All businesses make decisions and carry them out efficiently. People need to know what they are doing. Businesses have a structure that groups people into areas of similar work so that it can be easily managed.Businesses which are divided up into different working groups are called 'Functional areas' Research is needed to find out how they are divided & understand how they work.To make products or provide services, a business is involved in:* Human resources* Finance* Administrati ...view middle of the document...
They deal with the following:* Recruitment, retention and dismissal* Working conditions* Health and safety* Training, development and promotionFinanceIn the finance department, people need to manage money coming in and going out of the business and also to keep financial records. They also need to understand these financial records in order to plan what to do next, they need to:* Preparing accounts* Pay wages and salaries* Obtaining capital and resources.AdministrationIn the administration department, people carry out day-to-day tasks. These activities cover:* Collecting and distributing mail* Filing and keeping records* Organising meetings* Cleaning and maintenanceProductionTo make a product or provide a service, a business needs resources such as:* People, for example operators, managers, support staff, specialists* Materials, for example products for retailing, raw materials* Equipment, for example vehicles, computers, machinery.Marketing and SalesBusinesses carry out a range of activities to find out about customers' needs and thenprovide for them. These activities include:* Market research* PromotionCustomer ServiceTo keep their customers happy, businesses provide a range of customer services,Including:* Providing information* Giving advice* Care and attention* After-sales service
