Syllabus: OCR - GCSE Business
Module: 3. People
Lesson: 3.2 Organisational Structures and Different Ways of Working

Introduction

This lesson, part of OCR’s GCSE Business specification (J204), explores how organisational structures and working practices shape modern businesses. It addresses core aspects of how businesses operate internally, making it highly relevant for exam success and real-world application. With clear ties to workplace structures, management styles and flexible working trends, this topic also helps learners link classroom theory to what they might experience in future careers.

Key Concepts

The OCR GCSE Business syllabus outlines that learners should understand:

• Types of organisational structure, including tall, flat, centralised, and decentralised models.

• Advantages and disadvantages of different structures in terms of communication, control and decision-making.

• The impact of organisational structure on employee roles and responsibilities, including how structure can affect communication flow and career progression.

• Different ways of working, including:

  • Full-time vs part-time

  • Flexible hours

  • Remote or hybrid working

  • Job sharing and freelance models

• Why businesses adopt different working practices, including technological advances, cost-saving, employee wellbeing, and responsiveness to customer needs.

These ideas build understanding of how internal decisions can influence efficiency, culture, and competitiveness.

Real-World Relevance

Major UK retailers like John Lewis have embraced flatter structures to empower frontline staff with decision-making authority, aiming to improve customer service. Meanwhile, tech firms like Spotify and Atlassian structure teams into autonomous “squads” to foster innovation and speed. On the working practices front, PwC has shifted to a “work where it works” model post-COVID, showing the growing value of flexible and hybrid work in retaining talent and enhancing productivity.

Embedding these examples into lessons gives students a sense of how textbook structures come to life in real organisations.

How It’s Assessed

This topic is examined through Component 1: Business activity, marketing and people of the OCR GCSE Business paper.

Students might encounter:

• Multiple-choice and short-answer questions testing knowledge of key terms (e.g. centralisation, hierarchy).

• ‘Explain’ and ‘analyse’ questions where learners must link organisational structure to business performance or employee outcomes.

• ‘Evaluate’ questions requiring students to weigh up different structures or working practices for a given business scenario.

Key command words to prep for:

• Explain: demonstrate understanding with a reason or example.

• Analyse: show logical chains of reasoning.

• Evaluate: compare pros and cons and make a supported judgement.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This lesson naturally supports the development of enterprise capabilities, particularly:

• Decision-making: understanding which structure fits best in different scenarios.

• Problem-solving: evaluating organisational challenges and proposing improvements.

• Collaboration: appreciating team-based working structures and roles.

• Communication: interpreting how structure affects message flow and morale.

Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations can reinforce these by placing students in the shoes of managers making structural and staffing decisions under pressure. It turns a potentially dry topic into an engaging, experiential learning moment.

Careers Links

This topic aligns with Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5 and 6 through its clear application to workplace organisation and emerging employment trends.

Relevant career pathways include:

• Human Resources

• Operations and Logistics

• Project Management

• Office/Facilities Management

• Freelance/Portfolio Work (especially in creative and tech sectors)

Students gain insight into how jobs are structured and why work is increasingly flexible, preparing them for both traditional employment and freelance environments.

Teaching Notes

Tips for delivery:

• Use role-play or simulations where students take on roles in tall vs flat organisations to explore decision-making speed and communication clarity.

• Case studies (e.g. McDonald’s vs a start-up) help contrast centralised and decentralised systems.

• Invite local professionals (even virtually) to speak about their workplace models.

Common pitfalls:

• Students often confuse centralised/decentralised with tall/flat structures. Use diagrams and examples to reinforce distinctions.

• Working practices terminology can be muddled—consider a matching task or glossary quiz.

Extension ideas:

• Run a “Design Your Own Business” challenge where students must choose and justify their organisational structure and working practices.

• Explore ethical issues—e.g. gig economy flexibility vs insecurity.

For a fully plug-and-play reinforcement experience, Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations map directly to this unit and can be used to consolidate learning with zero extra planning.