Organizational chart

An organizational chart (often called organization chart, org chart, organigram(me), or organogram) is a diagram that shows the structure of an organization and the relationships and relative ranks of its parts and positions/jobs.

History

See also Category:Historical organizational charts and Tree diagram#History

Early civilisation figurative examples of organizational activity depicted

Sumerian

Standard of Ur, war side, c. 2600 BC
Standard of Ur,peace side, c. 2600 BC
Standard of Ur at British Museum

Egypt

Agricultural Scenes, Tomb of Nakht, 1400–1390 BC
Depiction of craftworkers in ancient Egypt
Scene from Book of the Dead, c. 1075–945 BCE

Maya

Relief with Enthroned Ruler, 8th c.

Classical Greece, Hellenism, Rome

Greece; Part of Parthenon Frieze, 4th c. BC
Hellenistic, Alexander Mosaic, 100 BC
Roman soldiers and Germans, 235 CE
Gordian III and senators, 3th c.

Early Christianity, Europe

Court of Emperor Justinian, 547
Empress Theodora and attendants, 547
Harbaville Triptych, 10th c.

Medieval examples of organizational structures depicted

Byrthferth enchiridion, ca. 1080
Hortus Deliciarum, Die Philosophie mit den sieben freien Künsten, 1180
Family tree of medieval noble family, 12th century
Coronation of Henry the Lion, 12th century
Shield of the Trinity}} from a manuscript of Peter of Poitiers' writings, c. 1210.
Jacob van Maerlants, Der naturen bloeme, 13th c.
King Arthur - Chronicle of England, 1307
King Henry I and the sinking White Ship, 1307
King Henry II England and Thomas Becket, 1307
Round Table in the Grand Hall, Winchester, England, United-Kingdom, 1348
St. Thomas Aquinas Between Doctors of the Old and New Testaments, 1366
Philip IV of France, 14th century
Organizational Structure of the Empire of the Holy Roman Empire in Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493
Tuebinger Hausbuch Freie Kuenste, 15th century
Double-headed eagle with coats of arms of individual states, symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, 1510
Wapenkaart uit huis van Ridderschap van Utrecht met edelen en hun ridderhofsteden ca 1674.

Comment

Earlier examples of pure schemata can be found in the 9th-10th century work of Alcuin's Disputatio de rhetorica et de virtutibus regis Karli et Albini magistri. see for example here, at Digitale Bibliothek - Münchener; or in similar works here at the Bern, Burgerbibliothek; here at St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek.

19th century, rise of modern organizational chart

Royal Society of Arts (Great Britain), 1808
New York and Erie Railroad Company, 1835
Listing of company officials and principal officers, 1848
New York and Erie Railroad Diagram representing a plan of organization by D.C. McCallum, 1855
New York and Erie Railroad Company directors and officers, 1856
Listing of principal officers by D.C. McCallum, 1856
Table of rate and direction of subordination of railroad company by George Leonard Vose, 1857
Diagram of the Federal Government and American Union, 1862
USSC Org chart by John Y. Culyer, 1863
Our national chart, 1866
Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad Company, 1866
Conseil municipal de Paris 1874
Mobile & Ohio Company, 1885
Present organization of an Arsenal by Captain Henry Metcalfe, 1885
Proposed Organization of Arsenal by Captain Henry Metcalfe, 1885
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, 1888
Skeleton of a Railroad Organization by Edward Porter Alexander, 1889
Scheme of authority of Railroad Company by T.H Browne, 1894.
Staff Organisation Diagram by Lewis, J. Slater, 1896
National Export Exhibition, officers and associates, 1899

20th century

1900s, rise of general application of organizational charts

United States Rubber Company organization chart, 1902
General subdivision of the departments of a machine shop, 1903
Further subdivision of the departments of a machine shop, 1903
Steubenville Traction & Light Co., 1904
Detroit, Monroe & Toledo Short Line Railway, 1905
Father Hagerty's Wheel of Fortune, 1905
Chart of Business Organization, 1905
Chart of Purchasing Department, 1905
Chart of Advertising Department, 1905
Chart of Sales Department, 1905
Chart of Stock Department, 1905
Chart of Order Department, 1905
Chart of Shipping Department, 1905
Organizational Chart, 1905
Segregation of an Industrial Body into Authorities and Departments, 1905
Graphic Chart, showing the System of Organization and Management of the Modern American Shop or Manufacturing Plant, 1906
1908
Chart of Duties, Responsibilities and Authorities of Department Heads, 1909.
Chart of a Corporate Manufacturing Enterprise, 1909.
Chart of a Corporate Trading Enterprise, 1909.
A Chart of Working Authorities in a Manufacturing Business, 1909
Chart of Working Authorities in a Trading Business, 1909

1910s

General Organization Chart of Equipment Department, 1910
Outline of Organization Chart, 1914
Organization Chart of a large Company Manufacturing Stoves, 1914
Chart showing Internal Organization of Specialty Store, 1915
Chart showing Internal Organization of Department Store, 1915
Wheeled chart of National Bureau of Standards activities, 1915
Class battle fronts diagram, 1917
US Federal fuel administrators, 1917 (1)
US Federal fuel administrators, 1917 (2)
Tabulating Machine Co Org. Chart, 1917
Schemat organizacyjny, 1918

1920s

Municipal Railway of SF org chart July 1921
Radial tree - Graphic Statistics in Management, 1924
Plan of Organization for National Livestock Producers Association by Randall (1), 1928
Plan of Organization for National Livestock Producers Association by Randall (1), 1928
Plan of Organization for National Livestock Producers Association by Randall (3), 1928
WERAG Organigramm, 1929