Organization Domain

The Organization domain provides the foundational context for all other domains in the Orthogramic Metamodel. It represents the structural composition of an enterprise, including its legal entities, business units, divisions, and teams.

Schema Version: 2.1
Schema Location: /schemas/organization.schema.json
Specification: JSON Schema Draft-07

Overview

What is the Organization Domain?

The Organization domain captures the structural hierarchy and governance model of an enterprise. It defines:

• Legal entities and their jurisdictional context
• Business units and their responsibilities
• Reporting relationships and governance structures
• Geographic scope and operational models
• Cultural and compliance characteristics

Purpose and Value

The Organization domain enables architects and planners to:

• Map accountability by defining clear ownership structures
• Support governance through documented reporting relationships
• Enable compliance by linking organizational units to regulatory frameworks
• Provide context for all other domain entities (capabilities, stakeholders, services)

For Data Engineers

The Organization domain maps directly to data governance concepts:

• Organization Units → Data Domains in your catalog
• Owners → Data Owners and Stewards
• Geographic Scope → Data residency and sovereignty requirements
• Compliance Frameworks → Governance policies and classifications

Domain Attributes

Core Attributes

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
orgTitle	String	Full legal or operational name	✓
orgShortName	String	Abbreviated name or acronym
orgType	Enum	Type of organization	✓
country	String	Primary country of operation	✓
description	String	Detailed description of the organization	✓
structureType	Enum	Organizational structure model
missionStatement	String	Organization's mission
visionStatement	String	Organization's vision
values	String	Core organizational values
legalStructure	Enum	Legal entity type
geographicScope	Enum	Geographic operating range
operationalModel	Enum	How operations are organized
currency	String	Primary operating currency
cultureType	Enum	Organizational culture classification
size	String	Organization size metrics
history	String	Key historical milestones
complianceFrameworks	Array[String]	Applicable compliance standards
primaryLanguages	Array[String]	Languages used in operations
organizationUnits	Array[Object]	Sub-organization units

Organization Unit Sub-Element

Attribute	Type	Description
orgUnitTitle	String	Name of the organization unit
description	String	Unit description
purpose	String	Unit's primary purpose
owner	String	Unit leader or owner
higherOrganizationUnit	String	Parent unit reference
subOrganizationUnits	Array[String]	Child units
roles	String	Key roles within the unit

Enumeration Values

Organization Type (orgType)

Value	Description	Example
Government Agency	General government entity	US Environmental Protection Agency
Federal/National Agency	National-level government agency	Federal Railroad Administration
State/Provincial Agency	Regional government agency	California Department of Transportation
Regional Authority	Regional administrative body	European Central Bank
Local/Municipal Authority	Local government entity	City of London Corporation
Public Limited Company	Publicly traded corporation	Deutsche Bahn AG
Private Limited Company	Private corporation	Uber Technologies Inc
Corporation	General corporate entity	General Electric Company
Limited Liability Company	LLC structure	Tesla Energy Operations LLC
Partnership	Partnership structure	McKinsey & Company
Sole Proprietorship	Individual ownership	Local consulting practice
Cooperative	Cooperative organization	REI Co-op
Joint Venture	Collaborative entity	Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications
Non-Profit Organization	Non-profit entity	World Wildlife Fund
Crown Corporation	Government-owned corporation	Canada Post
State-Owned Enterprise	Government-owned business	Singapore Airlines
International Organization	Cross-border organization	United Nations

Structure Type (structureType)

