COMPANY STRUCTURE

HOW ARE COMPANIES ORGANIZED?

Discussion:
what kind of organization do you want to work for?
in which department?
do you think it will later be possible to change
departments?
what do you think your first position will be?
do you expect to have one immediate boss, to work for
more than one superior, or to be part of a team?
HOW ARE COMPANIES ORGANIZED?
Vocabulary: Match up the words on the left with
the definitions on the right.
1 autonomous A a system of authority with different levels, one above
the other
2 decentralization a specific activity in a company, e.g. production,
marketing, finance
3 function independent, able to take decisions without
consulting a higher authority
4 hierarchy D people working under someone else in a hierarchy
F the power to give instructions to people at the level
5 line authority below in the chain of command
G to be responsible to someone and to take instructions
6 report to from him or her
E dividing an organization into decision-making units
7 subordinates that are not centrally controlled
HOW ARE COMPANIES ORGANIZED?
Reading: Read the text below, about different
ways of organizing companies, and then label the
diagrams, according to which of these they
illustrate: line structure, functional
structure, matrix structure, staff structure
HOW ARE COMPANIES ORGANIZED?
Comprehension: Which of the following three
paragraphs most accurately summarizes the text,
and why?
HOW ARE COMPANIES ORGANIZED?
Discussion: The text mentions the often incompatible goals
of the finance, marketing and production (or operations)
departments. Classify the following strategies according to
which departments would probably favour them.
a factory working at full capacity
a large advertising budget
a large sales force earning high commission
a standard product without optional features
a strong cash balance
a strong market share for new products
generous credit facilities for customers
high profit margins
large inventories to make sure that products are available
low research and development spending
machines that give the possibility of making various different
products
self-financing (using retained earnings rather than borrowing)
HOW ARE COMPANIES ORGANIZED?
Describing company structure
This is an example of part of a company organization
chart:
HOW ARE COMPANIES ORGANIZED?
Describing company structure
The most common verbs for describing structure are:
consists of , contains, includes, is composed of , is
made up of , is divided into

e.g.
The company consists of five main departments.

The marketing department is made up of three units.

The sales department is divided into two sections.

HOW ARE COMPANIES ORGANIZED?
Describing company structure
Other verbs frequently used to describe company
organization include:
to be in charge of, to be responsible for, to support or
to be supported by, to assist or to be assisted by, to be
accountable to

e.g.
The marketing department is in charge of the sales force.

The marketing department is responsible for advertising,

sales promotions and market research.
The five department heads are accountable to the
Managing Director.
BIG AND SMALL COMPANIES
Discussion: Do you, or would you, prefer to
work for a big or a small company or
organization? Why? What are the
advantages of each?
BIG AND SMALL COMPANIES
Read the following statements, and decide whether they are
about the advantages of working in a big or small company.
If you have problems with your colleagues you can always change
departments.
The atmosphere is friendlier and you know everyone.
You are often responsible for a variety of different tasks.
You can actually see the result of your contribution to the company.
You can be proud of working for a company with a national or
international reputation.
You can become more specialized in your work.
You can deal with problems face-to-face.
You have a better possibility of realizing your potential.
You have more independence, and you don't always have to wait for
permission from a superior.
You may be able to go and work in a foreign subsidiary.
You often get greater freedom, flexibility and openness to change.
You'll probably get a slightly higher salary.
You're unlikely to be fired in a sudden reorganization or downsizing.
Your company will be in a better position in an economic downturn or
recession.
WORK AND MOTIVATION
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
The following sentences define some basic words
about work. Which ones?
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
The following sentences define some basic words
about work. Which ones?
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
Discussion
People dislike work and avoid it if they can.
Work is necessary to peoples psychological well-being.
People avoid responsibility and would rather be told what
to do
People are motivated mainly by money.
Most people are far more creative and ingenious than their
employers realize.
People are motivated by anxiety about their security.
People want to be interested in their work and, given the
right conditions, they will enjoy it.
Under the right conditions, most people will accept
responsibility and want to realize their own potential
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
Reading :You may have noticed that the statements above
can be separated into two groups reflecting two very
different ways in which employers can treat their
employees. These two approaches were summarized by a
well-known American theorist of the psychology of work,
Douglas McGregor, who named them Theory X
and Theory Y. Read the following text and then classify the
statements above according to which theory they support.
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
Summarizing: Read the text again and complete the
following sentences, using your own words as much as
possible.
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
Discussion
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
Summarizing
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
Case Study: Motivation
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
THANK YOU!