If a centralized authority is omnipresent, it’s easy to say that centralized systems are bad. But what does it mean to have a centralized system? In this article, you will find the advantages and disadvantages of centralization and how to decide if it’s perfect for you.

What is Centralization?

Centralization is when a single point of control is in charge of all the business decisions, planning, information, and resources. It also means that the head office should control all the resources and information.

Centralization makes it easier for a single person to make decisions and deal with the people and resources that make the business run. It is the process of having one person or team lead all of the operations and functions of the company. But no system is perfect, so it has got a few cons too.

Advantages of Centralization

A centralized approach can give you greater control over your business and give you a larger platform to grow your business. Now let find what your business can do with centralization:

Efficient decision making

In a centralized structure, the decisions are made by top management. It makes the decision-making process fast and efficient. Important decisions can be taken immediately and coordinated with all relevant branches and managers. It is much important at unsustainable times to keep the organization working smoothly.

Improved work quality

With pre-defined procedures and duties, each employee knows their responsibilities. It results in a better quality of work. With managers supervising departments, the uniform outputs have high quality.

A clear chain of command

The centralized organization has a clear chain of commands and a defined hierarchy of authority. There is a clear path of authority delegation, and junior employees know who they have to report to. Centralized organizations normally have a taller structure with the vertical chain of commands following from directors to managers and then employees.

Focused work vision

A clear mission statement and goals are a vital part of centralization. Such organizations have a focused work vision with clear communication lines and work delegation to achieve it.

Less operational costs

With a clear chain of command, the operational costs are as everyone has defined responsibilities. Key players take decisions from the company headquarters and delegate them to the right persons. It reduces the outsourcing costs as everyone is well aware of his job responsibilities.

Proper communication channels

Proper communication channels are established in centralization. It helps indirect supervision and control to facilitate quality results without any work duplication or quality issues.

Uniform Actions

Uniformity of action is another perk of centralization. The decisions from the top are delegated and performed by relevant individuals. Each organization branch has specific equipment and skilled labor.

Disadvantages of Centralization

Centralization can be risky as it can lead to other problems. The biggest risk is that you’re not able to get the best talent to work for you. Central control results in uniformity of actions to bring smoothness and efficiency in tasks execution.

Bureaucratic Leadership

Centralization is similar to the Bureaucratic structure. Here the employee’s work is only to implement the decisions and follow senior management instructions. The low-level staff feels demotivated as they have no input in the decision-making process. If there is any inconvenience in work, then the senior management blames employers for that due to the bureaucratic leadership style.

Employees are not loyal

In centralization, employers are treated more like working machines. As a result, most employees are not loyal in centralized organizations. Employee loyalty comes from personal initiatives. They can introduce their creativity and suggest ways of performing certain tasks.

Poor work control systems

Executives form decisions to be implemented by employees. But if they don’t have an efficient control system to get work done from employees, it will fail to get the desired job done. Employees gradually become reluctant to perform, which results in poor decisions at the executive level that never get implemented.

No individual initiatives

The main problem of centralization is employees are not involved in the decision-making process. With it, unique ideas and initiatives are never appreciated. It prevents employees from making any suggestions and decisions. They follow the procedure as it’s written.

Slow Work

Centralization results in slow work. The decisions passed from the top take considerable time to take effect and get the job done. Due to formalities, the work implementation is always slow.

Decreased efficiency

Due to the bureaucratic leadership, slow work with no individual initiatives, the employee’s work efficiency decreases adversely.

No work specialization

A jack of all trades in the master of none. As a single individual takes all decisions in a centralized structure, the organization lacks efficient handling of special tasks.

Is your Business Centralized?

If you are in charge of your own business in some way, ask yourself some tough questions. While it’s important to have some autonomy when running your business, what is it that gives you that autonomy?

It’s important to have some autonomy in your business, too, if you are its owner. If your business is in any way centralized, then you are, in essence, taking control of it under someone else’s power. And though centralization is not always bad, it is very important to make sure that you do not keep your business centralized.

What is the Best Centralization Strategy?

A centralization strategy is a strategically implemented requirement that an organization or business must adhere to. It is generally defined as the requirement that an enterprise must implement to address concentrations of power and reach an ever-increasing level of performance and efficiency. Most centralization strategies require the development and implementation of processes and practices that can ensure compatibility and consistency.

It is a way to organize your entire business by having a central repository of information that’s centralized. It makes it easier for you to get your information on the road and work on your business operations on the same platform.

Final Takeaway

Maybe it’s not good for you to centralize your business structure, but if you’re good at risk analysis, you can still use centralization in certain situations. With the advantages and disadvantages of centralization, you can decide the best for your business. In the end, what you want from a system is equal advantages. If that’s not possible, then it’s time to ditch the system altogether.