Value	Description	Example
Functional	Organized by business function	Traditional departments: HR, Finance, Operations
Divisional	Organized by product/market divisions	General Motors: Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC divisions
Matrix	Dual reporting relationships	Project managers report to both functional and project leaders
Hierarchical	Traditional top-down structure	Military-style command structure
Flat/Horizontal	Minimal hierarchy levels	Startup with CEO and individual contributors
Regional	Organized by geographic regions	EMEA, APAC, Americas regions
Country-based	Organized by countries	Country managers for each national market
Global/Transnational	Global structure	Global product managers across all markets
Hub-and-Spoke	Central hub with satellite units	Central R&D with regional implementation teams
Distributed/Decentralized	Spread across locations	Remote-first organization structure
Network	Network-based organization	Alliance of independent partners
Virtual/Remote	Virtual organization	Fully remote workforce
Hybrid	Mixed structural approaches	Combination of functional and product structures
Product-based	Organized around products	Amazon: AWS, Prime, Retail product teams
Customer/Market-based	Organized around customers	Enterprise, SMB, Consumer market segments
Service Line-based	Organized by service lines	Consulting, Audit, Tax service lines
Project-based	Project-driven structure	Construction or engineering firms
Team-of-Teams	Agile team structure	Spotify's squad and tribe model
Cross-functional Squads	Agile squad model	Netflix's autonomous team structure

Geographic Scope (geographicScope)

Value	Description
Global	Operations worldwide
Multi-national	Operations in multiple countries
Continental	Operations across a continent
National	Operations within one country
Regional	Operations in a specific region
Local (City/Metropolitan)	Operations in a city or metro area

Operational Model (operationalModel)

Value	Description
Centralized Operations	All operations managed centrally
Decentralized Operations	Operations distributed to units
Federated Model	Shared services with local autonomy
Hub-and-Spoke Model	Central hub with satellites
Franchise Model	Standardized franchise operations

Culture Type (cultureType)

Value	Description
Innovation-focused	Emphasizes creativity and new ideas
Customer-centric	Prioritizes customer experience
Process-focused	Emphasizes efficiency and procedures
People-first	Prioritizes employee wellbeing
Results-driven	Focuses on outcomes and performance
Collaborative	Emphasizes teamwork
Entrepreneurial	Encourages initiative and risk-taking

Domain Relationships

The Organization domain integrates with other metamodel domains:

Target Domain	Relationship Type	Description
Capabilities	Ownership	Organization units own capabilities
Stakeholder	Engagement	Organization units engage with stakeholders
Services	Provision	Organization units provide services
Information	Stewardship	Organization units steward information assets
Policy	Governance	Organization units govern policies
Value Stream	Participation	Organization units participate in value creation
Products	Development	Organization units develop and maintain products

Examples

Example 1: US Government Agency

{
  "orgTitle": "Office of Railroad Safety",
  "orgShortName": "Railroad Safety",
  "orgType": "Government Agency",
  "country": "United States of America",
  "description": "Regional safety oversight office responsible for inspections and enforcement of federal railroad safety regulations in the Northeast corridor",
  "structure": "5 Regional Offices - 8 Technical Divisions",
  "structureType": "Regional",
  "missionStatement": "Reduce railroad-related accidents through proactive inspections and data-driven safety programs",
  "visionStatement": "Zero train accidents and employee injuries through technology-enabled safety systems",
  "values": "Safety First, Data-Driven Decisions, Continuous Improvement",
  "legalStructure": "Federal/National Agency",
  "geographicScope": "National",
  "operationalModel": "Decentralized Operations",
  "currency": "USD",
  "cultureType": "Process-focused",
  "history": "Est. 1966, implemented PTC mandate 2008, achieved 99.6% compliance 2023",
  "complianceFrameworks": ["Local Regulatory Requirements"],
  "primaryLanguages": ["English"],
  "organizationUnits": [
    {
      "orgUnitTitle": "Track and Rail Infrastructure Division",
      "description": "Oversees track safety standards and inspection programs across the national rail network",
      "purpose": "Maintain Class 1-5 track safety standards compliance",
      "owner": "Director of Track Safety",
      "higherOrganizationUnit": "Office of Railroad Safety",
      "subOrganizationUnits": ["Track Geometry Program", "Rail Defect Detection", "Bridge Safety Unit"],
      "roles": "Senior Track Inspector, Rail Integrity Specialist, Bridge Safety Engineer"
    }
  ]
}

