Serving Two Masters in the Modern Organisation

Abstract

This venerable truth has long been enshrined within industrial organisations. Its modern counterpart of “one man, one boss” is a familiar cry whenever managers discuss the design of organisational structures. But the cry may be more of an appeal for a return to old simplicities than an accurate description of organisational relationships. Enough has been written about role conflicts and the effects of multiple performance criteria to cast doubt on all one‐dimensional methods of describing intricate activities. Yet the simple organisation chart lives on as the most common form of expressing the organisation's design.

Citation

Eccles, A.J. (1974), "Serving Two Masters in the Modern Organisation", Management Decision, Vol. 12 No. 5, pp. 288-298. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb001056