Which concept describes an organization structure with core staff plus insourced and outsourced peripheral workers?

• A. Shamrock organization
• B. Short-listing
• C. Teleworking
• D. Training

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is the shamrock organization. It envisions a small core of permanent staff handling essential, long-term work, surrounded by a layer of insourced or regular workers who support the core but aren’t part of it, and a outer layer of outsourced workers supplied by external providers to handle variable or specialized tasks. This structure lets the organization stay flexible and control fixed labor costs by adjusting the peripheral workforce as demand changes, while keeping the core stable. The description in the question fits this idea precisely, describing core staff plus both insourced and outsourced peripheral workers. The approach offers adaptability and cost efficiency, but it can raise coordination and knowledge-transfer challenges as work moves between internal and external personnel. This concept differs from short-listing, which is about selecting candidates; teleworking, which is about where work is done; and training, which is about developing skills.