Which type of organisation is divided according to the customer?

Product organisational structure is a framework in which a business is organised in separate divisions, each focusing on a different product or service and functioning as an individual unit within the company.

What is a product-based structure?

In a product-based structure (also known as a divisional structure), you assign employees into self-contained divisions according to:

  • the particular line of products or services they produce
  • the customers they deal with
  • the geographical area they serve

The structure may have several layers of managers and employees. Each layer (ie division) can have its own marketing team, its own sales team, and so on. A manager typically reports to the head of the company by product type, eg sporting goods, housewares and general merchandise. Certain key functions (eg finance or human resources) may be provided centrally.

For example, a computer software business may divide its structure according to its two distinct customer groups - home users and business users. In such an arrangement, all employees working on the development, sales or promotion of business software would be in one division, while everyone working on software for home users would be in another.

Product structure advantages and disadvantages

Product organisation may not suit everyone, but is likely to provide distinct advantages to those businesses that:

  • have particular product lines that are substantially different
  • require specialised expertise for production or distribution
  • target a few major customers that make up most of your business

Product structure can also help your business:

  • focus on specific market segments
  • meet customer needs more effectively
  • extend knowledge or expertise within specialised divisions
  • respond to market changes more flexibly and quickly
  • encourage positive competition between each department
  • coordinate and measure the performance of each division directly

Product organisational structure does have certain disadvantages, including being difficult to scale and potentially:

  • duplicating functions and resources, eg a different sales team for each division
  • dispersing technical expertise across smaller units
  • nurturing negative rivalries among divisions
  • over-emphasising divisional, rather than organisational goals
  • losing central control over each separate division

Product or divisional structure is mainly suitable for larger companies with two or more key product lines, strategic customers or markets.

For businesses operating in different markets or requiring distinct units, see also organisational structure by geographical area and decentralised organisational structure.

Hiring skillful employees is only the first step towards building a high-performing organization. You need to make every team member fit in. You need a clear organizational structure.

Large enterprises require an established, organized structure to coordinate large numbers of employees and avoid chaos. But smaller businesses and startups rarely think of designing an organizational structure in the first place.

This lack of structure leads to miscommunication, work delays, poor process flows, low morale, and other serious consequences that stunt business growth. In contrast, a strong organizational structure helps to coordinate teamwork, reduce conflicts, and boost productivity. 

The types of organizational structures in business are just as important as its products, marketing plan and long-term strategy. Businesses need a sturdy structure to attract and retain talented employees, as well as create a workable organizational hierarchy.

Typically, businesses choose from four types of organizational structure. Each comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right one for your business is imperative because poor organizational structure leads to confusion among employees, poor decision-making among managers and, ultimately, less than ideal results for a business.

Students in Point Park University’s online Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership  classes learn about management strategies and approaches to organizational design as part of a curriculum that prepares them for success as business leaders.

Picking The Right Organizational Structure

While there are variations, most companies are created based on one of the following four organizational structures. The goal for business leaders is picking the structure that works best for their particular situation.

Functional

A functional structure is the most traditional approach. It calls for grouping together people who do similar tasks based on their area of specialty. In other words, you’ll find all the accountants in finance and all the marketers in marketing. Managers led each area and report up to a director or executive who may oversee multiple departments.

The advantage here is clear: it provides those with similar abilities the ability to easily communicate and work on projects together. That’s also the reason this is the most popular business structure. The disadvantage is that teams may get “siloed,” unaware of what is happening in other areas of a company.

Divisional

In a divisional structure, people are grouped together based on the product or service they provide, not the work they do. For example, a large corporation such as General Electric has divisions for electronics, transportation, and aviation, each with its own team of accountants, marketers, etc. Global corporations may have divisions based on different geographic areas. On a smaller scale, a restaurant that also provides catering services may have separate divisions to oversee weddings, corporate events and business within the main restaurant.

Matrix

A matrix structure is a hybrid of the functional and divisional structures. It may involve employees reporting to different bosses depending on their current assignment. For example, a software design specialist may report to her boss in IT, but she’s also brought onto specific projects because of her expertise. When that happens, she will report to a different boss as long as that project continues.

The disadvantage is that employees may find it confusing to report to multiple bosses. But clear communication on priorities at all levels can eliminate these issues. The matrix structure requires a great deal of planning but can allow for the creation of the best possible teams to tackle the biggest challenges.

Flat

The flat structure dispenses with the usual hierarchy of a functional structure, decentralizing management and doing away with the need for middle manager bosses. Employees essentially act as their own boss, giving them the ability to communicate directly with peers on ideas and projects.

The advantage is a lot more freedom for employees, which requires a group of self-starters who don’t need managers checking up daily on their work. A flat structure is common in incubators and startups where the focus is on product and services design, not production or top-down management structures.

All four types of organizational structures in business can work well in the right situations. While most companies will choose from the functional or divisional approaches, a flat approach is becoming increasingly popular with modern companies.

What are the 4 types of organizational structures?

The four types of organizational structures are functional, multi-divisional, flat, and matrix structures. Others include circular, team-based, and network structures.

What is customer based organizational structure?

A customer service organizational structure is the hierarchy and roles that a company establishes within its customer service department. Customer service organizational structures help professionals understand the expectations for their roles and which managers and team leads they should contact with concerns.

What is a divisional organizational type?

Divisional. In a divisional structure, people are grouped together based on the product or service they provide, not the work they do. For example, a large corporation such as General Electric has divisions for electronics, transportation, and aviation, each with its own team of accountants, marketers, etc.

How are organizational divided?

In a functional structure, the organization is divided into groups by roles, responsibilities or specialties. For example, an organization may have marketing, finance and sales departments that are each overseen by a manager who also has a supervisor that oversees multiple departments.