![](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hubfs\/b2b-marketing-team-structure-2-20250508-5086695.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
When it comes to different types of B2B organizational structures, it\u2019s important to consider which one serves your goals and allows you to reach your market.<\/p>\n
Decisions to make include things like chain of command (long or short?), span of control (wide or narrow?), and centralization (centralized or decentralized decision-making?), among others.<\/p>\n
Now, let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n At a minimum, an org structure chart should include employees\u2019 titles and basic relationships across teams.<\/p>\n To put it simply, an organizational structure is like a map that simply explains how your company works and how its roles are organized. Like me, you\u2019ve probably worked in a variety of organizational structures.<\/p>\n You may know that different types of organizational structures can use functions, markets, products, geographies, or processes as their guide. They can also cater to businesses of specific sizes and industries.<\/p>\n What’s the point of an organizational structure? And, as a business leader, do you even need one?<\/p>\n Beyond aiding onboarding, if you need to pivot or shift your leadership, you can visualize how the workflows might change by adjusting your organizational structure diagrams.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n An organizational structure typically has four essential elements \u2014 and you can add more building blocks or components depending on your business needs.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t stress this enough: make sure you include the following basic elements.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Your chain of command is how tasks are delegated and work is approved. An org structure allows you to define how many “rungs of the ladder<\/a>” a particular department or business line should have.<\/p>\n In other words, who tells whom to do what? And how are issues, requests, and proposals communicated up and down that ladder?<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>Traditional businesses or hierarchical organizations that require clear authority lines and defined roles for decision-making and accountability.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Departmentation is one of the most important elements of your organizational structure. It clusters your teams by similar roles and responsibilities and allows you to understand how each department connects to one another.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Companies that need specialization by function, product, process, or geography to streamline tasks and improve efficiency.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Your span of control can represent two things: who falls under management and which tasks fall under a department\u2019s responsibility.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Organizations that need to balance workloads. Having a defined span of control avoids double-work from your different teams and helps you identify gaps in your structure.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Centralization describes where decisions are ultimately made. Once you\u2018ve established your chain of command, you\u2019ll need to consider which people and departments have a say in each decision.<\/p>\n A business can lean toward centralized, where final decisions are made by just one or two entities. They can also be decentralized, where final decisions are made within the team or department in charge of carrying out that decision.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Small to mid-sized businesses or organizations in highly regulated industries needing tight control over decisions.<\/p>\n Below, we\u2018ll explore how you can combine those components to form different types of organizational structures. We\u2019ll also highlight the benefits and drawbacks of different structure types so you can evaluate which is the best option for your company, division, or team.<\/p>\n Let’s dive in.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Organizational structures fall on a spectrum, with \u201cmechanistic\u201d at one end and \u201corganic\u201d at the other.<\/p>\n Take a look at the diagram below.<\/p>\n As you’ll probably be able to tell, the mechanistic structure represents the traditional, top-down approach to organizational structure, whereas the organic structure represents a more collaborative, flexible approach.<\/p>\n Mechanistic structures, also called bureaucratic structures<\/a>, are known for having narrow spans of control, as well as high centralization, specialization, and formalization. They’re also quite rigid in what specific departments are designed and permitted to do for the company.<\/p>\n This organizational structure is much more formal than an organic structure, using specific standards and practices to govern every decision the business makes. And while this model does hold staff more accountable for their work, it can become a hindrance to creativity and agility.<\/p>\n As daunting and inflexible as mechanistic structure sounds, the chain of command, whether long or short, is always clear under this model.<\/p>\n As a company grows, it needs to make sure everyone (and every team) knows what’s expected of them.<\/p>\n Teams collaborating with other teams as needed <\/em>might help get a business off the ground in its early stages, but sustaining that growth \u2014 with more people and projects to keep track of \u2014 will eventually require some policymaking.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> highly-regulated industries and those that handle significant life-or-death situations \u2014 hospitals, fire departments, accounting firms, etc.<\/p>\n Organic structures (also known as \u201cflat\u201d structures) are known for their wide spans of control, decentralization, low specialization, and loose departmentalization.<\/p>\n This model might have multiple teams answering to one person and taking on projects based on their importance and what the team is capable of, rather than what the team is designed to do.<\/p>\n This organizational structure is much less formal than mechanistic, and takes a bit of an ad-hoc approach to business needs.<\/p>\n This can sometimes make the chain of command, whether long or short, difficult to decipher. As a result, leaders might give certain projects the green light more quickly, but cause confusion in a project’s division of labor.<\/p>\n That said, organic structure empowers employees to try new things and develop as professionals, making the organization\u2019s workforce more powerful in the long run.<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>Startups that are navigating a fast-moving industry or simply trying to stabilize themselves after a rough quarter. I have more experience working in and with organic structures, where the organizations are flatter and team members have more leeway. While it\u2019s not a realistic structure for every marketing agency or creative business, I find they often work well for creative teams.<\/p>\n Now, let’s uncover more specific types of organizational structures, most of which fall on the more traditional, mechanistic side of the spectrum.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n There are several types of organizational structures commonly used by companies. I\u2019m diving into 10 of the most popular below, most of which I\u2019ve either worked in or with <\/em>as clients.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Companies with clearly defined job roles that benefit from specialization, especially in stable environments.<\/p>\n One of the most common types of organizational structures, the functional structure, departmentalizes an organization based on common job functions.<\/p>\n An organization with a functional org structure, for instance, would group all of the marketers together in one department, group all of the salespeople together in a separate department, and group all of the customer service people together in a third department.<\/p>\n Download This Template<\/a><\/p>\n The functional structure allows for a high degree of specialization for employees and is easily scalable should the organization grow.<\/p>\n Also, this structure is mechanistic in nature, which has the potential to inhibit an employee\u2018s growth \u2014 putting staff in skill-based departments can still allow them to delve deep into their field and find out what they\u2019re good at.<\/p>\n The fixed structure of a functional organization also operates through management. What I like about this type of organizational structure is that employees have a clear chain of command and know exactly who to go to and when.<\/p>\n It guides communication between the team and keeps the team accountable. On the flip side, I\u2019ve found that there\u2019s often a lot of bureaucracy in these organizations, and it can be like pushing a boulder uphill to make even small shifts or decisions.<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>organizations with multiple products, and can help shorten product development cycles. This allows small businesses to go to market with new offerings fast.<\/p>\n A divisional organizational structure consists of multiple, smaller functional structures (i.e., each division within a divisional structure can have its own marketing team, sales team, and so on).<\/p>\n In this case, a product-based divisional structure, each division within the organization is dedicated to a particular product line.<\/p>\n Download This Template<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve found that this type of organizational structure is fantastic because it leads to deep expertise in each division.<\/p>\n However, there can be a lot of redundancy and a lack of brand cohesion with a variety of different marketing departments (likely other types of departments as well, but my experience falls under the marketing category).<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> organizations that have products or services that are unique to specific market segments, and is particularly effective if that organization has advanced knowledge of those segments.<\/p>\n Another variety of the divisional organizational structure is the market-based structure, wherein the divisions of an organization are based around markets, industries, or customer types.<\/p>\n Download This Template<\/a><\/p>\n This organizational structure also keeps the business constantly aware of demand changes among its different audience segments.<\/p>\n One of the biggest challenges I\u2019ve seen when working with companies using this type of information structure is that the left hand doesn\u2019t always know what the right hand is doing \u2014 leading to miscommunication between different departments.<\/p>\n However, the bottlenecks tend to be much smaller than in a functional organizational structure.<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>organizations that need to be near sources of supply and\/or customers (e.g. for deliveries or for on-site support). It also brings together many forms of business expertise, allowing each geographical division to make decisions from more diverse points of view.<\/p>\n The geographical organizational structure establishes its divisions based on \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 geography. More specifically, the divisions of a geographical structure can include territories, regions, or districts.<\/p>\n Download This Template<\/a><\/p>\n Candidly, I have a lot of fun working with clients with this type of organizational structure. Each team has a distinct flavor and vibe based on the region, and while it can be challenging to bring them all together, I love the ability to tailor the market so specifically to geographic preferences.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> improving the speed and efficiency of a business, and is best-suited for those in rapidly changing industries, as it is easily adaptable.<\/p>\n Process-based organizational structures are designed around the end-to-end flow of different processes, such as \u201cResearch & Development,\u201d \u201cCustomer Acquisition,\u201d and \u201cOrder Fulfillment.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike a strictly functional structure, a process-based structure considers not only the activities employees perform but also how those different activities interact with one another.<\/p>\n To fully understand the diagram below, you need to look at it from left to right: The customer acquisition process can\u2018t start until you have a fully developed product to sell. By the same token, the order fulfillment process can\u2019t start until customers have been acquired and there are product orders to fill.