Ana Marinkovic Gender Equity Advocate

Nurturing diversity is incredibly important to Ana Marinkovic, Executive General Manager of Small Business at NAB. Alongside launching a female talent program (1500 Degrees), Ana remains committed to ensuring her team and colleagues are consistently given the right opportunities and challenges to grow and expand their capabilities. “As a leadership team, we have a responsibility to provide the right learning environment for our people, creating springboards and opportunities of progression for all,” she continues. “I believe in bringing your full self to work and I remain committed to developing a strong talent pool that reflects the diversity of Australian communities. In time, a diverse talent pool grows into a diverse leadership group which allows for future generations to see themselves reflected in the leaders around them – and this is something I’m passionate about.”

Over the years, Ana has actively championed diversity in all spaces. This means appreciating different points of view, learning new skills and giving voice to underrepresented communities. In particular, Ana is passionate about advocating for female entrepreneurs. Female business owners have jumped by 46% over the past 20 years, a driving force with an abundance of inspiration and motivation to help them succeed. Despite this growth, female entrepreneurs receive just 3% of venture capital funding, with finance being one of the many challenges that these female-led businesses can face. Ana sees tremendous potential amongst female small business owners and encourages everyone to see the same, “We all need to thank about how we can remove unconscious bias when it comes to women in business, and how we can step up and actively support female entrepreneurship”.

The Psychosocial Hazards of Juggling Multiple Bosses: Navigating the Matrix Organizational Structure

In the dynamic landscape of modern workplaces, organizational structures have evolved to meet the demands of complex projects and interdisciplinary collaborations. The matrix organizational structure, prevalent in industries such as technology and cybersecurity, has emerged as a solution to provide specialized support for specific programs. However, this structure, characterized by multiple bosses for employees, can pose psychosocial hazards, particularly when roles and expectations are unclear.

Role Conflict and Lack of Clarity

One of the primary contributors to psychosocial hazards in a matrix structure is role conflict and a lack of role clarity. Conflicting priorities within roles, uncertainty about tasks and work schedules, and ambiguous standards can create an environment where employees feel overwhelmed and stressed. The struggle to balance competing demands often leads to feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction.

Advantages of Matrix Organizational Structure

While the matrix structure offers numerous advantages, such as collaboration between different departments and enhanced communication, it also brings forth challenges that can impact employees’ psychological well-being.

1. Collaboration between Different Departments: The matrix structure fosters collaboration between highly skilled team members from diverse departments, capitalizing on internal resources and expertise.

2. Combines Project and Functional Management Structures: Combining project and functional management structures increases efficiency, adaptability, and responsiveness to market demands. Read on