Organizational Patterns – Definition, Meaning And Types

Definition

The organizational pattern is a process that assists in structuring and organizing your ideas, thoughts, speech as well as a presentation for optimal impact. The link between effective communication and logical organization must be secure for the one who is sending and the one who is at receiving end.

The organizational pattern helps to make sense of the information so that the stated purpose is fulfilled. It provides focus and direction, so that clear organization helps the receiver to understand and remember the information that is shared.

Meaning

The organizational pattern helps in organizing the speech. It is a formal process that requires that the main points must be relevant to the topic and must have the necessary balance in terms of relative importance.

Selecting and developing the main points, applying the principles of clarity, supporting your specific purpose and indicating the response you want from the audience is all because of the organizational pattern. It helps to avoid chaos and confusion so that clarity prevails at all costs.

Types of organizational pattern

There are several organizational patterns a person can use to meet his needs and organize his ideas. The specific or combination of the designs is dependent on the topic and the objective of writing that particular topic.

There is no fixed rule in choosing a suitable organizational pattern, think carefully about all the patterns and which one will help in making the most sense so that the receiver of the message can understand them properly.  The various types of organizational pattern are as follows-

1. Chronological organizational pattern or time-sequence organizational pattern

This type of organizational pattern is useful in arranging the information as per the progression of time and can be either backward or in forwarding motion. Organizing a speech in a chronological sequence can also be used if you are offering information about a new product or technology where you have to provide detailed information about the timeline and how it was created during various phases.

The chronological organizational pattern works beautifully in several other topics, for instance of historical nature where the presenter has to show the significance of events using different segments of time. Every section represents a specific period, and the sub-points or sub-headings in each section are about the events that occurred within that time frame.

This variation of organizational pattern divides the information into three distinct segments like before-during-after or past-present-future so that the purpose of providing the information becomes apparent. Dates are mostly included if you are speaking or writing about non-fiction narratives or passages whereas fiction passages are subtle and organized chronologically but without the mention of exact years.

2. Spatial organizational pattern or geographical, organizational pattern

This type of organizational pattern is useful in arranging the information as per the physical space, and the existence of a particular thing is with another item in order of location or area. The spatial organizational pattern is best suited when the speaker or writer is interested in creating a mental picture whose various parts can be distinguished through a physical location.

For instance, when you want to share information about a specific topic involving geography, the speaker or writer generally takes the help of spatial patterns. This form of the organizational pattern is also known as descriptive writing and is most frequent when describing how a particular thing looks like.

This type of organizational pattern is used in both non-fiction and fiction narratives where the narrator describes the appearance of a character or a setting in detail.

3. Sequential organizational pattern

This type of organizational pattern is useful in arranging the information as per the step-by-step sequence that is used to describe a specific process. In the sequential organizational pattern, every section represents the primary step that everyone has to follow in the actual process to show the order in which the events have occurred.

This concept is popularly known as process writing and is generally used to provide directions or instructions and to explain the processes in society or nature explicitly. The sequential pattern is often mixed up with chronological organizational pattern because of several similarities, but the primary point of difference is that in latter case narratives occur at specific setting and timing whereas in the former case the sequences do not occur at a particular place or time instead of at anytime

4. Topical organizational pattern or logical organizational pattern

This type of organizational pattern is one of the most frequently used patterns and is useful in arranging the information when any other organizational pattern will not work.

The topical organizational pattern arranges the narrative as various sub-topics within a broad topic. Now, every type of information represents a significant section of that information.

5. Problem-solution organizational pattern

This type of organizational pattern is useful in dividing and arranging the information into two main sections; one will describe the problem and the other the solution. The problem-solving organizational pattern is generally best for persuasive writing, where the general purpose of sharing information is to convince the reader or listener to support a specific course of action.

This is designed to compel others to change their existing behavior, opinion or course of work by establishing the fact that a problem is in existence and next in providing a solution for that current problem.

There are two sections, in the problem section, you have to note down the various aspects of the issue along with the evidence and in the solution section, the potential solutions are identified. It also supports the effectiveness of the solution over others to give credence to its claims.

6. Compare-contrast pattern

This type of organizational pattern is useful in arranging the information as per the similarity factor or difference in two or more things. The compare-contrast organizational pattern is an effective method in the case where one subject is compared and described with another. Suppose you are familiar with one topic, then it becomes easy to compare it with another one to gain meaningful insight by exploring the similarities or differences between the two of them.

An important detail in the compare-contrast organizational pattern is that you have to undertake both options of discussing similarities as well as variations to make the narrative compare-contrast organizational pattern.

It is quite easy as the speaker usually bounces back and forth between the two subjects to clarify his point.

7. Cause-effect organizational pattern or causal organizational pattern

This type of organizational pattern is useful in showing the information in such a manner that different causes and effects of various conditions can be assumed from it. The cause-effect organizational pattern is best if you are writing a persuasive or an expository document in which you have to persuade to take some action plan to solve a problem.

This pattern demonstrates the relationship between variables with two significant variations. It can divide the outline to two relevant sections that will include cause and effect, or you can share the draft as per the different purposes and write the impact of each cause contained within the more significant causes section.

Narratives structured as cause-effect can easily explain the reason why something has taken place and the effect of that happening. Through this organizational pattern, the writer is describing what caused a result of the effects of a cause.

8. Advantage- disadvantage organizational pattern

This type of organizational pattern is useful in arranging the information by dividing it into two parts pros and cons or merely good and evil. The advantage-disadvantage organizational pattern should be used when the intention is to discuss both sides of the issue without taking a single stand.

There are several variations related to this pattern, and it is up to an individual which one he thinks will suit his needs best

9. Order of importance organizational pattern

This type of organizational pattern is useful in arranging the information as per the hierarchy of value. In the order of importance organizational pattern, the steps or ideas are prioritized, and the information is structured in a manner that depicts the most important to the least important or vice-versa from least important to the most important.

Remember either the options or structures are considered the order of importance organizational structure.