<\/p>\n Download This Template<\/a><\/p>\n The biggest problem I\u2019ve seen with this type of organizational structure is that they hit information and sales siloes. So, if this is a structure you use, it\u2019s a good idea to make sure that each department can work well together.<\/p>\n For example, let\u2019s say you have a sales department that focuses on new client acquisition, a department that focuses on installation and onboarding, and another that focuses on maintenance and client support.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve worked with them to find ways to cross-sell and upsell between departments. That ensures that they use similar processes and the same CRM<\/a> to ensure each is working with the same data for a streamlined and improved client experience. Failure to do so means that you could be leaving a lot on the table.<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>Organizations that want to provide both flexibility and more balanced decision-making (as there are two chains of command instead of just one).<\/p>\n Unlike the other structures we\u2018ve looked at so far, a matrix organizational structure doesn\u2019t follow the traditional, hierarchical model.<\/p>\n Instead, all employees (represented by the green boxes) have dual reporting relationships. Typically, there is a functional reporting line (shown in blue) as well as a product-based reporting line (shown in yellow).<\/p>\n When looking at a matrix structure org chart, solid lines represent strong, direct-reporting relationships, whereas dotted lines indicate that the relationship is secondary or not as strong. In our example below, it’s clear that functional reporting takes precedence over product-based reporting.<\/p>\n Download This Template<\/a><\/p>\n Having a single project overseen by more than one business line also creates opportunities for these business lines to share resources and communicate more openly with each other \u2014 things they might not otherwise be able to do regularly.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t have as much personal experience with this type of organizational structure, but I can see how it could work well for smaller organizations or companies that offer franchises or work with a variety of independently owned businesses (like dealerships).<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>Collaborative, leadership-driven organizations where communication and shared vision flow outward from the center.<\/p>\n While it might appear drastically different from the other organizational structures highlighted in this section, the circular structure still relies on hierarchy, with higher-level employees occupying the inner rings of the circle and lower-level employees occupying the outer rings.<\/p>\n That being said, the leaders or executives in a circular organization aren\u2018t seen as sitting atop the organization, sending directives down the chain of command. Instead, they\u2019re at the center of the organization, spreading their vision outward.<\/p>\n Download This Template<\/a><\/p>\n From an ideological perspective, a circular structure is meant to promote communication and the free flow of information between different parts of the organization.<\/p>\n Whereas a traditional structure shows different departments or divisions as occupying individual, semi-autonomous branches, the circular structure depicts all divisions as being part of the same whole.<\/p>\n Like the matrix structure, I have very little experience with a circular structure. While ideologically, I like the idea, it seems quite confusing from a business perspective, especially as the organization grows.<\/p>\n However, if your company is heavily focused on learning, growth, and mentorship, or is mission-driven, this could be an incredible structure that aids growth and communication.<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>While I\u2019m not sure how well it would work for a larger company, it\u2019s fantastic for smaller, highly productive, or creative businesses.<\/p>\n A more traditional organizational structure might look more like a pyramid \u2014 with multiple tiers of supervisors, managers, and directors between staff and leadership. However, the flat structure limits the levels of management so all staff are only a few steps away from leadership.<\/p>\n It also might not always take the form of a pyramid, or any shape for that matter. As we mentioned earlier, it’s also a form of the \u201cOrganic Structure\u201d we noted above.<\/p>\n Download This Template<\/a><\/p>\n This structure is probably one of the most detailed. Employees can also often be more productive<\/a> in an environment where there’s less hierarchy-related pressures<\/a>. This structure might make staff feel like the managers they do have are more like equals or team members rather than intimidating superiors.<\/p>\n I love flat structures \u2014 one of my first agency experiences was in an organization with a flat structure.<\/p>\n For less experienced team members, it\u2019s easy to get advice and support and to develop mentor-mentee relationships with leadership, whether informal or formal. For more experienced team members, it\u2019s rewarding to help emerging professionals grow.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Companies that don\u2019t do everything under one roof, for example, a company might have an outside, instead of an inside sales team<\/a>. This is a great way to show employees or stakeholders how outsourcing off-site processes works.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n A network structure is often created when one company works with another to share resources, or if your company has multiple locations with different functions and leadership.<\/p>\n You might also use this structure to explain your company workflows if much of your staffing or services is outsourced to freelancers or multiple other businesses.<\/p>\n The structure looks nearly the same as the Divisional Structure, shown above. However, instead of offices, it might list outsourced services or satellite locations outside of the office.<\/p>\n For example, if an employee needs help from a web developer for a blogging project and the company’s web developers are outsourced, they could look at this type of chart and know which office or person to contact outside of their own work location.