Organizational Structure Design of Medium-Sized Municipalities in Iran

Nowadays communications, decision-making, reporting manner and hierarchy are controlled by organizational structure; getting an inside into such structure means getting an insight over the whole organization. It serves as a platform for operation of plans and strategies and also determines links among personnel or executive body of the organization. In line with developments in other elements, organizations must keep thinking of developing their organizational structures. As public, non-governmental entities, municipalities pursue the goal of urban welfare and paving the way for establishment of a mechanism that helps cities achieve sustainable development and growth. These entities constantly need a structure that is tailored to their missions, goals, duties and central activities. Having a review on the concept of ‘structure’ and ‘thematic dimensions’ in former structure of municipalities and having introduced medium-sized municipalities as developmental entities, this paper conducts a comparative study on executive body of municipalities in order to gain a picture of central activities that municipalities are involved. In sum, this research finds that major characteristics of this structure include incorporation of new parts through vertical and horizontal differentiations, change of view to municipalities as organizations with social responsibilities, incorporation of new parts with the intention to remove parallel tasks as well as reduced expending and financial independence of municipalities.