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Cases

Ohjelma
Bike Lease Finland

Bike Lease Finland

Leasing and maintenance of employee bicycles, digital services.

Ohjelma
Excelence Solutions

Excelence Solutions

Consulting and data analytics, expert services and consulting.

Ohjelma
Finnish Timber Oy

Finnish Timber Oy

Ecological log buildings and construction site processes, project business.

Ohjelma
Green Scape

Green Scape

Customized green wall services for B2B clients, service business.

Ohjelma
Marine Craft

Marine Craft

Customized motorboats, project delivery, manufacturing industry.

Ohjelma
Scandinavian Design

Scandinavian Design

Leasing and maintenance of company bicycles, digital services.

Task

Analysis of Business Structure and Form



In this task, the student analyzes the business form and ownership structure of a case company. They identify the owners, roles, and responsibilities, and evaluate the benefits and drawbacks that the chosen business form brings to the company's operations and owners. Finally, the student considers how well the current structure supports the company's goals and in what situations changes might be necessary. The task reinforces understanding of how business form, ownership, and responsibilities are connected to the everyday operations and long-term development of a business.

Learning objectives

After completing the task, the student:
1. Can identify the key features of the case company's business form and ownership structure.
2. Can describe the company's roles and responsibilities in a simple and understandable way.
3. Can analyze the benefits and drawbacks of the chosen business form in the context of the case company.
4. Can reflect on how the business structure and form support the company's goals and development.

Step by step

  1. Analysis of corporate structure and corporate form

    Objective:
    The objective of this assignment is for the student to identify the case company’s legal form and ownership structure and describe the key roles and responsibilities. In addition, the aim is to consider what benefits and drawbacks the chosen legal form brings to the owners, operations and growth.

    Material:

    • The case description of the selected case company from the learning material.

    • The assignment is based on the information in the case description and on moderate assumptions about the owners, roles and responsibilities.

    Assignment process (instructions for the student):

    1. Identify the case company’s legal form and owners
      First describe what legal form the case company has (e.g. sole proprietorship, limited liability company, partnership, cooperative).
      Write briefly:

      • who the owners are (e.g. private individual, family, several entrepreneurs, another company)

      • how many owners there are and how the ownership is roughly divided

      • whether you assume that the owners work in the company or are mainly investors.

    2. Describe the company structure, roles and responsibilities
      Write a short verbal “organisation description” in which you explain:

      • what the key roles are (e.g. CEO, sole entrepreneur, team leads, board)

      • who is responsible for which area (e.g. sales, finance, production/service delivery, HR)

      • which responsibilities and decisions are concentrated with the owners and which with the operational management.
        Briefly justify your assumptions based on the case description.

    3. Analyse the benefits of the chosen legal form
      Discuss for about half a page what advantages the chosen legal form is likely to bring to the case company. You may examine for example:

      • speed and flexibility of decision-making

      • opportunities for financing and growth

      • benefits related to liability (e.g. liability limited to the company, shared risk)

      • credibility in the eyes of customers and partners.
        Use examples to explain how these benefits appear in the specific situation of this case company.

    4. Analyse the drawbacks and limitations of the chosen legal form
      Write a half-page analysis of the disadvantages or limitations that may be associated with the legal form. You may consider for example:

      • personal risk for the owners

      • bureaucracy and administrative obligations

      • difficulty in obtaining financing or dependence on certain owners

      • how easy it is to bring in new owners or partners.
        Link the assessment to the case company’s size, industry and growth objectives.

    5. Consider whether the structure and legal form support the company’s goals
      Assess how well the current legal form and ownership structure support the case company’s strategy and future plans. Answer briefly for example:

      • whether the structure is suitable for the current size and risks

      • which situations might in the future require changing the legal form or structure (e.g. rapid growth, new investor, generational change).

    6. Write a concise conclusion
      Finally write a 5–7 sentence summary in which you:

      • state what the biggest advantage of the current legal form is for the case company

      • identify the most important drawback or risk

      • evaluate whether the legal form or ownership structure should be developed, and if so, in which direction.

    Submission and evaluation:
    Submit a text of approximately 1–2 pages that includes:

    • the case company’s legal form and ownership structure

    • the key roles and responsibilities within the company

    • an analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of the legal form from the case company’s perspective

    • well-justified conclusions on how well the company structure supports the company’s goals.

    Evaluation focuses on how well you:

    • identify and structure the key features related to the legal form and structure

    • link the general benefits and drawbacks of legal forms to the concrete situation of the case company

    • present the perspectives of the owners, company operations and customers

    • write clearly, logically and with justification.

    Recommended working time: about 45–60 minutes, individually or in pairs.

Tasks by audience and theme

University of applied sciences

Polytechnics and higher education studies.

68 tasks