1. New Clerk Academy
Tallahassee, Florida

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

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

12. 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

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

14. 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

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

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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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)

22. Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller

23. Lake County Clerk of Court

24. Pinellas County Clerk of Circuit Court

25. Alachua County Clerk of Court

27. Citrus County Clerk of Court

28. 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.

29. References
Lake County Clerk’s Office Organizational Chart, Not Dated, Retrieved
2012 from
McShane, Steven L. & Von Glinow, Mary A Organizational Behavior, 3rd
Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller, Not Dated, Retrieved from
Pinellas County Clerk of Circuit Court, Not Dated, Retrieved from

30. Notes