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Creating an Effective Organizational Structure
INDEXSr.
No.Description Page No.
01 What is an organization
02 Organizational Structure03 Key Element of Organizational Structure
05 Types of Organizational Structure
07 The Classical Organizational Structure
08 Simple Centralized Organizational Structure
09 The Functional Organizations
10 The Divisionalized Organizations
11 Organizational Design
12 Modern Organizational Design
13 Horizontal Organizations
14 Network Design
15 The Virtual Organizations
17 Matrix Organizations
19 The Boundaryless Organizations
20 An Introduction to the Organization (Virtual University ofPakistan)
21 Organizational Structure
22 Board of Governors
23 Officers of the University
24 Mission Statement
25 Administrative Center and Virtual Campuses
26 Milestone27 Practical Study
28 As a Network Organization
29 How VU Works
30 As a Virtual Organization
31 Merits & Demerits
32 Conclusion
33 Recommendations
INTRODUCTION FIELD STUDY REPORT
In this report it is discussed in the scope of Business Policy and Strategy what are the
Creating Effective Organizational Structure. For preparation of this Field Study Report, in
the first part theoretical part of the subject is written and then this topic is examined in a business
organization. For this purpose the organization namely Virtual University selected which is
mainly involved in emerging business of Online education in Pakistan.
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WHAT IS AN ORGANIZATION?
Group of people who work interdependently toward some purpose.
A consciously coordinated social unit, composed of two or more people, that functions on a relatively
continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
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Definition
"institutional arrangements and mechanisms for
mobilizing human, physical, financial and information
resources at all levels of the system
UtilityDivision of work into activities
Linkage between different functions
Hierarchy
Authority structure
Authority relationships
Coordination with the environment
Components
Complexity
Formalization
Centralization
TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Now discuss different types of organizational structure.
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The Classical Organizational Structure
Simple centralized design
Functional organization
Divisionalized organization
Modern organizational Structure
Horizontal Organizations
Network Organizations
The virtual Organization
Project Design or Team Structure
Matrix Organization
Adhocracy
The boundaryless Organization
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Simple Centralized Organizational Structure
In a simple centralized organizational structure, power, decision making authority and
responsibility for goal setting are vested in one person at the top. This structure is usually
found in small and single-person-owned organizations. The basic requirement of a simple
centralized structure is that it has only one or two functions, and a few people who arespecialists in critical functions. The manager is generally an expert in all related areas of
functions and is responsible for coordination. Thus, the organization has only two
hierarchical levels. However, this structure has to become more complex for growth,
diversification or other reasons.Organizational structure refers to formalized patterns ofinteractions that link a firms
Tasks
Technologies
People
Simple structure is the oldest and most common organizational form
1. Staff serve as an extension of the top executives personality
2. Highly informal
3. Coordination of tasks by direct supervision
4. Decision making is highly centralized
5. Little specialization of tasks, few rules and regulations, informal evaluation and
reward system
Functional Structure
The organization is structured according to functional areas instead of product lines. The
functional structure groups specialize in similar skills in separate units. This structure is best
used when creating specific, uniform products. A functional structure is well suited to
organizations which have a single or dominant core product because each subunit becomes
extremely adept at performing its particular portion of the process. They are economically
efficient, but lack flexibility. Communication between functional areas can be difficult.
The most widely used structure is the functional or centralized type because this structure is the
simplest and least expensive of the seven alternatives.
A functional structure groups tasks and activities by business function such as
production/operations, marketing, finance/accounting, research and development, and computer
information systems. A university may structure its activities by major functions that include
academic affairs, student services, alumni relations, athletics, maintenance, and accounting.
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Besides being simple and inexpensive, a functional structure also promotes specialization of
labor, encourages efficiency, minimizes the need for an elaborate control system, and allows
rapid decision making. Some disadvantages of a functional structure are that it forces
accountability to the top, minimizes career development opportunities, and is sometimes
characterized by low employee morale, line/staff conflicts, poor delegation of authority, and
inadequate planning for products and markets.
Advantages
Enhanced coordination and control
Centralized decision making
Enhanced organizational-level perspective
More efficient use of managerial and technical talent
Facilitated career paths and development in specialized areas
Disadvantages
Impeded communication and coordination due to differences in values and
orientations
May lead to short-term thinking (functions vs. organization as a whole)
Difficult to establish uniform performance standards
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Divisional Structure
Divisional structure is formed when an organization is split up into a number of self-contained
business units, each of which operates as a profit centre. such a division may occur on the basis
of product or market or a combination of the two with each unit tending to operate along
functional or product lines, but with certain key function (e.g. finance, personnel, corporateplanning) provided centrally, usually at company headquarters.
