The organisation of the Department of Economics and Business Economics (ECON) needs to support more than 200 department members in their efforts to provide education and research. Education and research must be in an intimate relationship since this is the raison d'être of the department. The department is responsible for many study programmes, which are followed by more than 5000 students. The department is also committed to host a research environment with academic freedom and a supportive structure for researchers.

The department members are organised into sections. The department is led by the head of department. The academic personnel belong to one of the sections. Each section is led by a head of section. Although PhD students formally belong under a graduate school, most personnel responsibility is delegated to the department. As such, the majority of PhD students refer to the head of the PhD programme. PhD students are affiliated with the same section as their supervisor.

The teaching activities of the academic personnel are planned in teaching groups. A teaching group is defined by a set of related courses for which the teaching group is responsible for maintaining. Each teaching group is led by a course coordinator. Each academic staff member must be a member of at least one teaching group.

Formally, the head of department has responsibility and decision power over all managerial activities at the department. The head of department delegates the responsibility and decision power. Many activities regarding personnel are delegated to the heads of sections for the academic personnel, the head of secretariat for administrative staff and the head of the PhD programme for PhD students. Activities regarding courses and staffing of courses are delegated to course coordinators. In addition, there are coordinators with special tasks that have particular areas of responsibility.