Reread the Management Focus on the rise and fall of the matrix structure at Dow Chemical; then answer the following questions:
a. Why did Dow first adopt a matrix structure? What were the problems with this structure? Do you think these problems are typical of matrix structures?
b. What drove the shift away from the matrix structure in the late 1990s? Does Dow's structure now make sense given the nature of its businesses and the competitive environment it competes in?