Ford Motor Company Organizational Structure

Organization Background Information

The selected company in this case is Ford Motor Company. Ford Motor Company was established in 1903 June by Henry Ford, together with 11 other business associates. The new firm took over the limited partnership assets Ford had created with Alexander Malcomson in the past years. Ford offered the Mechanical skills while Malcomson offered the initial partnership capital. In 1908 the company launched its initial car known as model T.  In 1914, the company launched a moving conveyor belt at the plant in the Highland park. This resulted to radical increase in its production. The company also produced vehicles and planes for the World War II Allies. The company was operating globally since 1904 when it established a Canada branch to gain commonwealth markets access.  Ford remained the leading car manufacturer in the first 21st century first half in the market it had created efficiently.

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Ford started experiencing market competition in 1956 when Toyota exported its first automobile in the country. Since its establishment, Ford has developed successfully to create a position in the automotive industry globally. Ford is ranked among the largest car manufacturer in the world (Dornbach-Bender et al., 2009). It distributes and manufactures automobiles to more than 200 markets which transverse across the five continents. Ford basically operates in the Europe and US with 95 plants globally. The company’s headquarter is located in Dearborn, Michigan.  Nevertheless, its operation has been highly faced by a number of challenges that include competition in the market and high cost of production and failing mergers for instance its purchase of Volvo. Nevertheless, Ford has managed to expand and to fight this competition through mergers and acquisitions which has made it the most stable company among the five leading motor vehicle companies (Corporate. Ford. com, 2016).

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Organization Structure Based on Morgan Metaphors

Machine View

Ford is known for its quality production of vehicles of different types. It has always tried to keep up with the changes in the customers taste and preferences. However, the company has gone down in its ability to innovate more modern products that are highly luxurious. The company has not highly managed to keep up with the change of technology and the integration of different technologies particularly IT in their car production.

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Organismic View

The company has adopted a global view in the organization structure. The directors are appointed either to handle a department globally or a global region. Nevertheless there is a CEO who acts as the overall director of the entire company globally. This has enhanced the inclusion process as well as the ability to enhance diverse management.

Information Processors (Brain)

Ford has a well-defined organization structure that demonstrates how the power flows in the company. The executive team members are provided with the ability to handle sensitive issues arising in their department or the company in general based on the information they have and the previous gathered information regarding the company’s history. However, their work is closely checked by the company’s board of directors and various committees created to oversee various issue in the organization. This has highly enhanced the company to remain ethical and within its limit in all its operations.

Cultures

Ford has embraced inclusive culture. The company employs individuals from different parts of the world. Despite of this, the company has managed to enhance one team operation through inclusion and diversity management among its employees. The company has embraced respect culture where all individuals are respected for their unique contribution in the organization.

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Psychological Prison

The company has highly embrace employee safety and health by developing employee safety programs which advocate for employee safety during their operation in the company. The company has also embraced sustainability by reducing the level of carbon emission among other greenhouse gases by its products. This has reduced the company’s negative impact on the environment (Daniels Ethics, 2014).

Instrument of Domination

Different individuals in the organization make different contribution at different levels in the organization. This diverse contribution is then consolidated to create the current level of success the company is enjoying. The company respects the contribution of each individual in the company and thus, there is no much conflict in the company daily operations.

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Flux and Transformation 

Ford company keeps on changing its organization structures based on the market changes and the level of competition in the market. The current mission and organization structure was adopted in 2015 after the organization realize the importance of unity in enhancing creativity and satisfying the needs of the customers.

Political Organizations

Ford has diverse individuals who make diverse contribution to the company. In this regard there is very little or no politics that takes place in the company. Major decisions are made by the company’s executives and they are highly scrutinized by the board of directors and committees to ensure that they follow the set organization policies.

Organization Structure Based on Bolman and Deal’s Frame

Structural

Ford organization structure appears as shown below. The company adopts this kind of structure to be able to accomplish its mission, visions, goals and objectives during the operation.  The company’s mission is one goal, one plan, and one team. One team refers to individuals working together as a global, lean enterprise for leadership in automotive, as measured by supplier, customer, investor, employee, community, and dealer satisfaction. One plan refers to aggressive restructuring of the organization strategies to work profitably at the changing model mix and current demand. This is anticipated to accelerate the creation of new products that the customers value and want, to enhance the company’s financial plan and enhance its balance sheet. This will effectively enhance working together as a team. The company’s main goal is to develop an exciting viable company which delivers profitable development for all. In this regard, the organization structure is developed to enhance the achievement of the overall company’s goal and mission. It has focused on the global management of the company to enhance great customers experience and comfort of all in the organization (Corporate. Ford. Com, 2016).

Human Resources

To develop the international-class vehicles, the company brings together different sets of skills from extensive range of disciplines. The company therefore values all its employees due to their positive impact they create to the world, company and their career. The one Ford mission incorporate team work among employees despite discipline variation. The company employs suitable, recruitment, orientation, and training techniques to all its employees. It also offers competitive rewards to its workers. This includes salaries, and incentives. It also develops industrial relations to enhance cooperation and teamwork. The company has also employed great diversity management skills to enhance a highly level of inclusion in the company.  It has reasonable work schedule providing workers with reasonable leave offers. Ford also employs various techniques to enhance workers motivation which include job rotations, recognition rewards, anniversary rewards, and achievements rewards. Others include internal recruitment and promotion (Daniels Ethics, 2014).

Political

Ford motor company has never experienced leadership conflict or sabotage. The managers of different sections and parts of the world are normally appointed by the company CEO and thus, there is no much politics played about it. Reshuffles and new appointment in Ford are normally done after the retirement of leaders who have served for a long time in the company. Most of those retirements are voluntary. The one Ford mission has highly minimized chances of initiating strong political competitions in the organization. Appointments are based on merits and thus, there normally no complains.  The company has also embraced diversity management and inclusion and thus, despite of extensive variation of the people, the company has still managed to maintain harmony  

Symbolic

Ford has embraced the word Ford encircled with dark blue oval as the company symbol. This symbol is used to present the company’s products in the entire world. It differentiate the company from others competitors in the market. Ford brand is recognized for quality and maintenance of the brand attribute for quite a long time. Ford brand has managed to develop a strong brand loyalty (Dornbach-Bender et al., 2009).

Organization Structure Modification

Ford has a strong organization structure that caters for the company’s global needs and that addresses almost all the organization needs. However, the company has been experiencing great level of competition globally due to its inability to be swift to implement technology changes and its poor innovative abilities. In this regard, the company would do better if it considers adding research and development department which will focus on identifying aspects that can be improved in the current model to increase the company’s competitive advantage. This can be adopted as part of the organization culture. The company cannot manage to meet the customers’ needs in the market if the company cannot be swift in integrating modern technology in their products particularly by being able to create luxurious cars that is fit the modern high class individuals. In addition, the company can enhance open communication which will allow diverse individuals to communicate freely and consolidate a creative idea regarding the company’s production. This will require a change in the organization structure to allow two way communication or a web like form of communication (Bolman & Deal, 2013). 

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