Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility for managing all business activities. In the United Kingdom, the term head office (or HO) is most commonly used for the headquarters of large corporations. The intended benefit of headquarters is to carry out purposeful regulatory capacity. The term is also used regarding military organizations.
Corporate
A headquarters is the entity at the top of a corporation that takes full responsibility for the overall success of the corporation, and ensures corporate governance. The corporate headquarters is a key element of a corporate structure and covers different corporate functions including strategic planning, corporate communications, tax, legal operations, marketing, finance, human resources, information technology, and procurement. This entity includes the chief executive officer (CEO) as a key person and their support staff such as the CEO office and other CEO-related functions; the "corporate policy making" functions, including all corporate functions necessary to steer the firm by defining and establishing corporate policies; the corporate services encompassing activities that combine or consolidate certain enterprise-wide needed support services, provided based upon specialized knowledge, best practices, and technology to serve internal (and sometimes external) customers and business partners; and the bidirectional interface between corporate headquarters and business units.
Business unit
A headquarters normally includes the leader of a business unit and their staff, as well as all functions to manage the business unit and operational activities. The head of the business unit is responsible for overall result of the business unit.
Regional
A headquarters sometimes functions at the top of a regional unit, including all activities of the various business units, taking full responsibility for overall profitability and success of this regional unit.
Military
Military headquarters take many forms, depending on the size and nature of the unit or formation they command. Typically, they are split into the forward, main and rear components, both within NATO nations, and those following the organization and doctrine of the former Soviet Union (see Isby, 1988).
The forward or tactical headquarters, known as "tac" for short, is a small group of staff and communicators. Usually very mobile, they exist to allow the commander to go forward in an operation, and command the key parts of it from a position where they can see the ground and influence their immediate subordinates.
The main HQs (known as 'main') is less mobile and is involved in both the planning and execution of operations. There are a number of staff assembled here from various staff branches to advise the commander, and to control the various aspects of planning and the conduct of discrete operations. A main HQ for a large formation will have a chief of staff (CoS) who coordinates the staff effort; in a smaller HQ this may be done by the second-in-command.
The rear or logistic headquarters is some distance from the battle or front line in conventional operations. Its function is to ensure the logistical support to front line troops, which it does by organizing the delivery of combat supplies, materiel and equipment to where they are needed, and by organizing services such as combat medicine, equipment recovery, and repair.
Religious
The headquarters of the Catholic Church is Vatican City. The World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses is relocated in Warwick, New York, from its former location, Brooklyn, New York. The headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church is in Danilov Monastery, Moscow. The World Council of Churches, including Orthodox Churches, has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The headquarters of Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is located in Istanbul, Turkey. The headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Anglican Communion Office is in London.
Martial arts
In Japanese budō martial arts such as karate, judo, aikido, kendo, etc., there is usually a headquarters for each organization or region. The Japanese word honbu (本部) is generally used for that, also outside Japan. Sometimes they refer to these headquarters as honbu dojo (本部道場) in which dojo (道場) is a facility provided for practicing discipline, the training ground. Sometimes honbu is written as hombu, the way it is pronounced, but the Hepburn transcription is honbu in which the 'n' is a syllabic n.[citation needed]
Notes
- In this context, the term regulatory capacity includes but is not limited to self-regulating activities.
References
- Marquis, Christopher; Tilcsik, András (October 2016). "Institutional Equivalence: How Industry and Community Peers Influence Corporate Philanthropy". Organization Science. 27 (5): 1325–1341. doi:10.1287/orsc.2016.1083. hdl:1807/78042.
- Aguilera-Caracuel, Javier; Aragón-Correa, Juan Alberto; Hurtado-Torres, Nuria Esther; Rugman, Alan M. (February 2012). "The Effects of Institutional Distance and Headquarters' Financial Performance on the Generation of Environmental Standards in Multinational Companies". Journal of Business Ethics. 105 (4): 461–474. doi:10.1007/s10551-011-0978-7.
- Graham, David; Woods, Ngaire (May 2006). "Making corporate self-regulation effective in developing countries". World Development. 34 (5): 868–883. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2005.04.022.
- "HQDA agencies". army.mil. Archived from the original on 2011-01-29.
- "Honbu dojo definition | Tai Chi Dictionary/Yin". SportsDictionary.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- Tomislav Kuzmić. "HONBU". EUdict. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20.
Further reading
- Isby, David C. (1981). Weapons and Tactics of the Soviet Army. Jane's. ISBN 978-0-531-03732-4.
- Wanner, Herbert (2006). "Global and regional corporate headquarters". In Kälin, Christian H. (ed.). Switzerland Business & Investment Handbook: Economy - Law - Taxation, Real Estate - Residence, Facts & Figures - Key Addresses. John Wiley. ISBN 978-3-280-07096-3.
- Wanner, Herbert; LeClef, Xavier; Shimizu, Hiroshi (2004). "Global Headquarters on the Move: From Administrators to Facilitators" (PDF). Prism. Arthur D. Little.
