Organisational Structure Assignment help

 

Program	Diploma in Business
Unit Number and Title	Organisational Structure Assignment Help
QFC Level	Level 5

Part 1

a) Short Essay

Introduction

Organisational functions are the things done by a company, including production, marketing, sales, billing, human resource management, etc., and the organisational structure is the way of interaction between these departments and organisational functions. Organisational structure assignment is based on the allocation of roles, responsibilities and power of accomplishing various functions and processes to different departments and employees. Organisational functions and structure are very closely related, as the structure is mostly designed as per these functions, and if not, the functions and structure still exert a major influence on each other (Rubalcaba et al. 2010).

 

Body of essay

Primark has functions like the Han R department managing organisations’ huge workforce; operations department controlling day-to-day sales production, etc.; supply chain and logistics that ensure product supply to stores, raw material supply to production house, etc; IT sector controlling billings continuously and several other functions like marketing, finance. All these functions are interrelated and have an impact on the objectives as well as the structure of the company. For instance, the environment primark’s objective to be a profitable organisation with continuous growth, can be majorly influenced if any of the above-mentioned area fails to accomplish their assigned function. If the IT department faces problems and fails to perform the billing process, the business and sales of the company would be hampered and would negatively affect the company’s objective of generating profit (Schmieder-Ramirez and Mallette, 2015). This objective can also be impacted by the non-functionality of another department, like a failure of logistics to supply stock to the store or an employee strike. Similarly, the achievements of other objectives of Primark, like as having a sustainable business or providing quality products to people at reasonable prices, largely depend on different organisational functions.

Organisational functions are also interdependent and interrelated to each other. It can be explained that an effective HR policy keeps the workforce motivated, which increases the overall productivity and efficiency, which further leads to enhanced business and profitability. The interconnectivity of these functions has its own advantages and disadvantages. The effective and efficient functionality of the HR and PR department, including marketing and promotion, has a direct impact on the sales department. Good marketing and promotional activity increases sales dramatically and thus is beneficial for both the departments as well as the whole company. But the disadvantage of this interconnectivity is that an error or non-functionality of a single function or department would impact almost every function and would affect the business as a whole.

 

Conclusion

This interconnectivity of functions also influences the structure of the organisation. As shown in the figure 1(b) below, the organisational structure of Primark is a matrix structure where employees work similar to a functional organisational structure, manage function based departments and have to report to their respective managers but at times they may also be assigned tasks by different manager from different department (Sawyer, 2004). The HR, PR and sales department of Primark are very closely interconnected, where marketing, promotion, buying and sales go hand in hand, and employees also work in collaboration and cooperation with each other. While the management and finance departments are quite separately managed.

 

                           Fig: 1(b): organisational Structure of Primark                                              

Thus, it can be said that organisational functions play a major role in determining organisational structure and also help in directing activities for the achievement of organisational objectives.
 

Need help with an assignment? No worries, mate, our expert assignment helpers are here to help you with all your assignments. Whether you are an MBA student or an engineering student, we have got you all covered. Contact us today by clicking on “Upload Assignment”.

 

Part 2

a) Report         

Section 1

Both macro and micro environment factors have an impact on the business operations of companies like Primark, and UK is one of the prominent markets for Primark with a huge market share. Macro environmental analysis of the company can be done using the PESTLE framework, while micro environmental analysis would be done using the SWOT framework for assessment. Once that is done, then a correlation between both analysis and their impact on the decision-making process would be discussed and critically evaluated. PEST analysis is used on a regular basis to maximise the benefits of the organisation and enable the identification of new business and marketing trends (Kotler, 2009). It is also used to observe the external factors that have very high influence on a specific department of an organisation. It may help in identifying potential changes and also clarify why change is required.
 

