QUESTION ONE

Case Study Title: Optimizing Organizational Structure at Telkom

$[40]$

Introduction: Telkom, a prominent telecommunications company in South Africa, has been

at the forefront of providing telecommunication services to millions of customers. To ensure

its continued success in a rapidly evolving industry, Telkom recognizes the need to adapt its

organizational structure. This case study examines the factors affecting organizational

structure within Telkom and applies the principles outlined by Badenhorst$-$Weiss et al$.(2019)$

to address key organizational challenges.

Factors Affecting Organizational Structure at Telkom:

$1.$ Technological Advancements:

$$ Challenge: Rapid technological changes in the telecommunications industry require

Telkom to adapt swiftly to remain competitive.

$$ Response: Telkom must design job roles that incorporate emerging technologies,

such as $5$G and IoT specialists, to ensure it remains at the forefront of innovation.

$2.$ Market Diversification:

$$ Challenge: Telkom has expanded into various segments of the telecommunications

market, including mobile, broadband, and enterprise solutions.

$$ Response: Telkom may need to reorganize its departments or teams based on

market segments to facilitate better product development, customer support, and

sales strategies.

$3.$ Globalization:

$$ Challenge: Telkom's reach extends beyond South Africa's borders, necessitating

coordination across international operations.

$$ Response: Establishing a command structure that centralizes decision$-$making for

international operations while allowing for local adaptability can enhance efficiency

and consistency.

$4.$ Customer$-$Centricity:

$$ Challenge: Customers demand personalized services, necessitating greater focus

on customer engagement and satisfaction.

$$ Response: Telkom can design job roles that prioritize customer interactions, create

cross$-$functional teams to address customer needs comprehensively, and assign

authority to customer relationship management units.

$5.$ Regulatory Compliance:

$$ Challenge: Telecommunications is a heavily regulated industry, requiring strict

adherence to legal and compliance requirements.

$$ Response: Telkom should establish coordination mechanisms to ensure that legal

and compliance teams work closely with other departments to maintain regulatory

compliance.

Application of Badenhorst$-$Weiss et al$.\text{'}$s $(2019)$ Principles:

$$ Telkom should assess the evolving skill sets required due to technological

advancements and design job roles that align with these changes. For example,

hiring data scientists and AI experts to manage big data analytics and automation.

$$ Telkom can reorganize its departments based on market segments $($e$.$g$.,$ residential,

business, and enterprise$)$ to enhance customer$-$centricity and product development.

$$ Establish clear lines of authority for international operations to ensure efficient

decision$-$making. However, allow for flexibility at the local level to adapt to regional

nuances.

$$ Telkom should create a well$-$defined command structure for international operations

to streamline communication and decision$-$making processes.

$$ Implement mechanisms that ensure legal and compliance teams coordinate closely

with other departments to maintain regulatory compliance. Regular cross$-$functional

meetings and reporting structures can facilitate this.

Conclusion: In conclusion, Telkom's ability to optimize its organizational structure in

response to the factors affecting it will be crucial for maintaining competitiveness and

delivering high$-$quality telecommunications services. By applying the principles outlined by

Badenhorst$-$Weiss et al$.(2019),$ Telkom can strategically design job roles, group employees

effectively, assign authority, establish a command structure, and implement coordination

mechanisms to adapt to the evolving telecommunications landscape and meet customer

expectations.

$1\mathrm{.}1.$

Explain the impact of market diversification on Telkom's organizational structure, and

what are some potential strategies for reorganizing its departments to better align

with market segments

$(10)$

$1\mathrm{.}2.$

$1\mathrm{.}3.$

$1\mathrm{.}4.$

According to Badenhorst$-$Weiss et al$.(2019),$ Identify the key principles that Telkom

should apply to optimize its organizational structure in response to the identified

challenges

$(10)$

Describe the importance of a well$-$defined command structure for international

operation at Telkom

$(10)$

Evaluate the Matrix organisational structure and provide insights into the advantages

and potential challenges Telkom might encounter when adopting this structure $(10)$