Assertion (A): A functional structure may lead to functional empires, wherein the importance of a particular function is overemphasised.
Reason (R): A functional structure places less emphasis on overall enterprise objectives than on the objectives pursued by a functional head.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Assertion (A): A functional structure may lead to functional empires, wherein the importance of a particular function is overemphasised. — True. In a functional empire, a department head treats his own function as the most important one. This is a disadvantage of functional structure.
Reason (R): A functional structure places less emphasis on overall enterprise objectives than on the objectives pursued by a functional head. — True. Each functional head works for the goals of his own department. The goals of the enterprise as a whole get less weight.
Why R explains A?
R says each head puts his department’s objectives above the enterprise’s objectives. Because of this, every head tries to make his own function look the most important. So that function is overemphasised and grows into a functional empire. R is the cause, and A is its result.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Disadvantages: The functional structure has certain disadvantages which an organisation must take into consideration before it adopts it. Some of them are as follows: |