Business Process, Organizational Culture & Structure: Key Concepts for Students

What is a business process?

A series of steps performed by a group of stakeholders to achieve a concrete goal.

What are the reasons for having well-defined business processes?

Identify important tasks, improve efficiency, streamline communication, ensure accountability, prevent chaos, and standardize procedures.

What are the three types of business processes?

Operational Processes, Support Processes, Management Processes.

What are operational processes?

Processes that provide direct value to customers and generate revenue, such as product manufacturing and order-to-cash processes.

What are support processes?

Processes that assist operational processes but do not directly contribute to revenue generation.

What are management processes?

Processes responsible for planning, monitoring, managing, and controlling core and support processes.

What is the first step in the business process?

Define your goals: Determine the purpose of the process and how success will be measured.

What is involved in planning and mapping a process?

Identifying strategies needed to achieve the goals, creating a broad roadmap for the process.

What is the purpose of testing a business process?

To run the process on a small scale, observe performance, identify gaps, and make adjustments.

What does implementing a business process entail?

Running the process in a live environment and properly communicating and training all stakeholders.

What is the significance of monitoring results in a business process?

To review the process, analyze patterns, and document its history.

What should be done if a business process achieves its goals?

Replicate the successful process for future use.

What are the essential attributes of an ideal business process?

Create value, finite number of steps, repeatable, and flexibility.

How does leadership differ from management?

Leadership inspires and facilitates contributions, while management controls and organizes to achieve specific goals.

What defines organizational culture?

Values, beliefs, attitudes, procedures, and regulations that shape employee behavior and perceptions of the organization.

What are the four types of organizational culture?

Clan Culture (Collaborative), Adhocracy Culture (Creative), Market Culture (Competitive), Hierarchy Culture (Controlled).

What is organizational structure?

A framework specifying how duties are carried out to meet organizational objectives, including roles, responsibilities, and information flow.

What are the types of organizational structure?

Functional Structure, Divisional Structure, Matrix Structure, Flat Structure, Hierarchical (Line) Structure.

What does the external environment of a business include?

External factors and circumstances influencing business operations, such as competitive, political, technological, and economic factors.