An organization has departments that are structured as Sales, Business Operations, and Quality Control. Each department has its own set of responsibilities, reporting lines and authorities, and they…

Question

Options

• AMatrix
• BFunctional
• CDivisional
• DFlat

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  90% (35)
• C
  3% (1)
• D
  5% (2)

Explanation

Functional is correct because the organization is grouped by specialized function - Sales, Business Operations, and Quality Control - where each department operates with its own defined responsibilities, reporting hierarchy, and autonomous control over internal processes. This is the hallmark of a functional structure: work is divided by area of expertise or business function.

Matrix (A) is wrong because matrix structures feature dual reporting lines, where employees report to both a functional manager and a project manager simultaneously - the scenario here describes independent departments, not overlapping authority.

Divisional (C) is wrong because divisional structures organize around products, markets, or geographic regions (e.g., a "North America Division"), not by functional specialty like Sales or Quality Control.

Flat (D) is wrong because flat structures are defined by minimal management layers and hierarchy, not by the presence of distinct departmental reporting lines and authorities.

Memory tip: Think "Functional = Function departments" - if you can name each department by what it does (selling, operating, controlling quality), it's a functional structure.

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