The divisional or decentralized structure is the second most common type used by American
businesses.
As a small organization grows, it has more difficulty managing different products and services in
different markets. Some form of divisional structure generally becomes necessary to motivate
employees, control operations, and compete successfully in diverse locations. The divisional
structure can be organized in one of four ways: by geographic area, by product or service, by
customer, or by process. With a divisional structure, functional activities are performed both
centrally and in each separate division.
Advantages
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of general Separation of strategic and operating control
Quick response to important changes in external environment
Minimal problems of sharing resources across functional departments
Development management talent is enhanced
Disadvantages
Can be very expensive
Can be dysfunctional competition among divisions
Can be a sense of a zero-sum game that discourages sharing ideas and resources
among divisions
Differences in image and quality may occur across divisions
Can focus on short-term performance
Divisional structure by geographic area
A divisional structure by geographic areais appropriate for organizations whose strategies need
to be tailored to fit the particular needs and characteristics of customers in different geographic
areas. This type of structure can be most appropriate for organizations that have similar branch
facilities located in widely dispersed areas. A divisional structure by geographic area allows local
participation in decision making and improved coordination within a region.
Divisional structure by product
The divisional structure by productis most effective for implementing strategies when specific
products or services need special emphasis. Also, this type of structure is widely used when an
organization offers only a few products or services, or when an organization's products or
services differ substantially. The divisional structure allows strict control and attention to product
lines, but it may also require a more skilled management force and reduced top management
control.
When a few major customers are of paramount importance and many different services are
provided to these customers, then a divisional structure by customer can be the most effective
way to implement strategies. This structure allows an organization to cater effectively to the
requirements of clearly defined customer groups. For example, book publishing companies often
organize their activities around customer groups such as colleges, secondary schools, and private
commercial schools. Some airline companies have two major customer divisions: passengers and
freight or cargo services. Merrill Lynch is organized into separate divisions that cater to different
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groups of customers, including wealthy individuals, institutional investors, and small
corporations.
Divisional structure by process
A divisional structure by process is similar to a functional structure, because activities are
organized according to the way work is actually performed. However, a key difference between
these two designs is that functional departments are not accountable for profits or revenues,whereas divisional process departments are evaluated on these criteria. An example of a
divisional structure by process is a manufacturing business organized into six divisions: electrical
work, glass cutting, welding, grinding, painting, and foundry work. In this case, all operations
related to these specific processes would be grouped under the separate divisions. Each process
(division) would be responsible for generating revenues and profits. The divisional structure by
process can be particularly effective in achieving objectives when distinct production processes
represent the thrust of competitiveness in an industry.
The Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Structure
Strategic Business Unit or SBU is understood as a business unit within the overall corporate
identitywhich is distinguishable from other business because it serves a defined external market
where management can conduct strategic planning in relation to products and markets. When
companies become really large, they are best thought of as being composed of a number of
businesses (or SBUs).
These organizational entities are large enough and homogeneous enough to exercise control over
most strategic factors affecting their performance. They are managed as self contained planning
units for which discrete business strategies can be developed. A Strategic Business Unit can
encompass an entire company, or can simply be a smaller part of a company set up to perform a
specific task. The SBU has its own business strategy, objectives and competitors and these will
often be different from those of the parent company.
As the number, size, and diversity of divisions in an organization increase, controlling and
evaluating divisional operations become increasingly difficult for strategists. Increases in sales
often are not accompanied by similar increases in profitability. The span of control becomes too
large at top levels of the firm. For example, in a large conglomerate organization composed of 90
divisions, the chief executive officer could have difficulty even remembering the first names of
divisional presidents. In multidivisional organizations an SBU structure can greatly facilitate
strategy-implementation efforts.
The SBU structure groups similar divisions into strategic business units and delegates authority
and responsibility for each unit to a senior executive who reports directly to the chief executive
officer. This change in structure can facilitate strategy implementation by improving
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coordination between similar divisions and channeling accountability to distinct business units.
In the ninety-division conglomerate just mentioned, the ninety divisions could perhaps be
regrouped into ten SBUs according to certain common characteristics such as competing in the
same industry, being located in the same area, or having the same customers.
