Organization Structure: What is functional departmentalization?
Introduction
What is organizing? Organizing means arranging the activities in such a way that they systematically contribute to enterprise goals. An organization consists of people whose specialized tasks are coordinated to contribute to the organization's goals.
The usual way of depicting an organization is with an organization chart. It shows the structure of the organization; specifically, the title of each manager's position and, by means of connecting lines, who is accountable to whom and who is in charge of what area. The organization chart also shows the chain of command (sometimes called the scalar chain or the line of authority) between the top of the organization and the lowest positions in the chart. The chain of command represents the path a directive should take in traveling from the president to employees at the bottom of the organization chart or from employees at the bottom to the top of the organization chart (Dessler, p. 120).
At Phoenix Logistics, our organization chart is a creation of functional departmentalization. Functional departmentalization means grouping activities around basic functions like manufacturing, sales, and finance (Dessler, p. 122). At our company, each department is organized around a different business functions: sales/marketing, product development, and technical support. In addition, we have a group of supervisors within each department. These supervisors' functions include planning, control, and administration. At each of the Department Heads, we also have a staff that works in each department, with an Office Supervisor. The basic idea of Phoenix Logistics' functional departmentalization is to group activities around the core functions our company must carry out. Hence, our core functions are to create, integrate and deliver business-critical transaction management systems and services that enable the energy industry to enhance reliability and profitability in the competitive market place.
Advantages & Disadvantages
What is organizing? Organizing means arranging the activities in such a way that they systematically contribute to enterprise goals. An organization consists of people whose specialized tasks are coordinated to contribute to the organization's goals.
The usual way of depicting an organization is with an organization chart. It shows the structure of the organization; specifically, the title of each manager's position and, by means of connecting lines, who is accountable to whom and who is in charge of what area. The organization chart also shows the chain of command (sometimes called the scalar chain or the line of authority) between the top of the organization and the lowest positions in the chart. The chain of command represents the path a directive should take in traveling from the president to employees at the bottom of the organization chart or from employees at the bottom to the top of the organization chart (Dessler, p. 120).
At Phoenix Logistics, our organization chart is a creation of functional departmentalization. Functional departmentalization means grouping activities around basic functions like manufacturing, sales, and finance (Dessler, p. 122). At our company, each department is organized around a different business functions: sales/marketing, product development, and technical support. In addition, we have a group of supervisors within each department. These supervisors' functions include planning, control, and administration. At each of the Department Heads, we also have a staff that works in each department, with an Office Supervisor. The basic idea of Phoenix Logistics' functional departmentalization is to group activities around the core functions our company must carry out. Hence, our core functions are to create, integrate and deliver business-critical transaction management systems and services that enable the energy industry to enhance reliability and profitability in the competitive market place.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Cited: Dessler, Gary. Management, Leading People and Organizations in the 21st Century (2nd ed.), 2001. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.