New Clerk Academy Tallahassee, Florida

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Role of the Clerk in the Courts OFFICE ORGANIZATION Hon. Paula S. O’Neil, Ph.D. Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller

Objectives Organizational Structure and Design Considerations Importance of Division of Labor Elements of Organizational Structure Review Examples of Organizational Charts from various Clerks’ Offices Points to Consider

Division of Labor Subdivision of work into separate jobs assigned to different people Potentially increases work efficiency Necessary as company grows and work becomes more complex ©W.L. Gore & Associates

Forms of Work Coordination Informal communication Sharing information High media-richness Important in teams Formal hierarchy Direct supervision Common in larger firms Problems -- costly, slow, less popular with young staff Standardization Formal instructions Clear goals/outputs Training/skills

Elements of Organizational Structure Department- alization Span of Control Organizational Structure Elements Formalization Centralization

Span of Control Number of people directly reporting to the next level Assumes coordination through direct supervision Wider span of control possible: with other coordinating methods employees perform similar tasks employee skills are standardized tasks are routine Moving to flatter structures

Centralization and Decentralization Formal decision making authority is held by a few people, usually at the top Centralization Decision making authority is dispersed throughout the organization Decentralization

Formalization Causes Problems As firms get older, larger, and more regulated Necessary for Clerks due to quantity of statutes, rules, ordinances, administrative orders, etc. Problems Reduces organizational flexibility Work rules can undermine productivity Employee alienation, powerlessness Rules become focus of attention

Mechanistic vs. Organic Structures Narrow span of control High formalization High centralization Organic Wide span of control Little formalization Decentralized decisions

Effects of Departmentalization Establishes work teams and supervision structure Creates common resources, measures of performance, etc Coordination through informal communication

Features of Simple Structures Minimal hierarchy -- staff reports directly to owner Roles are fairly loosely defined for flexibility Informal communication for coordination Centralized structure -- owner makes most decisions ©T.Bradner/Alaska Journal of Commerce

Functional Organizational Structure Organizes employees around specific knowledge or other resources (marketing, production) Clerk Finance Courts Records

Evaluating Functional Structures Benefits Supports professional identity and career paths Permits greater specialization Easier supervision --similar issues Creates an economy of scale --common pool of talent Limitations More emphasis on subunit than organizational goals Higher dysfunctional conflict Poorer coordination -- requires more controls

Divisional Structure (Example 1) Organizes employees around outputs, clients, or geographic areas Clerk Customer Service Docketing/ Filing Talent Management

Divisional Structure (Example 2) Organizes employees around outputs, clients, or geographic areas Clerk North Courthouse Central Courthouse South Courthouse

Evaluating Divisional Structures Benefits Building block structure -- accommodates growth Better coordination in diverse markets Limitations Duplication, inefficient use of resources Specializations are dispersed, creating silos of knowledge

Matrix Structure (Project-based) Employees ( )are temporarily assigned to a specific project team and have a permanent functional unit Clerk Information Technology Criminal Courts Civil Courts Project A Manager Project B Manager Project C Manager

Evaluating Matrix Structures Benefits Uses resources and expertise effectively Improves communication,flexibility, innovation Focuses specialists on clients and products Allows interaction within specialty across groups Limitations More coordination required within group Two bosses dilutes accountability More conflict, organizational politics, and stress

Team-Based Structure Features Self-directed work teams Teams organized around work processes Very flat span of control Very little formalization Usually found within divisionalized structure AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Network Organizational Structure Information Technology (Wesley Chapel) Call Center (New Port Richey) Main Office (County Seat) Customer Services (Various Cities) Finance (Dade City) Human Resources (Land O’Lakes)

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller

Lake County Clerk of Court

Pinellas County Clerk of Circuit Court

Alachua County Clerk of Court

Citrus County Clerk of Court

Key Points to Take Away There is no right or wrong way to organize your office. What works today may not be the best structure a year from now. A mixed organizational structure may be used. Projects may require temporary adjustments to the organizational structure.

References Lake County Clerk’s Office Organizational Chart, Not Dated, Retrieved 11-25- 2012 from https://lakecountyclerk.org/clerk_of_court/organizational_chart.aspx McShane, Steven L. & Von Glinow, Mary A. 2005. Organizational Behavior, 3rd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller, Not Dated, Retrieved 11-25-2012 from http://www.pascoclerk.com/public-gen-org-chart.asp Pinellas County Clerk of Circuit Court, Not Dated, Retrieved 11-25-2012 from http://www.pinellasclerk.org/aspInclude2/OrganizationalChart.pdf

Notes