<\/p>\n I\u2019m seeing more companies that have a network organizational structure, especially with the push to remote work in the years following the pandemic.<\/p>\n Because these structures are more decentralized, they allow a greater degree of flexibility and autonomy, while still following core ideas. These are also great structures for franchises.<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>When I\u2019ve worked with this type of organizational structure for marketing agencies, I found it to be a great way to create deep expertise in specific industries or verticals.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n A team-based organizational structure is designed to give team members enough freedom and leeway to work towards the organization\u2019s goals without significant bottlenecks.<\/p>\n And while team-based structures can look a lot like divisional or functional structures, the focus is on a self-managing group of largely autonomous employees.<\/p>\n Team-based organizations might use words like \u201cScrum teams\u201d and focus on problem-solving, rapid iteration, and performance instead of a traditional hierarchy.<\/p>\n If your company is agile, has multiple priorities, or develops a variety of product types, a team-based structure could be a great fit because it gives your employees more ownership of the task(s) at hand.<\/p>\n As someone who likes to take action, test things, and then perfect them (or find a better solution), I love working with agile team-based organizational structures.<\/p>\n They make decisions quickly and focus on getting things done one step at a time.<\/p>\n They\u2019re fantastic for tech companies, startups, and digital transformation experts. I\u2019ve also found they can be great for marketing agencies, because the structure allows them to pivot rapidly with shifts in the market.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Organizational structure can both refer to your company\u2019s structure at large, or your individual teams. No matter what, you usually want to have a different structure for each department due to the distinct needs and functions of each one.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll start with organizational structure examples for both companies, then delve into team-specific charts.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n This matrix organizational structure example for an imaginary engineering company starts with the CEO at the helm.<\/p>\n However, instead of including a C-suite (such as a chief marketing officer, a chief finance officer, a chief technology officer, and so on), it includes vice presidents who then oversee individual contributors.<\/p>\n Each contributor works cross-collaboratively with members of other teams on a specific customer project. In my opinion, this type of organizational structure is a good example to follow if you run a small-to-medium company in a project-based or region-based firm.<\/p>\n Top tip: <\/strong>Where you have teams working cross-collaboratively, it\u2019s essential to have a detailed report of what\u2019s happened on customer accounts. In HubSpot\u2019s Service Hub<\/a> you can track customer accounts and interactions so all team members have account history in one easy-to-update place.<\/p>\n\n
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Four Basic Elements of Organizational Structure<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Chain of Command<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"example](\"https:\/\/shaneyphotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/b2b-marketing-team-structure-3-20250508-748381.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nDepartmentation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nSpan of Control<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nCentralization<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nMechanistic vs. Organic Organizational Structures<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMechanistic Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Organic Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. Functional Organizational Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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2. Product-Based Divisional Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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3. Market-Based Divisional Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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4. Geographical Divisional Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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5. Process-Based Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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6. Matrix Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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7. Circular Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"organizational](\"https:\/\/shaneyphotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/b2b-marketing-team-structure-14-20250508-8473183-1.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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8. Flat Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"organizational](\"https:\/\/shaneyphotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/b2b-marketing-team-structure-15-20250508-3609298.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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9. Network Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"infographic](\"https:\/\/shaneyphotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/b2b-marketing-team-structure-16-20250508-6721680.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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10. Team-Based Organizational Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"infographic](\"https:\/\/shaneyphotography.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/b2b-marketing-team-structure-17-20250508-3818374.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nDisadvantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Advantages<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Organizational Structure Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Company Organizational Structure Example: Matrix Type<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n2. Marketing Organizational Structure Example: Functional Type<\/strong><\/h3>\n