Division (business)

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A division, sometimes called a business sector or business unit (segment), is one of the parts into which a business, organization or company is divided. [1]

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Overview

Divisions are distinct parts of a business. If these divisions are all part of the same company, then that company is legally responsible for all of the obligations and debts of the divisions. [1] [2] [3]

In the banking industry, an example would be East West Bancorp and its primary subsidiary, East West Bank. [4]

Subsidiaries are separate, distinct legal entities for the purposes of taxation, regulation and liability. For this reason, they differ from divisions, which are businesses fully integrated within the main company, and not legally or otherwise distinct from it. [5] [6] The Houston Chronicle highlighted that the creation of a division "is substantially easier than developing subsidiaries. Because a division is an internal segment of a company, not an entirely separate entity, business owners create and end divisions at their whim. Also, because individuals in each division are employed by the same company, it's easier to modify staffing to fit with this setup". [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products. It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit."

Division may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conglomerate (company)</span> Large company involved in many industries

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In law, a legal person is any person or legal entity that can do the things a human person is usually able to do in law – such as enter into contracts, sue and be sued, own property, and so on. The reason for the term "legal person" is that some legal persons are not people: companies and corporations are persons legally speaking, but they are not people in a literal sense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limited liability company</span> US form of a private limited company

A limited liability company (LLC) is the United States-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of a corporation. An LLC is not a corporation under the laws of every state; it is a legal form of a company that provides limited liability to its owners in many jurisdictions. LLCs are well known for the flexibility that they provide to business owners; depending on the situation, an LLC may elect to use corporate tax rules instead of being treated as a partnership, and, under certain circumstances, LLCs may be organized as not-for-profit. In certain U.S. states, businesses that provide professional services requiring a state professional license, such as legal or medical services, may not be allowed to form an LLC but may be required to form a similar entity called a professional limited liability company (PLLC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint-stock company</span> Business entity owned by shareholders

A joint-stock company (JSC) is a business entity in which shares of the company's stock can be bought and sold by shareholders. Each shareholder owns company stock in proportion, evidenced by their shares. Shareholders are able to transfer their shares to others without any effects to the continued existence of the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown, Houston</span> Neighborhood of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States

Chinatown is a community in Southwest Houston, Texas, United States.

A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a same management being substantially controlled by same entity/group are called sister companies. The subsidiary will be required to follow the laws where it is headquartered and incorporated. It will also maintain its own executive leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sole proprietorship</span> Business legally synonymous with its owner

A sole proprietorship, also known as a sole tradership, individual entrepreneurship or proprietorship, is a type of enterprise owned and run by only one person and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business entity. A sole trader does not necessarily work alone and may employ other people.

A special-purpose entity is a legal entity created to fulfill narrow, specific or temporary objectives. SPEs are typically used by companies to isolate the firm from financial risk. A formal definition is "The Special Purpose Entity is a fenced organization having limited predefined purposes and a legal personality".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Privately held company</span> Business which is not publicly traded

A privately held company is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in their respective listed markets. Instead, the company's stock is offered, owned, traded or exchanged privately, also known as "over-the-counter". Related terms are unlisted organisation, unquoted company and private equity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piercing the corporate veil</span> Temporary rescission of corporate personhood

Piercing the corporate veil or lifting the corporate veil is a legal decision to treat the rights or duties of a corporation as the rights or liabilities of its shareholders. Usually a corporation is treated as a separate legal person, which is solely responsible for the debts it incurs and the sole beneficiary of the credit it is owed. Common law countries usually uphold this principle of separate personhood, but in exceptional situations may "pierce" or "lift" the corporate veil.

Sime Darby Berhad is a Malaysian trading conglomerate. Its core businesses operate and serve in the industrial, motors and logistics sectors as well as the healthcare, and insurance segments.

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A corporate spin-off, also known as a spin-out, or starburst or hive-off, is a type of corporate action where a company "splits off" a section as a separate business or creates a second incarnation, even if the first is still active. It is distinct from a sell-off, where a company sells a section to another company or firm in exchange for cash or securities.

State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is the investment management division of State Street Corporation founded in 1978 and the world's fourth largest asset manager, with nearly US$4.1 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2023. SSGA operates through State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, which is a subsidiary of State Street Bank and Trust Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Company</span> Association or collection of individuals

A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared goals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Series LLC</span> Type of a limited liability company

A series limited liability company, commonly known as a series LLC, protected cell company, segregated account company, or segregated portfolio company, and sometimes abbreviated as SLLC, is a form of a limited liability company that provides liability protection across multiple "series" each of which is theoretically protected from liabilities arising from the other series. In overall structure, the series LLC has been described as a master LLC that has separate divisions, which is similar to an S corporation with Q-subs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low-profit limited liability company</span> Legal form of business entity in the US

A low-profit limited liability company (L3C) is a legal form of business entity in the United States. Commonly referred to as a hybrid structure, it has characteristics of both for-profit and non-profit entities. L3Cs were created to comply with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) program-related investments (PRIs) rules which allow most typically private foundations the ability to maintain tax-exempt status through investments in qualifying businesses and/or charities. With a social mission as the primary objective and a secondary objective of profit generation, the L3C legal form is considered a viable option for businesses seeking a reputation or marketability for being a social enterprise.

References

  1. 1 2 Longman business English dictionary. Harlow: Longman. 2000. p. 138. ISBN   9780582306073.
  2. "Differences Between Wholly Owned Subsidiaries & Divisions". SmallBusiness.Chron. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  3. Picincu, Andra (August 10, 2020). "Business Organizational Structure Examples". Houston Chronicle . Archived from the original on 2011-12-29. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  4. "East West Bank Press Release First Quarter 2019". April 18, 2019. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  5. Lehman, Jeffrey; Phelps, Shirelle (2005). West's Encyclopedia of American Law, Vol. 9 (2 ed.). Detroit: Thomson/Gale. p. 387. ISBN   9780787663742.
  6. Reed, Eric (February 12, 2019). "What Is a Subsidiary and What Do You Need to Know When Starting One?". TheStreet. Archived from the original on 2021-01-31. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  7. "Lateral Structural Arrangements in Organizations". Houston Chronicle . October 5, 2021. Archived from the original on 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2021-10-11.