Mintzberg (1979) said every organisation has five building blocks: the strategic apex, middle line, operating core, technostructure and support staff, later adding ideology. Whichever part dominates shapes the structure: simple structure, machine bureaucracy, professional bureaucracy, divisionalised form, adhocracy or missionary.
The building blocks and configurations
| Building block | What it is | Pulls towards | Configuration where it dominates | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic apex | Top management | Centralisation and direction | Simple structure | Owner-managed start-up |
| Technostructure | Analysts who standardise work | Standardisation and efficiency | Machine bureaucracy | Car manufacturer, call centre |
| Operating core | People who do the basic work | Professional expertise | Professional bureaucracy | Hospital, accountancy firm, university |
| Middle line | Managers between the top and the core | Divisions and focus | Divisionalised form | Conglomerate with product divisions |
| Support staff | Specialist services | Collaboration and learning | Adhocracy | Design agency, R&D lab |
| Ideology (added later) | Shared culture and beliefs | Shared values | Missionary organisation | Charity or religious order |
The four main structure types
Chapter 14 of the book describes how structure tends to change as an organisation grows:
Structure and strategy
Structure and strategy shape each other. A flexible structure helps innovation but may loosen control and raise fraud risk; a rigid one gives control but slows response. When strategy changes, specialisation, authority and bureaucracy usually need to change too.
Mintzberg in ACCA SBL
Structure sits in syllabus area H. A typical task describes a growing organisation struggling with its structure. Identify the current configuration, explain the problems it causes (for example a professional bureaucracy resisting management control), and recommend a structure that fits the new strategy. For Historic Places (March 2025 pre-seen), 350 sites with central standards suggest a machine bureaucracy, while conservation experts form a professional core.
Advantages
- Explains why different organisations need different structures
- Links structure to coordination and power
- Widely recognised
Limitations
- Pure types are rare in practice
- Written before digital and network organisations
- Does not tell you how to change structure
FAQs
What are Mintzberg's building blocks?
The parts of an organisation: strategic apex (top management), middle line (managers linking the top and the operating core), operating core (people who do the basic work), technostructure (analysts who set standards and systems) and support staff (services such as legal, HR or catering). He later added ideology (culture).
What are Mintzberg's organisational configurations?
Simple structure, machine bureaucracy, professional bureaucracy, divisionalised form and adhocracy, with the missionary organisation added later. Each is dominated by a different building block.
When was Mintzberg's theory published?
Henry Mintzberg set it out in The Structuring of Organizations (1979).
What is a machine bureaucracy?
A structure dominated by the technostructure, with standardised work processes and many rules. Examples are mass manufacturers, call centres and large government departments.
What is an adhocracy?
A flexible, project-based structure where experts work in teams to innovate, dominated by support staff and specialists. Examples include film production companies and research consultancies.