Organisational design: The case of Bookworm Books

1         Introduction

Organisational structure and design are highly relevant to its functional competence. The addition of new practices and the process can require the business to change its structure and design. This increases the effective growth within the issue faced by the entity or maybe the reason for its smooth operations. The need to operate smoothly allows the organisation to consider various areas to compensate and prior to introducing the change. Thus in the following report, the case of Bookworm Books has been investigated and discussed with the relevant conclusion being derived and recommendations provided in light of the theoretical literature concepts.

2         Findings, Analysis and Discussion

In light of the research by Pries and Guild (2011), the emergence of new technology can be considered driving or halting factor when it comes to the growth of a business. Technology, as it has seeped within the functions of modern-day business, keeps businesses on the edge of an ever-transforming operational plain. The same has been considered in case of Bookworm, the store with its traditional hardback and other forms of books witnesses a surge in depletion as people have become more addicted to technology and remain limited when it comes to reading books. Games on smartphones have reduced the trend of reading in children as well. While other businesses in the services and product industry have undergone changes according to the changes in their services and products, Bookworm has not embraced any change as such, which has resulted in the closure of multiple stores. According to Gebauer et al. (2011), the changes in product or services can help a business sustain, and this can be considered the pivotal aspect of sustaining business in the modern world.

It refers to the demand for flexibility by a business with additional areas of service being added to its operations. In their research, Su et al. (2015) highlighted the fact that the organisation lifecycle helps ascertain the journey of an organisation and its current position. Considering the lifecycle of the organisation allows the management to have apt decision making ready for it with respect to its position and the needs.

Supporting evidence-driven from the case analysis of Bookworm, the organisation has entered its revision phase, where the era of its business to be flourishing has ended and the end has arisen to revise the business strategy which is a necessity. The growth of the business for Bookworm is now on the verge of collapse and decline if it does not ensure revision for the strategy and structure.

Bookworm has been operational within the market of the United Kingdom with the same structure and mode of operations along with no potential change to the services for more than a decade. It has avoided any change to the processes of operations, and thus the same has opted for the staff. The staff has been accustomed to monotony and witnesses no diligence for change. In light of the research by Davis and Lundstrom (2011), staff development is considered quite important when it comes to the growth and progress of an organisation. This helps the staff develop the relevant skills in accordance with changing aspects of the business. However, this has been quite stagnant when it comes to Bookworm, where no additional business practices have been added. Furthermore, the management of change as it is to be introduced requires the management to be at all times be ready to have diluted any rebellion from the staff.   Hwang and Low (2012) mentioned the fact that the use of business prospects may be quite beneficial, yet change is inevitable as the global fraternity increasingly becomes change-oriented. Thus when it comes to considering Bookworm Books and its operations which are in dire need for change, change management becomes increasingly important. The need to ensure the fact that the organisation has change-ready staff requires developing them on the very grounds of progress which is identified by the senior management.

2.1        Galbraith’s Star Structure

Galbraith (2011) has described the very aspects of developing an apt organisational structure with reference to a star framework developed for apt designing of the organisations’ structure. In this regard, the pictorial description of the STAR Framework has been presented below:

The first step of the star as presented by Galbraith (2011) is the strategy which helps the entity have a sense of direction. The second most integral aspect is considered to be the structure which is effective in ‘identifying the decision making within the organisation. Once identified, it becomes important for the information flow process to be mentioned and designed, this covered within the process area of the model. In light of the research conducted by Kral and Kralova (2016), the model further presented the fact that the use of the star model highlights the eminence of rewards and people within an organisation and the role that they play in the path of initiating rewarding practices for effective motivation and then staffing activities being designed for utmost success. This based on the fact that the employees or staff hold the eminent place within the organisational structure.

Considering the framework above, the addition of effective growth can be made to strategy development of the business structure for Bookworms Books which currently is quite important. The model present rewarding and process flows effectively amalgamated, which allows the growth of the business for the entity. Holding the employees as an important prospect of the designed business strategy is considered quite important.

2.2        Handy Three significant Workforces

In light of Handy’s significant work over the eminence of the workforce and its types has been considered pivotal when discussing the case of Bookworm Books. The Handy’s three workforce types are listed within the Shamrock Organisation model presented to list three core workforces operating within the entity (Handy, 2014). The workforces form the basis of the operations within an entity yet have different positions to cover the operational spectrum. In light of the research by Crainer (2012), the three types of workforces are as follows:

• Core Staff: A small shrinking group of integral staff that is pivotal to effective operations within the organisations
• Peripheral Workers: Temporary workforce hired and relieved of duties usually after the need has been completed.
• Outsourced workers: Task-based workforce that is not employed directly but I assigned specific skill-based task and is paid on account of the entity.

The mentioned workforces need to be looked into by an organisation and their interests and management be according to their responsibilities and interests associated with the work. Based on the changes which might be required for the business operations and structure for Bookworm Books, the need to ensure pivotal staff aspects is import. Thus the need to develop the use of the new business structure, which is presented within the recommendation, the store can effectively work upon it with proper staff focus.

3         Conclusion and Recommendation

The analysis of the case for Bookworm Books has been effectively conducted above. Using apt models and the relevant literature thoroughly used in support has highlighted the fact that they need to revamp business is inevitable for the company. The Senior Management, however, might witness some issues when transforming functions, thus following recommendations have been phased out to be at their aid:

• Initially accumulating the relevant financial resources has been the first step. Effective proportioning of earning can be an initiative to develop new processes smoothly.
• Secondly, Bookworm Books can switch to a technologically enriched operational frame. This includes developing an application with small amounts being paid by the user to purchase an e-book based on the rising trend for smartphone reading as compared to the hard copies.
• As compared to its airport and train station shops, other outlets are not as functional, yet can be effective with a café like an aura attached to them with sit and read services being added which can help the business for bookworm Books to flourish.

The recommendation is both for the difference in the nature of business for bookworm Books which has been considered affect its business in positive manner and also permit a chance for it to grow.

4         References

Crainer, S., 2012. The New Oil. Business Strategy Review, 23(2), pp.75-79.

Davis, E. and Lundstrom, K., 2011. Creating effective staff development committees: a case study. New Library World, 112(7/8), pp.334-346.

Galbraith, J.R., 2011. The star model. Galbraith Management Consultants, Colorado, USA.

Gebauer, H., Gustafsson, A. and Witell, L., 2011. Competitive advantage through service differentiation by manufacturing companies. Journal of business research, 64(12), pp.1270-1280.

Handy, C., 2014. The shamrock organisation. Business Strategy Review, 25(4), pp.81-81.

Hwang, B.G. and Low, L.K., 2012. Construction project change management in Singapore: Status, importance and impact. International Journal of Project Management, 30(7), pp.817-826.

Král, P. and Králová, V., 2016. Approaches to changing organizational structure: The effect of drivers and communication. Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp.5169-5174.

Pries, F. and Guild, P., 2011. Commercializing inventions resulting from university research: Analyzing the impact of technology characteristics on subsequent business models. Technovation, 31(4), pp.151-160.

Su, S., Baird, K. and Schoch, H., 2015. The moderating effect of organisational life cycle stages on the association between the interactive and diagnostic approaches to using controls with organisational performance. Management Accounting Research, 26, pp.40-53.