Final answer:
c. By sharing resources across projects
A matrix structure optimizes resource use by sharing resources across projects, aiming to balance the reduction of transaction costs with the avoidance of high conformity costs, which leads to efficient and informed decision-making.
Step-by-step explanation:
A matrix structure optimizes the use of resources by sharing resources across projects. This approach allows for team members with specialized skills to be utilized efficiently on multiple projects, thereby maximizing their expertise and reducing idle time.
Unlike centralized decision-making, which may lead to a bottleneck in the decision process, or the complete absence of project managers, which could lead to disjointed efforts, a matrix structure strives to find a balance by enabling flexibility and collaboration.
In terms of transaction costs and conformity costs, a matrix structure aims to strike a balance by reducing transaction costs that come from extensive bureaucracy while avoiding the conformity costs that arise when decisions are made without adequate input from various experts.
Group decision-making within a matrix can lead to better-informed choices, as it involves multiple stakeholders, but it's orchestrated in such a way to prevent the process from becoming too cumbersome and time-consuming.