Today’s retail world is increasingly moving online in an effort to woo customers. Research and identify a retailer from each of these three types: (1) brick & mortar: on-ground presence only, (2) brick & click: on-ground and online presence, (3) click & buy: online presence only. Describe the structures of each of these three firms in terms of the six key elements given in the chapter. If possible, draw a generalized organizational chart for each type of retail organization based on your research.
Tips – Think out of the box… do different organizations that we are not used to hearing about. Examples we all know about are Apple, Amazon, Google, etc.
Six key elements
- Identify the seven elements of an organization’s structure.
- Identify the characteristics of the functional structure, the divisional structure, and the matrix structure.
- Identify the characteristics of the virtual organization, the team structure, and the circular structure
- Describe the effects of downsizing on organizational structures and employees.
- Contrast the reasons for mechanistic and organic structural models.
- Analyze the behavioral implications of different organizational designs.
