Chapter 2: The Environment And Corporate Culture

Question 0

Adaptability culture

Answer 0

Emerges in an environment that requires fast response and high risk decision making. Managers encourage values that support the company’s ability to rapidly detect, interpret, and translate signals from the environment into new behaviors.

Question 1

Achievement culture

Answer 1

Suited to organizations concerned with serving specific customers in the external environment, but without the intense need for flexibility and rapid change. Values competitiveness, aggressiveness, personal initiative, cost cutting and willingness to work long and hard to achieve results

Question 2

Boundary-Spanning Roles

Answer 2

Link to and coordinate the organization with key elements in the external environment.
Serves two purposes: they detect and process information about changes in the environment, and they represent the organizations interests to the environment.

Question 3

Business intelligence

Answer 3

Results from using sophisticated software to search through large amounts of internal and external data to spot patterns, trends, and relationships that might be significant.

Question 4

Ceremonies

Answer 4

Planned activities at special events, to reinforce company values.

Question 5

Competitive intelligence

Answer 5

Activities designed to get as much information as possible about ones rivals.

Question 6

Competitors

Answer 6

Organizations in the same industry or type of business that provide goods or services to the same set of customers.

Question 7

Consistency culture

Answer 7

Uses an internal focus and a consistency orientation for a stable environment. Following the rules and being thrifty are valued, and the culture supports and rewards a methodical, rational, orderly way of doing things

Question 8

Cultural leader

Answer 8

Defines and uses signals and symbols to influence corporate culture.

Question 9

Culture

Answer 9

The set of key values, beliefs, understandings, and the norms shared by members of an organization.

Question 10

Customers

Answer 10

Those people and organizations in the environment that acquire goods or services from the organization.

Question 11

Economic dimension

Answer 11

Represents the general economic health of the country or region in which the organization operates. Consumer purchasing power, the unemployment rate, and interest rates are part of an organizations economic environment.

Question 12

Environmental uncertainty

Answer 12

Means that managers do not have sufficient information about environmental factors to understand and predict environmental needs and changes.

Question 13

General environment

Answer 13

Affects organizations indirectly. It includes social, economic, legal-political, international, natural, and technological factors that influence all organizations about equally.

Question 14

Greenfield venture

Answer 14

The most risky type of direct investment, in which a company builds a subsidiary in a foreign country.

Question 15

Hero

Answer 15

A figure who exemplifies the deeds, character, and attributes of a strong culture. They are role models for employees to follow.

Question 16

Internal environment

Answer 16

The elements within the organizations boundaries. Composed of current employees, management, and especially corporate culture, which defines employee behavior and how well the organization will adapt in the external environment.

Question 17

International dimension

Answer 17

Part of the external environment, includes events originating in foreign countries, as well as new opportunities for US companies in other countries.

Question 18

Interorganizational partnerships

Answer 18

Reduce boundaries and increase collaboration with other organizations.

Question 19

Involvement culture

Answer 19

Emphasizes an internal focus on the involvement and participation of employees to adapt rapidly to changing needs from the environment. This culture places high value on meeting the needs of employees, and the organization may be characterized by a caring, family-like atmosphere.

Question 20

Labor market

Answer 20

Represents people in the environment who can be hired to work for the organization.

Question 21

Legal-political dimension

Answer 21

Includes government regulations at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as political activities designed to influence company behavior.

Question 22

Merger

Answer 22

Occurs when two or more organizations combine to become one.

Question 23

Natural dimension

Answer 23

Includes all elements that occur naturally on earth, including plants, animals, rocks, and resources such as air, water, and climate

Question 24

Organizational ecosystem

Answer 24

Includes organizations in all sectors of the task and general environments that provide the resource and information transaction, flows, and linkages necessary for an organization to thrive.

Question 25

Organizational environment

Answer 25

All elements existing outside the boundary of the organization that have the potential to affect the organization.

Question 26

Slogan

Answer 26

A phrase or sentence that succinctly a key corporate value.

Question 27

Sociocultural dimension

Answer 27

Part of the general environment, represents the demographic characteristics as well as the norms, customs, and values of the general population. Important characteristics are geographical distribution and population density, age, and education levels.

Question 28

Story

Answer 28

A narrative based on true events and is repeated frequently and shared among organizational employees

Question 29

Strategic issue

Answer 29

Events or forces either inside or outside an organization that are likely to alter its ability to achieve its objectives.

Question 30

Suppliers

Answer 30

Provide the raw materials the organization use to produce its output.

Question 31

Symbol

Answer 31

An object, act, or event that conveys meaning to others.

Question 32

Task environment

Answer 32

Is closer to the organization and includes the sectors that conduct day-to-day transactions with the organization and directly influence its basic operations and performance. It’s is generally considered to include competitions, suppliers, customers, and the labor market.

Question 33

Technological dimension

Answer 33

Of the general environment includes specific and technological advancements in a specific industry, as well as in society at large.