To be maximally effective, managers should consider Mintzberg’s organizational structure types

According to Professor Henry Mintzberg, there are four types of organizations: autocracy, meritocracy, bureaucracy, and adhocracy. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses. Many small businesses are autocracies and revolve around the vision of their founder. This gives them a limited management hierarchy and can help enable dynamism. But there are drawbacks too: a founder obsessed with their own vision may lose sight of some of the practical details needed to make their business profitable. In practice, many organizations are a hybrid of Mintzberg’s organizational types, writes Harvey Schachter in The Globe and Mail. And, to maximize their own effectiveness, it is important for managers to consider what type of organization they are working for.