Elements of an Organizational Analysis Paper

Organizational analyses examine how organizations are structured and how they operate. They help internal or external evaluators clearly understand how a specific organization functions by describing the roles and responsibilities of each division within that organization. Private businesses, nonprofits, and public organizations such as schools use these documents.

Context and Background

Organizational analysis papers begin with a brief description of the context and history of the organization. This may include information about when and why the organization was founded and by whom, how it has grown since its founding and how it operates now. For example, an organizational analysis paper might explain that a coffee shop was founded 12 years ago with just two employees but now employs more than 40 people who serve coffee to more than 300 people a day in two different locations.

Personnel and Divisions

Organizational analyses describe divisions in an organization, such as human resources or manufacturing, as well as specific titles, such as president or assistant manager. For example, an paper focusing on a small high school might note that personnel are divided into faculty, staff and administrators. Faculty members include teachers and teachers’ aides, staff includes front office workers and maintenance personnel and administrators include the principal and assistant principal.

Management Structure

The analysis provides detailed information about how the organization is managed and by whom. This section includes a list of everybody considered “management,” from team leaders to the chief executive officer. It describes each management position’s specific responsibilities. For example, an organizational analysis paper focusing on a nonprofit organization might indicate that the organization has a board of directors who oversee general operations, a manager in charge of fundraising and a managing coordinator in charge of directing volunteers.

Public Interface

The paper should describe how the organization interacts with the public. For example, an analysis of a sit-down restaurant might describe the specific employee positions charged with greeting and seating customers, such as hosts or maitre d’hotels, and positions responsible for taking orders, refilling beverages or offering bread or desserts. The analysis thoroughly describes each position’s responsibilities and how it coordinates work with other positions.