Final answer:
Whirlpool's approach, where managers from various functions form teams focused on specific products, exemplifies a team-based structure. This structure promotes teamwork, quick adaptation to changes, and collegial interactions between employees of different levels within the organizational culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
In North America, when Whirlpool managers from traditional functions such as operations, marketing, and finance work together in teams devoted to specific products, the team-based structure is being used. This type of organizational structure involves grouping diverse skills, experiences, and expertise to accomplish a specific task or goal. Team-based structures have become more common in modern businesses to encourage collaboration and to respond quickly to the fast-paced changes in technology, economics, and globalization. This is a departure from traditional hierarchical structures and allows for flat organizational relationships, even enabling entry-level employees to provide feedback to directors.These teams could be problem resolution teams, creative teams, or tactical teams, depending on the task at hand, and they represent an ongoing trend towards collegial relationships within the workplace, where feedback and input are solicited from members across all levels of the company. Organizational culture and structure are critical for businesses as they divide tasks and responsibilities to ensure effective operations and management.