Example 2: European Multinational Corporation

{
  "orgTitle": "Deutsche Bahn AG",
  "orgShortName": "DB",
  "orgType": "Public Limited Company",
  "country": "Germany",
  "description": "National railway company providing passenger and freight transportation services across Germany and Europe",
  "structureType": "Divisional",
  "missionStatement": "Connect people and markets through sustainable mobility solutions",
  "visionStatement": "Leading integrated mobility provider in Europe",
  "values": "Customer Focus, Sustainability, Innovation, Reliability",
  "legalStructure": "Public Limited Company",
  "geographicScope": "Multi-national",
  "operationalModel": "Hub-and-Spoke Model",
  "currency": "EUR",
  "cultureType": "Customer-centric",
  "size": "338,000 employees, €44.4B annual revenue",
  "complianceFrameworks": [
    "ISO 9001 (Quality Management)",
    "ISO 14001 (Environmental Management)",
    "GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)"
  ],
  "primaryLanguages": ["German", "English"]
}

Example 3: Asian Technology Corporation

{
  "orgTitle": "Singapore Digital Railways Corporation",
  "orgShortName": "SDRC",
  "orgType": "State-Owned Enterprise",
  "country": "Singapore",
  "description": "Technology-focused urban rail operator providing smart transportation solutions",
  "structureType": "Matrix",
  "missionStatement": "Transform urban mobility through innovative digital rail solutions",
  "visionStatement": "World's smartest rail network by 2030",
  "values": "Innovation, Excellence, Sustainability, Customer Delight",
  "legalStructure": "State-Owned Enterprise",
  "geographicScope": "Local (City/Metropolitan)",
  "operationalModel": "Centralized Operations",
  "currency": "SGD",
  "cultureType": "Innovation-focused",
  "complianceFrameworks": [
    "ISO 27001 (Information Security)",
    "Local Regulatory Requirements"
  ],
  "primaryLanguages": ["English", "Mandarin Chinese"]
}

Implementation Guidelines

Global Deployment Considerations

1. Localization: Select appropriate values for country-specific implementations
2. Compliance: Choose relevant compliance frameworks based on jurisdiction and industry
3. Cultural Adaptation: Select culture types that reflect local business practices
4. Language Support: Include all languages used in organizational operations
5. Currency Handling: Use primary operational currency or multi-currency for global organizations

Data Quality Best Practices

1. Enumeration Usage: Use enumerated values wherever possible for consistency
2. Required Fields: Ensure all required fields are populated
3. Validation: Implement schema validation in applications
4. Regular Reviews: Periodically review and update organizational data
5. Relationship Mapping: Maintain clear relationships with other domain entities

Domain Integration

The Organization domain provides the foundational context for all other domains:

• Start Here: Begin enterprise architecture modeling with Organization
• Reference Point: Use Organization units as owners and participants in other domains
• Consistency: Maintain consistent organization unit names across all domains
• Relationships: Establish clear relationships between Organization units and other domain entities

OpenMetadata Integration

For Data Platform Teams

When integrating with OpenMetadata, map Organization entities as follows:

Orthogramic Element	OpenMetadata Entity	Notes
Organization	Team /Organization	Top-level organizational entity
Organization Unit	Team	Nested teams for hierarchy
Owner	User	Link to user profiles
Compliance Frameworks	Tags /Classifications	Apply as governance tags
Geographic Scope	Custom Property	For data residency tracking

# Example: Create OpenMetadata team from Organization Unit
def create_om_team(org_unit):
    return {
        "name": org_unit["orgUnitTitle"].lower().replace(" ", "_"),
        "displayName": org_unit["orgUnitTitle"],
        "description": org_unit["description"],
        "teamType": "BusinessUnit",
        "parents": [org_unit.get("higherOrganizationUnit", "")]
    }

Schema Reference

• Repository: Orthogramic/Orthogramic_Metamodel
• Schema Location: /schemas/organization.schema.json
• Version: 2.1
• Specification: JSON Schema Draft-07
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Next: Stakeholder Domain | Related: Inter-unit Relationships