Two disadvantages of an SBU structure are that it requires an additional layer of management,
which increases salary expenses, and the role of the group vice president is often ambiguous.However, theselimitations often do not outweigh the advantages of improved coordination and
accountability. Atlantic Richfield and Fairchild Industries are examples of firms that successfully
use an SBU-type structure.
The Matrix Structure
A matrix structure is the most complex of all designs because it depends upon both vertical and
horizontal flows of authority and communication (hence, the term matrix). In contrast, functional
and divisional structures depend primarily on vertical flows of authority and communication. A
matrix structure can result in higher overhead because it creates more management positions.
Other characteristics of a matrix structure that contribute to overall complexity include dual lines
of budget authority (a violation of the unity-of-command principle), dual sources of reward and
punishment, shared authority, dual reporting channels, and a need for an extensive and effective
communication system.
Despite its complexity, the matrix structure is widely used in many industries, including
construction, healthcare, research, and defense. Some advantages of a matrix structure are thatproject objectives are clear, there are many channels of communication, workers can see visible
results of their work, and shutting down a project can be accomplished relatively easily.
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Advantages
Facilitates the use of specialized personnel, equipment and facilities
Provides professionals with a broader range of responsibility and experience
Disadvantages
Can cause uncertainty and lead to intense power struggles
Working relationships become more complicated
Decisions may take longer
The Boundaryless Organization
An organization that seeks to eliminate the chain of command, have limitless spans of
control, and replace departments with empowered teams.
The boundaryless organization seeks to eliminate the chain of command, have limitless
spans of control, and replace departments with empowered teams. And because it relies
so heavily on information technology, some have turned to calling this structure the T-
form organization.
Network Design
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The network design goes beyond even horizontal structure and totally abandons the
classical, hierarchical, functional structure of organizations. The bureaucratic model
worked fine in the previous era when there was less competition and more stable marketconditions, and before the now boundaryless conditions of advanced information
technology and globalizations.
Example
Firm such as Ford is not just redesigning in the Greenfield sense or rediscovering and
extending their past. Instead they are undergoing efforts to disaggregate and partner. In
the network approach, the firm concentrate on where it can add the greatest value in the
supply chain and it outsourcers to upstream and/or downstream partners who can do a
better job. This network of the firm and its upstream and downstream partners can be
optimally effective and flexible. An other network approach is to require internal units of
the firm to interact at market prices.
The Virtual Organization
In a virtual world (such as Second Life) organization is understood as planned,
coordinated and purposeful action of human beings and computer In order to construct
and/or compile a common intangible product or service to its community. Just as "an
organization in sociology" this action is usually framed by formal membership and form
(institutional rules). As in Second Life an organization is usually used for making money
(i.e. Power Products inc. - or like in World Of Warcraft: the clan Farmers Organization-)
and security, some are also wicked and evil organizations- usually called griefer/troller
groups/organizations such as the Pirates of Tibia that roams Tibia. Many fail to realize
that Wikipedia is a wiki, and thus subject to the review and editing of others, and alsothat they will be aware of any slander put upon them in this medium. These would not be
classified as organizations in the "real world" because they are not truly "alive". Someorganizations in Virtual Worlds have a very important roles in Real Life activities.
Some of these "clans" exist between virtual worlds, sometimes migrating between them,
as newer versions of software come out, or games better suited to the system of clans.
Some games, such as the aforementioned World of Warcraft and Dungeon Siege have
extensive clan systems, consisting of hundreds of members. This gives rise to entire
"mini societies", where you can buy and sell equipment, using real world or virtualmoney.
In structural terms, the virtual organization is highly centralized, with little or no
departmentalization. The prototype of the virtual structure is todays movie makingorganization. Now a days most movies are made by a collection of individuals and small
companies who come together and make films project by project.
When a large organization use the virtual structural, they frequently use it to outsourcemanufacturing. Cisco, for instance, is essentially a research and development company
that uses outside suppliers and independent manufacturers to assemble the internet
routers that its engineers design. The virtual organizations have created networks of
relationships that allow them to contract out manufacturing, distribution, marketing, or
any other business function for which management feels that others can do better or more
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_(business)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Of_Warcrafthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanhttp://www.piratesoftibia.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibia_(computer_game)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcrafthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Siegehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_(business)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Of_Warcrafthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanhttp://www.piratesoftibia.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibia_(computer_game)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcrafthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Siege8/3/2019 Creating an Effective Organizational Structure
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cheaply. The virtual organization stands in sharp contrast to the typical bureaucracy that
has many vertical levels of management and where control is sought through ownership.