Section 2: PESTLE

• Political:- The Political environment of UK is currently stable and conducive for business. There is some ambiguity regarding the Brexit situation, but it is not making much impact on the business of Primark because it has a strong presence in both UK as well as European markets. Government policies are in favour of business growth, and it would be easier for Primark to make decisions regarding their investments because there would not be many changes in policies, taxation and other such political decisions.
• Economic:- The economic growth rate of UK is not very high, but it is stable and has a large base. The income of the company’s target population is increasing, and thus, it would be a great opportunity for the company to enhance its business. The company is focusing on middle and upper class people of “Y” or tier-II cities, and thus, increasing the number of stores in these potential areas is a decision that which company can take (Dudovskiy, 2013).
• Social:- The socio-cultural factors of UK market are such that people prefer to purchase products from organisations like Primark, where they can buy their products of daily usage under one roof and at competitive prices. It makes the weekly shopping trip for most of the working-class people only a one-stop activity. This is the factor on which Primark should build its strategy.
• Technological:- Countries like UK have a large number of smartphone users, internet and social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram users, and therefore, the company has adopted these latest technological advancements in their marketing and promotional activities. Primark can use the advanced technological developments of UK to enhance its operational efficiency and effectiveness. Introducing new techniques for bringing out major advancements to stand out in the competition can be an important factor in affecting the UK business organisations. Such factors are responsible for driving organisations towards adopting new technologies and inventions (Hall, 2012). Thus, the above-mentioned factors, such as social, legal, political and technological factors are greatly responsible for affecting UK organisations to such a great extent. Any amendments or changes in these factors will eventually influence Primark in almost every aspect of its business.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis is an acronym which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It helps in assessing a firm’s strengths, weaknesses, market opportunities open to it and threats which the company has to face. SWOT analysis is a useful framework for understanding and decision-making for all sorts of situations in the business. It includes both internal and external factors. Strength and weakness are internal to an organisation, and opportunity and threat are external to the organisation (Afonso & Sousa, 2012).

Strength Strong financial muscle Presence in most of the towns and cities of UK Strong brand name and brand value Competitive pricing because of outsourced manufacturing	Weakness Opposed by local traders. The shopping experience becomes too impersonal. Too much dependency on contract manufacturing. Lack of designer clothing.
Opportunities Huge growth potential in UK and European markets still. Economies are out of the recession after the meltdown of 2009, and they are ready for a period of growth. Technological advancements and HR training and development can boost the efficiency of the company.	Threats Competition is very stiff and cutthroat in the retail industry. Profit margins are continuously slipping because of competition in the market. The growth rate of these economies is relatively low, and it would not help the companies gain a higher-than-average growth rate.

 

Section 3

If a detailed analysis is to be done, it can be seen that strength which are mentioned in the framework coincides with the macro environmental factors of the country. Financial strength is one of the company’s core strengths, and considering the economic situation of UK and the business pattern of Primark, they have a strong revenue model which can fuel any decision made by Primark regarding its expansion and developing new stores. Similarly, it can be seen that HR policies of the company, their training and development requirements are also continuously evolving and developing strong HRM strategies, which would help in gaining a higher retention rate for the company. One of the core weaknesses of the company is the high attrition rate of employees. Decisions regarding better HR policies, training of employees and their clear progression of career are in correlation with this core weakness, and it is an attempt to reduce the weakness levels which act as a hindrance in the growth of the company (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006).

To facilitate international proliferation and meet the challenges of globalised business model differentiation and focus is the primary strategy which are followed by Primark. Primark has always been used to follow the strategy of a low-cost provider, but now that strategy is not just limited to that only, but it is also developing clothing lines and products which can be premium priced. This is to create the differentiation aspect in their products, which is one of the opportunities they are exploring.  This strategy focuses on supplying a product which is different from your competitors. This strategy helps to improve brand loyalty and reduce price sensitivity, which might help Primark to improve its profit margins.

