Prepare a 4–5-page white paper in which you explain how three selected functional areas are essential for an organization’s success and recommend the type of organizational structure best suited for the functional areas.
The functional areas within a business or organization contribute to the smooth and effective running of the business. Although the number and names of the functional areas vary from organization to organization, there are five that are key in almost every organization: human resources, accounting and finance, sales and marketing, production and operations, and information technology (IT) systems.
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By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 1: Explain the underlying principles of successful businesses.
Explain the primary purpose of functional areas of an organization.
Explain how the purpose of functional areas supports the organizational goals.
Describe the type of organizational structure best suited for functional areas.
Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for the field of business.
Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions.
Organizational structure shapes and defines behavior within an organization, details the lines of authority and accountability, and determines the nature of the organization’s relationship with its external stakeholders. It also maps the grouping of jobs within the organization and provides a transparent understanding of its management hierarchy.
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Ideally, organizations should be structured in ways that allow for the efficient and effective achievement of organizational goals. Having a clear organizational structure in place is a prerequisite for sustained success, yet many companies have organizational structures that do not contribute positively to their overall performance.
Within the overall structure of an organization are different areas that work together to help achieve the goals of leadership and personnel. These areas are often referred to as departments or functional areas. Human resources, sales and marketing, information technology, production and operations, and finance and accounting are some examples of functional areas. Organizations need functional areas, but not all organizations separate them the same way. Functional areas vary within organizations, depending on their focuses. Each area contributes in different ways to make sure the organizations reach their objectives and achieve effectiveness and efficiency.
In the past, large organizations tended to view their structures as more or less fixed hierarchies, part of the infrastructure required to build an entity that would last. In today’s business environment, most successful leaders view organizational structures as fluid, with frequent restructuring viewed as a primary means to keep the company competitive and responsive to the marketplace.
Functional Areas
Use the following resources to research functional areas for your assessment:
Kirova, V. (2017). Exploring the role of strategic marketing department. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 11(2), 27–38.
Heathfield, S. M. (2019). What does a human resources manager, generalist, or director do? Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-does-a-human-resources-manager-do-1918551
Wilson, J. M. (2018). Deconstructing the reinvention of operations management. Journal of Management History, 24(2), 128–155.
Hagel, J. (2013). The global finance function: Five focal points. Journal of Accountancy, 216(3), 20–21.
Moore, M. (2017, May 8). Who will be replaced by a robot? Ottawa Business Journal, 20(14), AFF314–AFF315.
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Organizational Structure
Use the following resource to inform the organizational structure most appropriate for your business:
Kotter, J. P. (2012). Accelerate! Harvard Business Review, 90(11), 43–58.
Preparation
Suppose leadership in the organization where you currently work (or have worked) is considering changes to organizational structure—in particular, to the functional areas it currently has. Before making any changes, the leaders have asked several managers, including you, to develop a white paper that outlines the managers’ recommendations for three functional areas that they believe to be essential to the success of the company. Based on the recommendations of each manager, as well as the strength of each manager’s arguments and supporting references, leadership will make final decisions.
Different areas within organizations work together to achieve organizational goals. These areas are often referred to as functional areas and typically include:
Human resources.
Sales and marketing.
Information technology.
Production and operations.
Finance and accounting.
Use the Capella library and the Internet to research functional areas of organizations and the purpose of these functional areas with regard to organizational goals. Use 3–7 reputable resources to support your writing in this assessment.
Requirements
Select the three functional areas from the bulleted list above that you believe to be essential to the success of your organization. For each functional area, describe the primary purpose of the area and then explain how that purpose works to promote and support the organizational goals.
Your white paper should have the following sections. You may use the Assessment 2 Template [DOCX] to create your white paper if desired.
Title page.
Introduction.
Explain the type of organization the assessment is based on and its primary goals.
Identify the three functional areas you believe are essential to the organizational structure.
Functional Area 1.
Explain the primary purpose of the functional area of an organization and why it is essential in supporting the overall organizational structure.
Explain how the purpose of the functional area supports the organizational goals in terms of continued organizational success.
Functional Area 2.
Explain the primary purpose of the functional area of an organization and why it is essential in supporting the overall organizational structure.
Explain how the purpose of the functional area supports the organizational goals in terms of continued organizational success.
Functional Area 3.
Explain the primary purpose of the functional area of an organization and why it is essential in supporting the overall organizational structure.
Explain how the purpose of the functional area supports the organizational goals in terms of continued organizational success.
Recommended Organizational Structure.
Describe the type of organizational structure best suited for the functional areas you selected and justify your recommendation.
Conclusion.
Explain how your recommendation will promote continued success of organizational goals.
References page.
Example assessment: You may use the Assessment 2 Exemplar [PDF] to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like.
Additional Requirements
Based on the intended audience, your white paper should be well organized and written in clear, succinct language.
Target 4–5 double-spaced pages of content, in addition to a title page and references page.
Include 3–7 reputable resources to support your ideas.
Follow APA rules for attributing sources that support your analysis and conclusions.
