influence of organizational models in the actions, and subsequent outcomes of organizations and the results support the view that there is indeed an association between certain features of organizational models and organizational performance outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to map the organizational models used by Portuguese companies to identify possible dominant patterns and search for differences across several dimensions (sector, size, number of customers; internal/external market). The results show a level of organizational hybridism with several models applied simultaneously and with smaller firms showing a higher emphasis on dialogue, flexibility, and response capability. There is also a general preference among Portuguese companies for the bureaucratic organizational model. The results also indicate that organizations that adopt the bureaucratic model seem to be able to implement systematic processes innovation making compatible the rules and procedures with the ability to learn and adapt.

Factors Influencing Innovation Performance in Portugal: A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis Based on the Global Innovation Index and on the European Innovation Scoreboard

“…The organizational model of Portuguese companies is influenced by the sector of activity and the size of the companies [17]. There is a general preference of Portuguese companies for the bureaucratic organizational model, which dominates the productive sector.…”

“…Hierarchical distance is accepted, and privileges are admitted to those who occupy the most powerful positions. Organizations that adopt the bureaucratic model seem to be able to implement systematic processes by making rules and procedures compatible with the ability to adapt [17], but they lose agility and competitiveness in a dynamic and complex environment. The study by Queirós et al [19] suggests that there is a cultural environment that is conducive to the high growth of businesses, which is positively related to power distance and negatively related to uncertainty avoidance and masculinity, which leads to infer that one of the factors that characterize the national culture, extremely high uncertainty avoidance, can influence the companies' growth [18].…”

Does reviving organizations serve an advantage for college students?

“…Fourthly, before the implementation of BEM as a learning tool for students, a systematic process was created which utilized work styles containing rules and procedures with the ability to learn and adapt. Tosey& Mathison (2008) evaluated Gregory Bateson's "level of learning" theory and its implications for Human Resource Development, with reference to the organizational learning problem in an effort to be emphasize on rules and structures that inhibit the organization's ability to learn (Fonseca et al, 2019). Therefore, further research is necessary to understand the implementation of BEM as a learning tool for students, and for further work development.…”

Lean practices adoption in the Portuguese industry

“…Regardless of the number of employees of an organization, the lean maturation stage or the usage of lean product development methodologies, the dependence of the variables needs an active leadership, encouraging all the employees for continuous improvement, beginning on the top management, and involving all the organization and its stakeholders. Existing research (Fonseca, Esteves, Ghinea & Cantaragiu, 2019), posits that "Portuguese organizations show a level of organizational hybridism with several organizational models applied simultaneously and emphasis on dialogue, flexibility, and response capability". Nevertheless, the organizational culture and the human characteristics of the leadership in the industrial Portuguese organizations should be taken into consideration in additional studies regarding the influence of each human factor for the continuous improvement progress towards lean practices success.…”