 

A) Reflective report

While collecting information and data to write this report, I became aware of several essential components and factors that play an essential role in the decision-making process, as well as setting up objectives for an organisation. I realised that an organisation does not work in a vacuum and is majorly affected by the marketing environment in which it operates. There are various local, national and international factors that exert a major impact on its operations, functionality, business and overall profitability (Armstrong, 2006). I got the opportunity to understand that local factors are termed as micro environmental factors that involve a self-analysis of the organisation. It can be done using the SWOT analysis model, where the company’s strengths, weaknesses, available opportunities to grow and potential threats hampering progress can be identified. Identification of these factors greatly helps the company in the strategic planning process, selecting appropriate ways and methods to achieve organisational objectives and finally implementing these actions to get desired outcomes. Micro environmental analysis assists in evaluating strengths of the company that may be used to gain a competitive advantage over others, while weaknesses are identified, that must be considered, and steps must be taken in a direction to overcome them. The company may make decisions and formulate strategies to take maximum advantage of available opportunities in the market, and the identification of threats allows them to be prepared and effectively manage these negative business situations.

In addition, the importance of macro environmental analysis, including national and international factors, cannot be overlooked. I got to know that it is done using the PESTLE framework, where the impact of political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors of the market on the business is analysed and evaluated. These factors have a major impact on new business strategies, help in depicting market trends, and therefore are of major use when a company is planning to enter a new market. This analysis not only depicts the impact of these macro environmental factors on the whole company but also depicts these effects on specific departments, allowing the company to identify areas needing improvements and changes and thus, the company can change accordingly. This framework analyses the external market in such a way that existing opportunities are highlighted that may be effectively used, and the overall business can be strengthened, and potential threats, such as some upcoming competitors, are also identified. Further, the target population, their needs, requirements and preferences can be identified. Therefore, the organisations can make decisions and formulate strategies that would bring maximum benefit and would lead to minimum damage (Schiller, 2011).

I learned that these factors have a strong impact on a company’s marketing campaigns and promotional activities and are extremely important to be considered while choosing an appropriate strategy or making strategic plans (Moon, 2013). The final outcomes and success of marketing campaigns can be really enhanced, and a strong brand image can be created in the market. The company can identify existing market opportunities and the requirements of a new product, a new marketing strategy or any potential change requirement is depicted by these factors.  The company can also gain a competitive advantage over others and may successfully grow to achieve leading positions in the market.
 

Get your assignments done from our experts before the submission dates. At Locus Assignments, our experts are industry professionals having over a decade of experience in academic writing. Click on “Upload Assignments” now and submit a flawless assignment.

 

References

• Afonso, A. & Sousa, R.M. (2012). The macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy. Applied Economics, 44(34), pp.4439-4454.
• Armstrong. M. (2006). A handbook of  Human Resource Management  Practice (10th edition), Kogan Page, LondonISBN 0-7494-4631-5
• Curtis, M. (2015). Business news: Open House at Picanol.-Rieter cuts Swiss jobs.-Primark joins SAC.-Auriga adds US capacity.-A good lie down at Heimtextil.-FR issues for furnishings. (6), 4-5.
• Dudovskiy, J. 2013. Impact of Global Forces on UK Business Organisations (online) available at http://research-methodology.net/impact-of-global-forces-on-uk-business-organisations/ last accessed on 9/11/2016
• Hall, S. (2012), http://www.ehow.com/facts_6899691_implications-policy-monetary-policy-business.html [Accessed: 10 November 2016]
• Moon, J. A. (2013).Reflection in learning and professional development: Theory and practice. Routledge.
• Rubalcaba, L., Gallego, J. And Hertog, P.D., (2010). The case of market and system failures in service innovation. The Service Industries Journal, 30(4), pp.549-566
• Sawyer, M. (2004) – The UK Economy: A Manual of Applied Economics, 16th edition (OUP Oxford; 2004) ISBN:9780199266517
• Schiller, B. R. (2011). The macro economy today. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
• Schmieder-Ramirez, J. and Mallette, L. (2015) Using the SPELIT Analysis Technique for Organisational Transitions, Chapter 28 of "Education Applications and Developments" edited by Mafalda Carmo, Science Press