Discuss an appropriate integrative mechanism for each of the five structural configurations described by Mintzberg.

Answers will vary. The process of coordinating the different parts of an organization is known as integration. The simple structure achieves coordination through direct supervision, often by the chief executive in the upper echelon. The machine bureaucracy achieves coordination through the standardization of work processes. The professional bureaucracy is integrated through the standardization of the professionals' skills. The divisionalized form uses standardization of outputs as its coordinating mechanism. In the adhocracy, liaison devices are the primary mechanism for integrating ad hoc project teams through a process of mutual adjustment. Please see the section "Five Structural Configurations" for more information.