What is organizational structure?

Organizational structure refers to the formal manner in which an entity is arranged. A company, for example, will develop an organizational structure to put its various work areas into complementary parts. An organizational structure helps to define the working parts of the organization and to also give these areas a level or rank within the organization. In an organizational structure, each worker's position is identified by the function it serves in the greater organization, as well as how reporting levels are defined for each part. When a company becomes formally organized, the structure usually includes the reporting relationships between the executives and directors with the managers and employees.

What is it important to learn about organizational structure?

It's important to learn that organizational structure is a critical component to have in place as an organization grows. The larger the organization, the more complex the organizational structure will likely be. You'll learn about organizational leadership and talent alignment, corporate culture and change management, and benchmarking and innovation strategies. Massive global companies, with thousands of employees around the world, have dedicated staff members that work on organizational structure. These people in these positions deal with projects like employee allocation, supervision and coordination, and how employees view the organization.

What career opportunities can arise from learning organizational structure?

A career move into organizational structure can give you varied work opportunities in human resources management, business operations, and innovation strategy. Some of these jobs are outsourced to top consulting firms, but other companies and organizations build their own internal teams. As you work toward these organizational structure opportunities, you can use your background in software analysis, business strategy, and behavioral management as inroads to these positions.

How can taking online courses help me learn organizational structure?

There’s a lot to discover about organizational structure topics when you take online courses, such as organizational psychology, behavioral management, and organizational alignment. These are the areas in which corporations need talent to help them get better at organizational structure. By taking online courses in organizational structure, you'll learn a firm foundation of how people work, how companies use their talents effectively, and what it takes to keep the entire organization structured efficiently.

What are the benefits of taking an online Organizational Structure course?

Online Organizational Structure courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Organizational Structure skills. Choose from a wide range of Organizational Structure courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Organizational Structure courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Organizational Structure, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best Organizational Structure Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Organizational Structure Course Catalog

Status: Preview
Stanford University
Organizational Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Organizational Structure, Social Network Analysis, Decision Making, Organizational Leadership, Organizational Change, Strategic Decision-Making, Business, Culture, Sociology, Analysis, Resource Management, Case Studies, Coordination, Negotiation
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.6K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Designing the Organization
Skills you'll gain: Organizational Structure, Governance, Organizational Strategy, Organizational Effectiveness, Organizational Change, Business Management, Innovation, Systems Thinking, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Thinking, Growth Strategies, Decision Making
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
1.7K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Macquarie University
Organisational design: Know your organisation
Skills you'll gain: Human Resource Strategy, Organizational Strategy, Organizational Structure, Organizational Effectiveness, Workforce Planning, Organizational Change, Risk Management, Business Strategy, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Report Writing
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
1.7K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Preview
Politecnico di Milano
Fundamentals of Organization
Skills you'll gain: Business Process Management, Organizational Structure, Decision Making, Game Theory, Operational Efficiency, Organizational Effectiveness, Business Management, Problem Solving, Business, Complex Problem Solving, Business Strategy, Coordination
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
192 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
Strategic Organization Design
Skills you'll gain: Organizational Structure, Organizational Strategy, Organizational Effectiveness, Organizational Change, Strategic Leadership, Business Strategy, Strategic Decision-Making, Strategic Planning, Growth Strategies, Innovation
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
304 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Northwestern University
Organizational Leadership
Skills you'll gain: Influencing, Persuasive Communication, Design Thinking, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Leadership, Strategic Communication, Innovation, Collaboration, Crisis Management, Negotiation, Organizational Leadership, Ideation, Team Leadership, Resource Allocation, Human Centered Design, Teamwork, Motivational Skills, Corporate Communications, Marketing Strategies, Marketing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
5.3K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

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Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Leading Technical Organizations
Skills you'll gain: Crisis Management, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Planning, Workplace inclusivity, Leadership, Business Ethics, Business Planning, Critical Thinking, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Team Leadership, Organizational Change, Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership Development, Organizational Strategy, Planning, Strategic Decision-Making, Organizational Leadership, Collaboration, Change Management
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
27 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Rice University
Organizational Leadership in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Skills you'll gain: Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives, Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Programs, Intercultural Competence, Diversity Training, Human Resource Strategy, Strategic Planning, Diversity Awareness, Employee Retention, Demography, Workplace inclusivity, Benchmarking, Social Justice, Cultural Diversity, Human Resources, Recruitment Strategies, Peer Review, Organizational Development, Workforce Development, Leadership and Management
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
327 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
Competitive Strategy and Organization Design
Skills you'll gain: Mergers & Acquisitions, Customer Retention, Business Research, Business Strategy, Organizational Structure, Organizational Strategy, Peer Review, Game Theory, Strategic Thinking, Competitive Analysis, Strategic Partnership, Product Strategy, Report Writing, Business Consulting, Growth Strategies, Organizational Effectiveness, Strategic Decision-Making, Management Consulting, Organizational Change, Analysis
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.7K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google Cloud
Organizational Change and Culture for Adopting Google Cloud
Skills you'll gain: Business Transformation, Site Reliability Engineering, Innovation, Digital Transformation, Serverless Computing, Application Programming Interface (API), Technology Strategies, Hybrid Cloud Computing, Safety Culture, Data Strategy, Organizational Change, Change Management, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Solutions, Google Cloud Platform, Culture Transformation, People Management, Cloud Computing, CI/CD, Service Level
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.7K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Michigan State University
Structure: Building the Frame for Business Growth
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statements, Intellectual Property, Income Statement, Business Planning, Balance Sheet, Financial Modeling, Organizational Structure, Business Strategies, Team Management, Cash Flows, Regulation and Legal Compliance, Legal Risk, Recruitment Strategies
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
158 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IESE Business School
Organizational Behavior: How to Manage People
Skills you'll gain: Leadership
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
1.3K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks