2. Company structure
There exist different company structures – product structure, functional structure, matrix structure and others.
Most companies have traditional (functional) structure. Such companies are made up of three groups of people: the shareholders, the management, and the workforce.
The shareholders provide the capital.
The management includes both senior management and middle management.
At the top of the company hierarchy is the Board of Directors, headed by the President. The board is responsible for making policy decisions and for determining the company’s strategy. The Board usually appoints a CEO who has overall responsibility for the running of the business. Senior managers head the various departments or functions within the company, which may include the following: marketing, finance, production, human resources, research and development.
Words and phrases:
appoint - назначать
Board of Directors – совет директоров
CEO – Chief Executive Officer – исполнительный директор, главный администратор
company hierarchy – иерархия компании
determining the company’s strategy – определение стратегии компании
functional structure – функциональная структура компании
human resources - кадры
making policy decisions – принятие решений о политике компании
matrix structure – матричная структура компании
middle management – менеджеры среднего звена
overall responsibility – вся ответственность
product structure – продуктовая структура компании
research and development – исследования и разработки
senior management – менеджеры высшего звена
shareholders - акционеры
workforce – рядовые работники (рабочие или служащие)
2.1 Answer the questions:
1. What kinds of company structures do you know?
2. What structure is called ‘traditional’?
3. What is the function of the shareholders?
4. What is at the top of the company hierarchy?
5. Who heads the Board of Directors?
6. What are the Board’s responsibilities?
2.2 Find the English equivalents for the following Russian words:
состоять из, предоставлять капитал, нести полную ответственность, на вершине иерархии, возглавлять, назначать кого-либо, управление бизнесом, внутри компании, производство, исследования и разработки.
2.3 Match the words below with their antonyms from another column:
1. different a) few
2. most b) at the bottom of
3. group c) individual
4. at the top of d) similar
5. usually f) seldom
6. within g)outside of
2.4 In the text above find the verbs in the following grammatical forms: Ving, V3. Are all the verbs found regular?
2.5 In the same text find the verbs in Present Simple. Recollect the rule for Present Simple of the 3-rd person singular.
2.6 Study the organization chart of the company with functional structure:
2.7 Read the following sentences of six people talking about their work. Decide which of the six departments listed above they work for:
1) Every six months we produce a report showing how the company is doing. During the passed month we have been busy with our accountant preparing the results that will be included in our next report.
2) I am a member of a team of the engineers. We have just finalized the design of our new portable computer. This model will be more powerful and more adaptable than our previous one. We are constantly looking for new ideas and experimenting with new products.
3) Before selling our latest product our department must decide in which regions it will be most successful and what types of consumers we want to reach.
4) Communication is a key aspect of my department’s work. We answer inquiries made by our customers and we are also in contact with the press to inform them of our new products and changes within the company.
5) We have been having problems with the quality of certain electronic parts made in our factories. So several members of the department have got together to talk about improvements of some of our manufacturing techniques.
6) Our company is going through a difficult period and we have had to reduce the number of employees in several departments and to review salaries throughout the organization.