In such organizations, research and development are done in house, production occurs incompany owned plants, sales and marketing are performed by the companys own
employees. To support all this, management has to employ extra staff, including
accountants, human resource specialists, and lawyers. The virtual organization however
outsource many of these functions and concentrate on what it does best.
A virtual organization
Different from traditional mergers and acquisitions, the partners in the virtual
organization share costs, skills, and access to international markets. Each partner
contributes to the virtual organizations what it is best at its core capabilities. Briefly
summarized. Here are the key attributes of the virtual organization:
TechnologyInformational networks will help far-flung companies and entrepreneurs link up and work
together from start to finish. The partnerships will be based on electronic contracts to
keep the lawyers away and speed the linkups.
OpportunismPartnerships will be less permanent, less formal, and more opportunistic. Companies will
band together to meet all specific market opportunities and, more often than not, fall apart
once the need evaporates.
No BordersThis new organizational model redefines the traditional boundaries of the company. More
cooperation among competitors, suppliers, and customers makes it harder to determine
where one company ends and another begins.
TrustThese relationships make companies far more reliant on each other and require far more
trust than ever before. They share a sense of codestiny, meaning that the fat of each
partner is dependent on the other.
ExcellenceBecause each partner bring its core competence to the effort, it may be possible to
create a best of every thing organization. Every function and process could be world
classsomething that no single company could achieve.
A Project-type organization
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When a management uses teams as its central coordination device, you have a horizontal
organization or a team structure. The primary characteristics of the team structure are that
it breaks down departmental barriers and decentralizes decision making to the level of thework team. Team structure also require employees to be generalists as well as specialists.
In smaller companies, the team structure can define the entire organization. For example
Whole Foods Market, Inc. the largest natural food grocer in the United States, is
structured entirely around teams. Every one of Whole Foods stores is an autonomous
profit center composed of an average of 10 self managed teams, each with a designatedteam leader. The team leaders in each store are a team, store leaders in each region are ateam, and the companys six regional presidents are a team.
More often, particularly among larger organizations, the team structure complements
what is typically a bureaucracy. This allows the organization to achieve the efficiency of
bureaucracys standardization while gaining the flexibility that team provide.
PRACTICAL STUDYI visited the virtual campus Wah Cantt and meet the Advisory Committee.
IntroductionThe Virtual University, Pakistans first University based completely on modern Information andCommunication Technologies, was established by the Government as a public sector, not-for-
profit institution with a clear mission: to provide extremely affordable world class education toaspiring students all over the country. Using free-to-air satellite television broadcasts and theInternet, the Virtual University allows students to follow its rigorous programs regardless of their
physical locations. It thus aims at alleviating the lack of capacity in the existing universities
while simultaneously tackling the acute shortage of qualified professors in the country. By
identifying the top Professors of the country, regardless of their institutional affiliations, andrequesting them to develop and deliver hand-crafted courses, the Virtual University aims at
providing the very best courses to not only its own students but also to students of all other
universities in the country.The Virtual University of Pakistan holds a Federal Charter, making its degrees recognized and
accepted all over the country as well as overseas.
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The University opened its virtual doors in 2002 and in a short span of time its outreach hasreached over sixty cities of the country with more than a hundred associated institutions
providing infrastructure support to the students. Pakistani students residing overseas in several
other countries of the region are also enrolled in the University's programs.The launch of university is a historical milestone for Pakistan in the field of higher education. It
is expected to have a great impact on the socio-economic growth of Pakistan. The idea of the
virtual university of Pakistan is to extend affordable, quality higher education to all areas of
Pakistan, based on the existing telecommunication infrastructure.The feasibility study for the establishment of a virtual IT university (VITU) was carried out in
2001 and it quickly evolved into the project proposal for the virtual university of Pakistan, which
was designed to be a full-fledged university, not limited to any particular field. The Govt. has putit as a high priority project in its policy. As the name indicate, the virtual university delivers
education with a modern approach, it combines broadcast television and the internet to deliver
quality education.The driving force behind the concept of virtual university is the lack of IT faculty in particular
and other fields in general, at any academic institution in Pakistan. This severely compromises
the quality of education being imparted. Additionally, quality staff is only present at a few veryhighly ranked intuitions where, access is not easy and the cost of education is out of reach for the
common man. Virtual university of Pakistan collects the scattered intellectual resources on asingle platform, and then makes their expertise available to students across the length and
breadth of the country as well as to students overseas, all at a very affordable cost.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
ChancellorGeneral Pervez Musharraf, Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military),Tamgha-i-Basalat President, Islamic Republic of Pakistan
The Board of Governors is the apex body of the University, responsible for the generalsupervision and control of administrative, academic and financial affairs and the power to lay
down the policies of the University.
