Organizational Design Analysis of HSRC: A Case Study Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the organizational design of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in South Africa. The report begins with an introduction to organizational design, emphasizing its importance in enhancing organizational capabilities. It then examines the scope, goals, and objectives of the HSRC, highlighting its focus on economic inclusion, social development, and governance. The report analyzes the HSRC's strategy as a prospector organization and its organic structure, considering the impact of the changing organizational environment. The structure of the HSRC, specifically its matrix structure, is evaluated in terms of how it facilitates research tasks and promotes specialization. The report further assesses the processes and people within the organization, emphasizing the fragmented process design and the importance of a skilled workforce. The analysis extends to coordination, control mechanisms, and incentives, identifying a machine criteria approach with decentralization and formalization. The report concludes by discussing how organizational design impacts overall effectiveness. The report is based on the assignment brief which requires the structure of the case study organization in terms of steps 1-5 and assessment of the alignment of the current structure and/or recommendations on how the design should be changed and implemented to improve the organisational effectiveness (in terms of steps 6-7).

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
1. Introduction
Organizational design or the structure of a venture enables the same in improving the
overall capability of elevating the processes. The different changes in the organizational
operations are reliant on the governance, mission, vision, people, processes and the like. The
integrated operations of the different factors under the design of an organization specifically
enable an organization in improving the capability of the same while operating as per the
common goals of the venture. The research would take the initiative of assessing the
organizational design of the organization, Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa,
with the purpose of recognizing the different activities that are initiated by the organization in the
region.
2. Scope and goals of organization
2.1 Scope
The scope and goals of an organization helps in identifying the different work processes
that are undertaken by the same. The scope of operations of an organization is identified through
the networking and communicational aspects which supports a venture in improving their scale
of operations. In this connection, the concerned organization holds a wider scope of operations
with the involvement of around 200 researchers and 250 support staff (HSRC 2020). Moreover,
the collaboration that the organization developed with the different organizations helped the
same in improving the scope of their operations from economic and technological to the social
welfare. The organization also operates through different multi- disciplinary research programs
relating to Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), BRICS Research Centre (BRC), Centre for
Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII) and the like which has contributed to
the widening of the scope of their operations (HSRC 2020). The organization holds a major

2ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
position in distributing power and governance through their decision making among the political
systems in a country while developing the means of economic and social support for the
communities through their extensive research based activities. According to Aleksic (2018), the
wider scope of an organization is reflected through the areas of operations and the manner in
which the same provides utilities. In this connection, the wider scope of the organization is
reflected from the effective functioning of the institution in the different line of operations
through efficient research work and collaboration between the member researchers while
supporting the public organizations, the non- governmental organizations, political parties and
the like.
2.2. Objectives
The objectives of an organization helps in identifying the different aspects of the
operations that are initiated by the same. It has been observed that most of the organizations take
the initiative of constructing an objective with the purpose of demonstrating their intention of
operations or guiding the overall activities towards an estimated outcome. Burton et al. (2019)
opined that the objectives of an organization specifically enumerate the different goals that
guides the activities of the institution while providing the same with sustenance in the markets.
In this relation, the section would specifically enumerate the objectives of the Human Sciences
Research Council of South Africa.
 Economic inclusion: The focus of the organization towards researching on infrastructural
development, regional integration and technological innovations are justified through the
objective of economic inclusion. The particular objective of the organization is aimed
towards improving the rate of economic stability in the nations through effective research
with the purpose of gaining on the competitiveness.

3ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
 Social development: A major part of the organization undertakes research towards social
development for the healthcare and wellbeing of the commons. In this connection, the
different researches that are conducted by the organization are specifically focused
towards improving the lifestyle and living conditions of the people while providing the
same with adequate health care facilities.
 Governance and decision making: The organization operates towards the development
of trust and empowering the political participation towards maintaining democracy and
legitimacy in distribution of power among the parties. The decision making criteria and
the researches that are made by the organization are specifically focused towards
increasing the role of public bodies in the governance and decision making through
improved knowledge on the outcomes.
3. The strategy of the organization
The strategies that are adopted by the organizations plays an important role in delivering
a sustainable vantage point to the institutions. According to Good et al. (2019), the changing role
and environment of the organizations influence the strategies. The need of the strategies is based
on the effective functioning of the different systems while adhering to the common goals of the
venture. In this connection, the concerned organization is a Prospector as it is aggressively
innovative while searching for the new opportunities in the different fields through their
extensive range of research and development activities. It has been observed that the Prospectors
take the initiative of developing wider range of capabilities for their continuous growth through
increased innovativeness. Therefore, the concerned organization having a greater research and
development activities have significantly adopted the role of a prospector while operating in the
different markets. Again, the organization developed an organic structure in alignment with the

4ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
strategies with the purpose of improving their capability of integrating the different processes.
According to Yan et al. (2019), the strategies that are developed by an organization have a
deeper impact on the structure that is created by the institutions. In this connection, the organic
structure of the organization is influenced by the active innovativeness of the organizational
operations and their role as the prospector. On the other hand, Al-Atwi, Amankwah- Amoah and
Khan (2019) opined that the organizational environment plays an integral part in determining the
effectiveness of the goals or the strategy of the business. It has been observed that the continuous
changes in the organizational environment affect the capability of the organizations in increasing
their overall operations as their actions are restructured every time. The concerned organization
operates in a fast changing .environment due to economic volatility, shifts in the political
situations and the lifestyle and emerging concerns in the societies (Kribikova 2016). In this
connection the appropriate strategy that is often considered is of a continuous innovator or a
prospector. The continuous innovation in the organization is specifically enabled through the
effective research and development activities while empowering the rate of operations. On the
other hand, the organizational goals in the stormy environment are aimed towards improving the
effectiveness of the operations with the purpose of maintaining their sustenance in the markets.
4. The structure
The structure of an organization empowers the overall processes and the operations that
are undertaken by the people in accordance with the common goals. According to Pertusa-Ortega
et al. (2018), the structure of an organization demonstrates the governance and control of an
organizational management over the different processes which is essential for monitoring and
controlling the overall activities and aligning the processes to the interests of the business. In
this connection, the concerned organization operates through the matrix structure which helped

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the institution in combining the effects of both divisional and functional aspects. In this relation,
the research based tasks in the concerned organization are assigned to the specialized skills in
independent divisional units. The allocation of the tasks to the specialized talents in the
organization assured the quality of the operations as per the common goals of the business. It
has been observed that each of the division in the organization are self contained which enabled
the same in empowering the overall activities of research and development in the specific fields.
It has been observed that the organization focuses on different aspects like economic, social and
political developments related aspects. Turner and Miterev (2019) opined that the allocation of
tasks based on the specialization of the units thereby assists an institution in improving the
overall ability of improving their research and development skills. Again, it has been observed
that the executives monitor over the activities in the sub units, which has enabled the
organization in encouraging the aspects of micromanagement (Rovelli and Butticè 2020).
Therefore, the application of the matrix structure in the organizational setting of Human Sciences
Research Council of South Africa greatly empowered the development of the different activities
as per the common goals of the venture.
5. The process and people
5.1 Process in the organization
The overall design of the process and the attitude of the people in an organization
contributes towards the attainment of goals and objectives of an organization. According to Yan,
Li and Cheng (2020), the design of the processes enables an organization in improving the
nature of the outcomes while operating as per the common goals of the venture. Again, Ali et al.,
(2018) observed that the changes in the organizational processes are specifically reliant on the
divisibility and repetitiveness of the tasks. In this connection, the concerned organization

6ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
employs a fragmented design of the processes with higher divisibility but lower repetitiveness.
The work of research in the concerned organization is highly divisible among the specialist
departments which have enabled the venture in empowering the overall operations and meeting
its objectives. Schlegelmilch (2016) stated that the higher divisibility of the work in the
departments enables an organization in increasing the efficiency of the business operations as per
the common goals of the venture. On the other hand, the lower repetitiveness of the work again
confirmed the innovativeness of the organizational operations and the nature of continuous
developments. The specialized and talented workforce has significantly contributed to the growth
and development of the concerned organization while researching on the stabilizing the
economic, social or political aspects. The lower repetitiveness is reflected through the dynamic
research based activities of the organization. Therefore, the process design of the concerned
organization is fragmented by nature.
5.2 People in the organization
The professional skills and attitude of the employees or the people towards the
organizational processes specifically contributes to the overall success factors of an intuition.
According to Warshaw (2020), the professional skills of the people allow an organization in
empowering the overall activities of the same while operat8ing as per the process design or the
organizational objectives. It has been observed that the concerned organization employed and
retained around 200 researchers and 250 support staff with the purpose of improving the
capability of the organization. The professional skills of the researchers and the support staffs
have enabled the organizations in establishing efficient research based operations. It has been
observed that the organization is in form of an office with very high coordination among the
employees and the researchers. The coordination and collaboration between the employees have

7ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
enabled the organization in gaining a competitive edge while developing the researches and
extending their services to the society and the politics. On the other hand, the organizational
workforce processes complex information with the purpose of improving their overall activities.
According to Juranek and Walz (2020), an organization that is focused towards processing
complex information requires high rate of coordination and collaboration among the employees.
Therefore, in this connection, the organization aims towards maintaining the efficiency and
effectiveness of the overall processes and encourage maximum engagement or integration of the
people in the process designs for the positive outcomes.
6. Coordination, control, and incentives
The coordination among the members in an organization and the control mechanism
plays an important role in increasing the performance of the venture while adhering to the
common goal of sustenance. According to Pucihar et al. (2017), coordination enables an
organization in improving their capability of increasing the effectiveness of the business
operations while encouraging the active engagement of the people and developing collaborations
among the same with the purpose of solving complex problems. In this connection, the
concerned organization facilitates the machine criteria of coordination and control mechanism
which reflects a higher decentralization and higher formalization resulting to a disciplined
approach of governing the activities (Harrison and Davies 2016). The need of discipline and
consistency in the organization is necessary with the purpose of improving the overall design of
the research and the outcome in the various fields. The due diligence and implementation of a
disciplined approach in the researches would allow the organization in influencing the outcome
of the study. Therefore, the organization developed a coordination and control mechanism based
on the research work that the venture is undertaking. Again, the incentivizing activities in the

8ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
organization are specifically reflected through the skill pays where the researchers and other staff
members receives a payment based on their skills and contributions to the activities of the
organization. According to Lemus-Aguilar et al. (2019), the incentives play a major role in
keeping the workforce motivated and focused towards their respective job responsibilities. In this
connection, the concerned organization provides the employees and the staff members with skill
pays with the purpose of encouraging the skilled researchers and staff members to perform in
accordance with the common needs of the institution.
7. Designing the architecture
The architecture of the organization is specifically based on the effective development of
the different strategic design as per the principal and goals of an organization. In this connection,
Zeller (2018) observed that the different changes in the organizational design is based on the

9ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
circumstances and environment that is being faced by the same. The concerned organization
mostly belongs to the C quadrant. However, there has been a number of misfits like the
organization developed a matrix structure whereas a divisional structure would have allowed the
organization in empowering the overall activities of the same. On the other hand, the
organization developed an office criteria which should have been laboratory based. Therefore,
specific changes might be undertaken by the organization in the different areas with the purpose
of maintaining the effectiveness of the organizational operations as per the collected goals of the
same.
8. Implementing the structure
The implementation of the changes in the organizational operations or design is
specifically reliant on the effective project management capabilities of the same. According to
Swensen et al. (2016), the effectiveness of the project management capabilities are specifically
reliant on the prioritization of thee tasks and the allocation of specific resources with the purpose
of improving the efficiency of the business operations. In this connection, the section would
develop an implementation plan for the organization’s change.
What Who When Follow up on
progress
Divisional from
matrix
CEO and the Board
members
6 months Every 1 month
Laboratory from
office
CEO and the Board
members
3 months Every 1 month
Market from machine Operations head 4 months Every 1 month
Bonus based from HR of the 2 months Every 1 month

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skill pays organization
9. Conclusion
Therefore, from the above assessment it might be stated that the complete design of the
organization, Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa, is reliant on a number of
aspects starting from its environment to the other people and cultural aspects of the institution.
The report developed an assessment of the different aspects that influenced the process or
organizational design in the concerned institution and thereby evaluate the different misfits that
have been affecting the capability of the organization. Lastly, the report also developed an
assessment of the different procedures that might be considered by the organization for
implementing the change while operating as per the common goals of the business. Therefore,
the overall purpose of the report was to develop an understanding of the organizational design
and the capabilities of the business in improving the effectiveness of the operations.

11ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
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