FiltersDone

Question type

Essay

Multiple Choice

Short Answer

True False

Matching

Exam 3: The Organizational Environment and Culture

Show Answer

Share

---

All types

Filters

Study FlashcardsPractice ExamLearn

Question 31

Multiple Choice

Review LaterAdd Note

Review Later

Which approaches should an organization adopt for managing uncertainty in a simple and stable environment?

A) centralized and organic approach, with direct supervision
B) decentralized and bureaucratic approach, with standardized skills
C) decentralized and organic approach, with mutual adjustment
D) centralized and bureaucratic approach, with standardized work processes
E) centralized and organic approach, with mutual adjustment

F) B) and C)
G) A) and E)

Correct Answer

verified

Show Answer

Question 32

Multiple Choice

Review LaterAdd Note

Review Later

Sam, general manager of a licensed supplier of advanced 3-D printing equipment, routinely and independently influences his business environment to the benefit of his company. Determine which action below is NOT among the ways that Sam independently influences his business environment.

A) by supporting and promoting elected officials to pass city ordinances that favor his customers or business (political action)
B) by suing or threatening to sue firms who are not licensed to sell his printing equipment when they attempt to do so (legal action)
C) by visibly supporting his brand through sponsorship of local sporting events (public relations)
D) by joining a task force with his local business neighbors to brainstorm ideas to reduce the cost of downtown parking (coalition)
E) by boldly stressing benefits of his technology against those of his competitors through comparative advertising (competitive aggression)

F) None of the above
G) A) and C)

Correct Answer

verified

Show Answer

Question 33

Multiple Choice

Review LaterAdd Note

Competition is most intense when there are ________ direct competitors, industry growth is slow, and the product or service cannot be differentiated.

Jameson Products is the only provider of a patented leakproof valve for industrial applications. Acme Construction desires to include Jameson Products in a project for Acme's customer, thereby increasing the chance that Acme will be selected by Acme's customer to perform the project. However, Jameson Products charges a premium price for its valves, eroding Acme's profitability. This situation is indicative of the high bargaining power of

Sandra owns a small gift shop in Tennessee. She hopes the economy will rebound this fall as she has to order her Christmas merchandise and other holiday gifts in February. She wants to make sure she has enough goods for the surge in sales that the holiday season usually brings to her retail store. Here, Sandra is using ________ to be sure she has enough gifts for those extra customers that she hopes will bear the economic woes and shop for holiday presents.

Jonas is the marketing manager in a firm that sells air pollution control systems to the coal-fired power industry. His business is highly competitive, with existing rivalries and new players. Coal-fired power plants are being shut down in favor of substitute forms of energy, e.g., wind and natural gas. Thus, new project opportunities in coal-fired power plants are rare. His clients (electric utility companies) have many choices of providers and technologies. Jonas's firm has long-term pricing agreements with its equipment suppliers, so Jonas knows what external costs his firm will incur on potential new projects. The competitive force that appears to represent the lowest risk to Jonas's firm is

Environmental uncertainty means that managers do not have enough information about the environment to understand or predict the future.

A decentralized, bureaucratic approach with standardized skills for managing uncertainty is ideal for which of the following environments?

Open systems are all relevant forces outside an organization's boundaries.

Josiah, a new manager at Super Sandwiches, has been asked to focus on the competitive environment of the organization. Which of these factors is among those that Josiah should focus on?

________ is/are composed of all relevant forces outside a firm's boundaries, such as competitors, customers, the government, and the economy.

Johnny Minelli, Chief Operating Office at Hank Corporation, effectively sustains and manages the company culture by

For many years, Mars, Incorporated manufactured M&M's candies in assorted but fixed colors. M&M's were known and branded worldwide as individual candies featuring single solid colors. Then, in response to technological advancements and evolving customer tastes and expectations, Mars adapted its technical core by producing M&M's in an infinite variety of configurations and colors, even offering M&M's with personal photographs imprinted upon them. Thus, Mars offers personalized M&M's today as a product of "mass customization." Mars accomplished this by implementing

Domain selection, diversification, mergers or acquisitions, and divestitures are all examples of

________ are methods for adapting the technical core to changes in an environment.

________ is an organization's conscious efforts to change the boundaries of its task environment.

List the actions and attitudes that reflect excellent customer service. Illustrate each from your own experiences as either a customer or a service provider.

________ are the strongly held and taken-for-granted beliefs that guide behavior in a firm.

A decentralized, organic approach with mutual adjustment for managing uncertainty is ideal for which of the following environments?

There are two parts to this question. What are the four types of organizational culture? Describe the culture of an organization in which you have either worked or studied. Which of the four types of organizational culture does your organization illustrate? Justify your answer.