The Rector is the Chief Executive and academic officer of the University whose responsibility isto ensure that the provisions of the Virtual University Ordinance, the Statutes, the Regulations
and Rules are faithfully observed in order to promote teaching, research, administration, general
efficiency and good order of the University.
Authorities of the University include the Executive Council, the Academic Council, the Boards
of Studies, the Advanced Studies and Research Board, the Selection Board, the Finance and
Planning Council and the Affiliation Committee.Officers of the University include the Registrar, the Director Finance, the Controller of
Examinations and the University Auditor.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
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Secretary, Ministry of Information Technology Chairman
Govt. of PakistanChairman, Highier Education Commission Member
Rector, Virtual University of Pakistan Member
Secretary, Ministry of Information and Member Media development
Secretary, Ministry of Education Member
Chairman, National Telecommunications Corporation Member
Mr. Justice (Retd.) Fazal Karim Member Dr. S.M Junaid Zaidi, Rector, Member
COMSATS Institute of information Technology
Dr. Farid Malik, Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation Member Mr. Zaheer Aslam Kidvai, CEO, Member
Beyond Information Technology Solutions
Mr. Naveed A. Khan, Country Manager, ABN-AMBRO Bank Member Registrar, Virtual University of Pakistan Secretary
OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Naveed A. Malik Rector Mr. Tajdar Aslam MD Virtual Television Network
Dr. Sadaqat Mehdi Registrar
Mr. Abrar A. Khan Director FinanceDr. Naveed A. Malik Rector
Dr. Shafaat Bokharee Director Administration
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MISSION STATEMENT Vu will provide world-class education at an affordable cost across the length and breadth
of the country through a uniform education environment without differentiating between
large cities and smaller towns.
VU will offer academic programs that are equivalent or better in content and quality to
those offered by leading institutions of higher education in the country.
VU will admit students solely on the basis of their educational qualifications regardlessof race, color, gender, religion, disability, geographical location or their age.
VU will provide its students with a rich and challenging educational experience that
fosters their personal growth and supports their transition to responsible adulthood in arapidly shrinking world.
VU will integrate liberal studies and professional education to give its graduates both
breadth and specialization.
VU will give its graduates an education that enables them to comprehend the complexity
and dynamic of cotemporary global processes and empowers them to guide those
processes in constructive directions.
ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER AND VIRTUAL CAMPUSESThe virtual university of Pakistan has established one Administrative center which acts as the
hub, coordinating all activities of the university. This administrative center houses themanagement as well as the basic electronic infrastructure for the activities of VU. This includes,
but is not limited to, servers, communications equipment, control development work stations, CD
writers and print media duplication facilities, as well as full fledged state of the art digitaltelevision broadcast station alongwith its associated studios.
The VU has established its own virtual campuses at Sukkur, Ghotki, and Dera Ghazi Khan andmore are being established in all four provinces as well as in the capital area. With the
participation of existing public and private sector institutions, an annual enrollment capacity of
over 20,000 students is anticipated. The virtual campuses are equipped with state of the artmultimedia projectors and screens, multimedia equipped personal computers in a LANconfiguration as well as UPS and generators. The LANs are interfaced to the internet, thereby
allowing VU students to gain immediate access to the on line learning environment. Video
equipment to receive television broadcasts and display via multimedia projectors is alsoprovided.
The VU has also established Private Virtual Campuses (PVCs) in collaboration with its privatesector partners in over 65 cities of the country. The PVCs are equipped with the latest computers
and uninterrupted internet connectivity. The campuses also have audio-visual lecture theaters to
receive television broadcasts.
VU students attend lectures in electronic classrooms at these centers, where lectures delivered
over broadcasts television are screened. The formal class room equipment allows students to
participate in active discussion groups and enjoy a campus-like atmosphere which is quite acontrast to the normally isolated traditional e-learning environment. Adult mentoring and
guidance is also provided by the management of these virtual campuses.
