Final answer:
When organizing a business, the number of departments can vary based on its complexity. Organizing entails structuring the company's tasks and responsibilities, as seen in various roles within simple establishments like restaurants or complex entities like factories or hospitals. Mergers and acquisitions can further change organizational structures, often requiring downsizing.
Step-by-step explanation:
When organizing a business, there could be many departments or just a few. Organizing involves arranging and structuring work to accomplish the organization's goals. This typically includes detailing what tasks need to be done, who is going to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made.
For instance, in a modern business context, task division is evident across various types of organizations. A simple restaurant may have roles ranging from a top chef to less-skilled kitchen help, servers, a greeter, and a business manager. Each of these positions plays a part in the overall operation of the establishment. On the other hand, a complex business such as a large factory or a hospital can have hundreds of job classifications, indicating a more extensive organizational structure.
Moreover, businesses can grow and re-organize through mergers and acquisitions, often leading to the redefining of departments and potential downsizing due to the duplication of services between the two companies. Overcoming such organizational challenges requires careful planning and change management.