Stovepipe (organisation)

• Very hierarchical with sharply defined roles or areas of influence
• Long reporting lines and narrow spans of control
• Departmental organisation of information technology, human resources and similar functions, especially where applications and services are procured departmentally rather than via a central procurement section
• Culture of suspicion or a dictatorial management style
• Multiple sites where staff have little chance to interact on a regular basis with staff from another site
• Formed by the merger of two organisations or the acquisition of one organisation by another

• Centralisation of information technology, human resources, procurement and similar functions
• Short reporting lines
• Decentralised cross functional teams for executing one-time projects and ongoing operations
• Fewer sites or movement of staff between sites
• Increased mobility of staff between teams to promote individual and organisational breadth
• Culture of openness and supportive management style driven from the senior management
• Rapid integration of staff after a merger or acquisition