Headquarters commonly referred to as HQ denotes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated In the United States the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility for managing all business activities In the United Kingdom the term head office or HO is most commonly used for the headquarters of large corporations The intended benefit of headquarters is to carry out purposeful regulatory capacity The term is also used regarding military organizations The headquarters of the United Nations in Midtown Manhattan New York CityCorporateFortum headquarters building Espoo FinlandVolvo headquarters building Gothenburg SwedenNintendo headquarters building Kyoto Japan A headquarters is the entity at the top of a corporation that takes full responsibility for the overall success of the corporation and ensures corporate governance The corporate headquarters is a key element of a corporate structure and covers different corporate functions including strategic planning corporate communications tax legal operations marketing finance human resources information technology and procurement This entity includes the chief executive officer CEO as a key person and their support staff such as the CEO office and other CEO related functions the corporate policy making functions including all corporate functions necessary to steer the firm by defining and establishing corporate policies the corporate services encompassing activities that combine or consolidate certain enterprise wide needed support services provided based upon specialized knowledge best practices and technology to serve internal and sometimes external customers and business partners and the bidirectional interface between corporate headquarters and business units Business unit A headquarters normally includes the leader of a business unit and their staff as well as all functions to manage the business unit and operational activities The head of the business unit is responsible for overall result of the business unit Regional A headquarters sometimes functions at the top of a regional unit including all activities of the various business units taking full responsibility for overall profitability and success of this regional unit MilitaryStaff officers discuss convoy movements in the Operations Room at the Western Approaches Command headquarters Derby House in Liverpool England during World War II in September 1944 Military headquarters take many forms depending on the size and nature of the unit or formation they command Typically they are split into the forward main and rear components both within NATO nations and those following the organization and doctrine of the former Soviet Union see Isby 1988 The forward or tactical headquarters known as tac for short is a small group of staff and communicators Usually very mobile they exist to allow the commander to go forward in an operation and command the key parts of it from a position where they can see the ground and influence their immediate subordinates The main HQs known as main is less mobile and is involved in both the planning and execution of operations There are a number of staff assembled here from various staff branches to advise the commander and to control the various aspects of planning and the conduct of discrete operations A main HQ for a large formation will have a chief of staff CoS who coordinates the staff effort in a smaller HQ this may be done by the second in command The rear or logistic headquarters is some distance from the battle or front line in conventional operations Its function is to ensure the logistical support to front line troops which it does by organizing the delivery of combat supplies materiel and equipment to where they are needed and by organizing services such as combat medicine equipment recovery and repair ReligiousSt Peter s Square with the Vatican obelisk and St Peter s Basilica Vatican City The headquarters of the Catholic Church is Vatican City The World Headquarters of Jehovah s Witnesses is relocated in Warwick New York from its former location Brooklyn New York The headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church is in Danilov Monastery Moscow The World Council of Churches including Orthodox Churches has its headquarters in Geneva Switzerland The headquarters of Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is located in Istanbul Turkey The headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is located in Salt Lake City Utah The Anglican Communion Office is in London Martial artsIn Japanese budō martial arts such as karate judo aikido kendo etc there is usually a headquarters for each organization or region The Japanese word honbu 本部 is generally used for that also outside Japan Sometimes they refer to these headquarters as honbu dojo 本部道場 in which dojo 道場 is a facility provided for practicing discipline the training ground Sometimes honbu is written as hombu the way it is pronounced but the Hepburn transcription is honbu in which the n is a syllabic n citation needed NotesIn this context the term regulatory capacity includes but is not limited to self regulating activities ReferencesMarquis Christopher Tilcsik Andras October 2016 Institutional Equivalence How Industry and Community Peers Influence Corporate Philanthropy Organization Science 27 5 1325 1341 doi 10 1287 orsc 2016 1083 hdl 1807 78042 Aguilera Caracuel Javier Aragon Correa Juan Alberto Hurtado Torres Nuria Esther Rugman Alan M February 2012 The Effects of Institutional Distance and Headquarters Financial Performance on the Generation of Environmental Standards in Multinational Companies Journal of Business Ethics 105 4 461 474 doi 10 1007 s10551 011 0978 7 Graham David Woods Ngaire May 2006 Making corporate self regulation effective in developing countries World Development 34 5 868 883 doi 10 1016 j worlddev 2005 04 022 HQDA agencies army mil Archived from the original on 2011 01 29 Honbu dojo definition Tai Chi Dictionary Yin SportsDictionary org Archived from the original on 2011 07 28 Retrieved 2009 11 25 Tomislav Kuzmic HONBU EUdict Archived from the original on 2011 07 20 Further readingWikimedia Commons has media related to Headquarters Look up headquarters in Wiktionary the free dictionary Isby David C 1981 Weapons and Tactics of the Soviet Army Jane s ISBN 978 0 531 03732 4 Wanner Herbert 2006 Global and regional corporate headquarters In Kalin Christian H ed Switzerland Business amp Investment Handbook Economy Law Taxation Real Estate Residence Facts amp Figures Key Addresses John Wiley ISBN 978 3 280 07096 3 Wanner Herbert LeClef Xavier Shimizu Hiroshi 2004 Global Headquarters on the Move From Administrators to Facilitators PDF Prism Arthur D Little