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MILESTONES
Initial funding released by Government of Pakistan November, 2001
President of Pakistan inaugurates the Virtual University March 23, 2002
Classes of first cohort of students start March 25, 2002
Federal Charter granted by Government of Pakistan September 11, 2002
Virtual University starts broadcasts over its own TV channels June 15, 2004
University starts lecture recordings in its own studios July 1, 2004
Launch of MCS, MIT and MBA programs March, 2006
Launch of two new channels VTV3 & VTV4 September 25, 2006
VU becomes Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Member November 07, 2006
VU Agreement with Ujala TV Dubai November 30, 2006
Launch of BA, BCom and BBA programs September, 2007
Launch of MS program in Computer Science September, 2007
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NETWORK ORGANIZATION
How VU Works (way of education)?
The Virtual University of Pakistan delivers education through a judicious combination of
broadcast television and the Internet. VU courses are hand-crafted in meticulous detail byacknowledged experts in the field. Lectures are then recorded in a professional studio
environment and after insertion of slides, movie clips and other material, become ready forbroadcast. Course lectures are broadcast over free-to-air television and are also made available in
the form of multimedia CDs. They can also be made available as streaming media from the
Virtual Universitys servers. The multiple formats allows for a high degree of flexibility forstudents who may view the lectures at a time of their choosing within a 24-hour period.
Additionally, students can use the lectures to review an entire course before their examinations
a facility simply not available in the conventional face-to-face environment.
In addition to the prescribed texts, comprehensive reading material / lecture notes in the form ofweb-enabled content are provided through a comprehensive Learning Management System
(LMS) hosted on the VU Web Servers and accessible over the Internet. The full power ofhyperlinks is utilized for making the on-line experience a truly powerful one. The LMS alsoprovides an e-mail facility to each and every student as well as discussion boards for interaction
within the VU community.
An important feature of the LMS is a Question/Answer board where VU faculty providesanswers to questions posed by students on the subject matter covered in the lectures. The
Question/Answer board (also known as the Moderated Discussion Board) is extremely fine
grained, providing separate sessions for each lecture of each course. In addition, read-only access
is made available to previous question/answer sessions and this constitutes an extremely usefulstudy resource for students. VU faculty monitors this board on a continuous basis and answers to
student questions are provided within a short space of time.
Assignments are handed out through the LMS and also submitted by the students through thesame mechanism. Pop-quizzes and practice tests are also conducted through the LMS.Midterm and Final Examinations for every semester are conducted in a formal proctored environment at exam
centers designated for the purpose throughout the country. Invigilators appointed by the University conduct the
exams. The formal examination atmosphere assists in critical quality assurance of the student assessment system.
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AS A VIRTUAL ORGANIZATIONVirtual University of Pakistan is working as virtual. It has an excellent telecommunications
network with a redundant fiber-optic backbone. A high priority project of the Govt. is the
Pakistan Education and Research Network (PERN), which is being laid down to interconnectuniversities and allow them to share academic content as well as provide a convenient platform
for collective research. VU being the predominant provider of electronic academic content in
Pakistan is making its assets available over this intranet to its sister institutions in the country, in
addition to their availability to VU students over the internet. VU is also expanding its operationsby offering professional development courses as part of its contribution to continuing education.
Merits
The Virtual University of Pakistan delivers education through a judiciouscombination of broadcast television and the Internet.
VU provides world-class education at an affordable cost across the country.
VU is offering academic programs that are equivalent or better in content and qualityto those offered by leading institutions of higher education in the country.
VU admit students solely on the basis of their educational qualifications regardless ofrace, color, gender, religion, disability, geographical location or their age.
VU provides computer and internet facility to all the students at their campuses.
Lecturers can be listened again and again from CDs.
Demerits
Some VU campus have not computer facility for all the students.
VU campus have not still established through out the country.
There is not facility of competent consultant person at the regional campuses..
Students can not describe their problems through net.
CDs of the lecturers are not available easily.
Every student require personal computer to listen the lecturers and performingother relating work
Conclusions
VU is gaining popularity across the country, and hence university has to
establish campuses throughout the country.
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Recommendations:
VU should establish regional campuses across the country.
University should depute a competent/qualified person at the regional campuses forconsultancy. .
University should provide prior training to the students regarding internet, assignmentsand examination procedure.
Availability of computers to every students should be confirmed at the regionalcampuses.
Reference:
WEB SITE: http://www.vu.edu.pk