Okuzeka
Management & Leadership vocabulary · Organisational Structure

Matrix structure

Meaning in management & leadership, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In management & leadership, matrix structure means: An organisational structure in which employees report to two managers at the same time, usually a functional manager and a project or product manager.

In Turkish: matris yapı, matris organizasyon yapısı

How it is used

Common in multinationals, consulting firms and engineering companies. People talk about working in a matrix, a matrix organisation and dotted-line reporting, where the second manager has less formal authority.

Example sentences

  1. In our matrix structure, I report to the IT director but work for the retail project manager.

  2. A matrix structure can slow decisions down if the two managers disagree.

Common collocations

  • complex matrix structure
  • matrix organisation
  • work in a matrix
  • dotted-line reporting
  • org chartA diagram that shows how an organisation is structured, with boxes for roles or people and lines showing who reports to whom.
  • report toTo have a particular person as your manager, so that they direct your work, review your performance and are the person you answer to.
  • chain of commandThe official line of authority in an organisation, showing who gives instructions to whom and the order in which decisions and problems move up and down.
  • siloA department or team that works in isolation and does not share information or cooperate well with other parts of the same organisation.
  • hierarchyA system in which the people in an organisation are arranged in levels, with each level having more authority than the one below it.

More terms: Organisational Structure

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: