Corporate structure, also referred to as organizational structure, formally defines the tasks, reporting relationships, and communication channels that link the work of diverse individuals and groups. It is the framework that outlines the management hierarchy, establishing clear lines of authority and responsibility. Within the context of ISO 22301, understanding the organization's corporate structure is a fundamental requirement (Clause 4.1) for establishing a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS), as it determines how roles, responsibilities, and authorities (Clause 5.3) are assigned and managed.

B. Corporate Service: This term refers to the functions or services provided by a corporation, either internally (e.g., IT, HR) or externally to customers, not its management hierarchy.

C. Corporate Improvement: This describes processes and initiatives, such as those guided by the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, aimed at enhancing organizational performance, not its structural framework.

D. Corporate Defences: This term typically relates to strategies used to prevent hostile takeovers or manage major external threats; it does not describe the internal reporting structure of an organization.

1. International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (2019). ISO 22301:2019 Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Requirements.

Clause 4.1, "Understanding the organization and its context," states that the organization must determine internal issues relevant to its purpose, which can be related to "governance, organizational structure, roles and accountabilities." This directly links organizational structure to the foundational understanding of the organization's hierarchy.

Clause 5.3, "Roles, responsibilities and authorities," requires top management to assign and communicate responsibilities and authorities, which are defined and operationalized through the established corporate structure.

2. Hiles, A. (2011). The Definitive Handbook of Business Continuity Management. John Wiley & Sons.

Chapter 4, "Policy and Programme Management," discusses the necessity of defining the organizational structure for business continuity. It emphasizes that a clear structure is essential for assigning roles and responsibilities, ensuring accountability, and establishing the hierarchy for decision-making during a disruption.

3. Robbins, S. P., & Coulter, M. (2018). Management (14th ed.). Pearson.

Chapter 10, "Basic Organizational Design," defines organizing as "arranging and structuring work to accomplish the organization’s goals." It explicitly states that organizational structure is the "formal arrangement of jobs within an organization," which includes the chain of command or management hierarchy.