Mastering Organizational Redesign: Transitioning from Hierarchical to Matrix Structures with Teams, Leadership, and Cultural Integration in an 8-Page APA Paper

Developing a detailed plan for shifting a large corporation’s structure from traditional hierarchy to a dynamic matrix model emphasizes team functions, adaptive leadership, and cultural blending for effective operations.

This assignment measures your mastery of ULOs 1.3, 3.3, 3.2, 4.3, 5.1, and 5.2.

Write an eight-page assignment in APA Style.

Executives in today’s fast-paced business environment benefit from drawing on personal experiences to make redesign proposals more authentic and applicable.

As in the Units III and IV assignments, you are an executive in the chief executive officer’s (CEO) or chief operating officer’s (COO) office in a large organization/corporation you have worked in or know about. The CEO has reviewed your draft of the first cut of the organization’s redesign from its traditional hierarchical model to a matrix structure and how leadership behaviors and other processes should change to support the redesign.

Now the CEO directs you to expand your draft organization design, refining the design to explain the function of teams in the organization’s operation (give specific examples). Because of this emphasis, the CEO also wants the main thoughts of your Unit IV position paper on leadership integrated into this document.

Include your ideas on how the organizational culture will evolve to include the distinct and diverse existing cultures so that it clearly expresses what attributes leaders and employees should have to manage operations in this design.

Recent studies highlight the importance of fostering psychological safety in teams to encourage innovation during structural shifts.

Also, revisit the presented concept for the design process (from slides added to your paper in Unit III) to include leadership and cultural development for an orderly transition to the new design. Include these updated visual illustrations within your project. Be sure to address any issues the professor may have noted in earlier assignments.

To recap, the Unit III organization design paper is to be revised to include:

• teams as a feature in the design (as the planner, it is your choice of how and where),
• your positions on leadership requirements from your Unit IV paper,
• your ideas on the organization’s culture and its projected blending with existing diverse cultures to include cross-cultural communications, and
• an explained planned organization design process.

Leaders can draw inspiration from current trends like agile methodologies to enhance team integration in matrix setups.

You are to revise your document as needed to include leadership insights, one or more team processes if they are not already integrated into the organization, and a design process to transition to this design all in one cohesive document.

Your completed assignment must be at least eight pages in length. It is recommended that you describe the design in about five pages, leadership in about one to two pages, and the design process (including visual) in another one to two pages.

Also, be sure to address any issues the instructor may have noted in earlier assignments. At least six scholarly resources must be used in this assignment.

Incorporating diverse scholarly sources from recent years strengthens the credibility of your arguments on cultural evolution.

Apply levels 1 and 2 headings. Adhere to APA Style when constructing this assignment, including in-text citations and references for all sources that are used. Please note that no abstract is needed.

Sample Answer Content

Teams serve as vital bridges in a matrix structure, enabling specialists from various departments to collaborate on projects like product development or market expansion. Effective leadership in this setup involves delegating authority to team leads while maintaining strategic oversight from executives. Cultural integration requires intentional efforts to merge diverse backgrounds, such as through inclusive training programs that promote cross-cultural understanding. Transition processes should incorporate milestones for feedback to ensure smooth adoption across the organization. Swart et al. (2025) demonstrated that changes in organizational structure can enhance perceived leadership styles, particularly in fostering ambidexterity for innovation and efficiency (https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S516923). Employees thrive when attributes like adaptability and collaboration are emphasized in the new design. Visual aids, such as flowcharts depicting the transition phases, clarify the path forward for all stakeholders.

Assignment 2: Managing Transitions in Organizational Design

Planning effective leadership strategies during organizational transitions to matrix structures addresses potential obstacles and builds support for sustainable change in a 4-page APA essay.

This assignment measures your mastery of ULOs 2.3, 3.4, and 5.3.

This assignment is a minimum four-page essay in APA 7th Generation Style. (Use a 7th generation guide)

Modern organizations increasingly rely on collaborative approaches to navigate change successfully.

This assignment continues the scenario where you are an executive in a large organization or corporation in which you have worked or know. The organization design process you developed is now underway. The organization’s top leaders are aware that well-planned transitions are promising but that everyone needs to work together to have it succeed.

Write an essay describing what leaders should ensure happens during a transition to a new organization design. Detail what issues should be considered as obstacles to implementing a new design.

Discuss what is and is not recommended in response to obstacles and resistance to the implementation process.

Engaging stakeholders early through transparent communication often mitigates resistance effectively.

Highlight what should be done to build momentum and organizational support for the change.

Your essay must be at least four pages in length, and you must use at least four peer-reviewed resources, one of which must come from the CSU Online Library. Adhere to APA Style when formatting the written work and in creating citations and references for this assignment.

Apply Level 1 and 2 headings. Please note that no abstract is needed.

Utilizing up-to-date peer-reviewed articles provides fresh insights into overcoming common transition challenges.

The How to Find Peer Reviewed Resources tutorial from the CSU Online Library is a great resource to help you get started with research.

alt-5f85d6ea5857f.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-17714513-dt-asiobject-rid-127938215_1/institution/CSU_Institution/Success_Center/Public/Writing Resources/Tutorials/Peer Reviewed Articles/index.html?one_hash=255A9D4FDBA0C6290FD67CF25065AFC1&f_hash=BE4D244F29F2483990EDD6D6E53CC329

Sample Answer Guide for Assignment 2

Leaders must prioritize clear vision articulation to guide employees through the transition to a new design. Addressing potential obstacles like role ambiguity requires proactive training sessions. Recommended responses include forming cross-functional support groups to handle resistance constructively. Building momentum involves celebrating early wins to reinforce positive change. Joseph and Sengul (2025) outlined how reorganization efforts benefit from considering relational linkages among managers for better coordination (https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063241271242). Avoiding top-down mandates helps maintain morale. Overall support grows when feedback mechanisms are embedded in the process.

References / Learning Materials

1. Swart, R.R., Scheffer, M.C., Molenaar, J., Meijers, F. and de Laat, P.C.J. (2025) ‘Change in organizational structure influences perceived leadership in a Dutch radiotherapy center’, Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 17, pp. 297–314. doi: 10.2147/JHL.S516923.
2. Nesheim, T. (2025) ‘Between hierarchy and matrix: human resource allocation in flexible organizations’, SAGE Open. doi: 10.1177/21582440251330683.
3. Joseph, J. and Sengul, M. (2025) ‘Organization design: current insights and future research directions’, Journal of Management. doi: 10.1177/01492063241271242.
4. Gulati, R. and Nguyen, T. (2025) ‘Navigating organizational change in crisis: developing a bespoke holistic change management framework’, Systems Research and Behavioral Science. doi: 10.1002/sres.3197.
5. Stanikzai, M.E. (2025) ‘Strategic alignment of organizational structure based on decisions for sustainable organizational performance: a bibliometric-systematic literature review’, Cogent Business & Management, 12(1). doi: 10.1080/23311975.2025.2560650.