organizational structure

organizational strategy

The specific pattern of decisions and actions that managers take to use core competences to achieve a competitive advantage and outperform competitors.

core competences

The skills and abilities in value creation activities that allow a company to achieve superior efficiency, quality, innovation, or customer responsiveness.

functional resources

The skills possessed by an organization’s functional personnel.

organizational resource

The attributes that give an organization a competitive advantage such as the skills of the top-management team or possession of valuable and scarce resources.

coordination ability

An organization’s ability to coordinate its functional and organizational resources to create maximal value.

functional-level strategy

A plan of action to strengthen an organization’s functional and organizational resources, as well as its coordination abilities, in order to create core competences.

business-level strategy 

A plan to combine functional core competences in order to position the organization so that it has a competitive advantage in its domain.

low cost strategy

use of skills in low-cost value creation for customers that want low price

differentiation strategy

differentiate products for customers groups that want/ afford high/ premium price 

focus strategy

specialize in 1 segment and focus on the organizations resources on that segment 

corporate-level strategy

A plan to use and develop core competences so that the organization can not only protect and enlarge its existing domain but can also expand into new domains 

vertical integration

organizations takes overs and own its suppliers (backward) or distributors (forward) 

related diversification

entry in a new domain in which it can exploit one/ more of its existing core competences 

unrelated diversification

entry in a new domain that has nothing in common with its core domain

conglomerate structure

structure in which each business is placed in self-contained divisions, and there is no contact between them. 

global expansion strategy

A plan that involves choosing the best strategy to expand into overseas markets to obtain scarce resources and develop core competences as discussed above.

multi domestic strategy

local responsiveness by decentralizing control to subsidiaries and divisions in each country 

international strategy

decentralize all value creation functions, except r&d and marketing

global strategy

cost reduction, centralize all principal value creation on function at lowest cost 

transnational strategy

some functions centralized, others decentralized at global location best suited to achieving these objectives to achieve local and responsiveness and cost savings 

technology

The combination of skills, knowledge, abilities, techniques, materials, machines, computers, tools, and other equipment that people use to convert or change raw materials into valuable goods and services

mass production

The organizational technology that uses conveyor belts and a standardized, progressive assembly process to manufacture goods

craftswork

The technology that involves groups of skilled workers who interact closely to produce custom-designed products 

programmed technology

A technology in which the procedures for converting inputs into outputs can be specified in advance so that tasks can be standardized and the work process can be made predictable.

technical complexity

A measure of the extent to which a production process can be programmed so that it can be controlled and made predictable.

technological imperative

The argument that technology determines structure

task interdependence

the manner in which different organizational tasks are related to one another affects an organizations technology and structure 

task variability

The number of exceptions— new or unexpected situations—that a person encounters while performing a task

task analyzability

The degree to which search activity is needed to solve a problem.

mediating technology

A technology characterized by a work process in which input, conversion, and output activities can be performed independently of one another.

long-linked technology

A technology characterized by a work process in which input, conversion, and output activities must be performed in series

slack resources

Extra or surplus resources that enhance an organization’s ability to deal with unexpected situations.

intensive technology

A technology characterized by a work process in which input, conversion, and output activities are inseparable.

specialism

Producing only a narrow range of outputs

dedicated machines

Machines that can perform only one operation at a time, such as repeatedly cutting or drilling or stamping out a car body part.

fixed workers

Workers who perform standardized work procedures increase an organization’s control over the conversion process

advanced manufacturing technology (AMT)

Technology that consists of innovations in materials technology and in knowledge technology that change the work process of traditional mass production organizations.

materials technology

Technology that comprises machinery, other equipment, and computers

computer-aided design (CAD)

An advanced manufacturing technique that greatly simplifies the design process.

computer-aided materials management (CAMM)

An advanced manufacturing technique that is used to manage the flow of raw materials and component parts into the conversation process, to develop master production schedules for manufacturing, and to control inventoryjus

just-in-time inventory (JIT) system

A system that requires inputs and components needed for production to be delivered to the conversion process just as they are needed, neither earlier nor later, so that input inventories can be kept to a minimum

flexible manufacturing technology

Technology that allows the production of many kinds of components at little or no extra cost on the same machine.

computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)

An advanced manufacturing technique that controls the changeover from one operation to another by means of the commands given to the machines through computer software

organizational change

The process by which organizations move from their present state to some desired future state to increase their effectiveness.

ethics officer

can report problems to

force-field theory (lewin)

A theory of organizational change that argues that two sets of opposing forces within an organization determine how change will take place.

evolutionary change

Change that is gradual, incremental, and specifically focused.

revolutionary change

Change that is sudden, drastic, and organization-wide

sociotechnical systems theory

A theory that proposes the importance of changing role and task or technical relationships to increase organizational effectiveness.

total quality management (TQM)

A technique developed by W. Edwards Deming to continuously improve the effectiveness of flexible work teams.

quality circles

Groups of workers who met regularly to discuss the way work is performed in order to find new ways to increase performance.

flexible work team

A group of workers who assume responsibility for performing all the operations necessary for completing a specified stage in the manufacturing process.

business process

An activity that cuts across functional boundaries and is vital to the quick delivery of goods and services or that promotes high quality or low costs.

restructuring

A process by which managers change task and authority relationships and redesign organizational structure and culture to improve organizational effectiveness.

downsizing

The process by which managers streamline the organizational hierarchy and lay off managers and workers to reduce bureaucratic costs.

innovation

The process by which organizations use their skills and resources to develop new goods and services or to develop new production and operating systems so they can better respond to the needs of their customers

action research

A strategy for generating and acquiring knowledge that managers can use to define an organization’s desired future state and to plan a change program that allows the organization to reach that state

external changes agents

Outside consultants who are experts in managing change

internal change agents

Managers from within the organization who are knowledgeable about the situation to be changed

top-down change

Change implemented by managers at a high level in the organization.

bottom-up change

Change implemented by employees at low levels in the organization that gradually rises until it is felt throughout the organization.

organizational development (OD)

A series of techniques and methods that managers can use in their action research program to increase the adaptability of their organization

sensitivity training

An OD technique that consists of intense counseling in which group members, aided by a facilitator, learn how others perceive them and may learn how to deal more sensitively with others.

process consultation

An OD technique in which a facilitator works closely with a manager on the job to help the manager improve his or her interactions with other group members.

team building

An OD technique in which a facilitator first observes the interactions of group members and then helps them become aware of ways to improve their work interactions.

intergroup training

An OD technique that uses team building to improve the work interactions of different functions or divisions.

organizational mirroring 

An OD technique in which a facilitator helps two interdependent groups explore their perceptions and relations in order to improve their work interactions.

organizational confrontational meeting

An OD technique that brings together all of the managers of an organization at a meeting to confront the issue of whether the organization is meeting its goals effectively.

organizational life cycle

A sequence of stages of growth and development through which organizations may pass

entrepreneurs

People who recognize and take advantage of opportunities to use their skills and competences to create value

organizational birth

The founding of an organization: a dangerous life cycle stage associated with the greatest chance of failure.

liability of newness

The dangers associated with being the first in a new environment

population ecology theory

A theory that seeks to explain the factors that affect the rate at which new organizations are born (and die) in a population of existing organizations.

population of organization

The organizations that are competing for the same set of resources in the environment.

environment niches

Particular sets of resources.

population density

The number of organizations that can compete for the same resources in a particular environment.

first-mover advantage

The benefits an organization derives from being an early entrant into a new environment.

r-strategy

A strategy of entering a new environment early

k-strategy

A strategy of entering an environment late, after other organizations have tested the water

specialists

Organizations that concentrate their skills to pursue a narrow range of resources in a single niche.

generalist

Organizations that spread their skills thinly to compete for a broad range of resources in many niches.

natural selection

The process that ensures the survival of the organizations that have the skills and abilities that best fit with the environment

organizational growth

The life cycle stage in which organizations develop value creation skills and competences that allow them to acquire additional resources.

institutional theory

A theory that studies how organizations can increase their ability to grow and survive in a competitive environment by satisfying their stakeholders.

institutional environment

The set of values and norms in an environment that govern the behavior of a population of organizations.

organizational isomorphism

The similarity among organizations in a population.

coercive isomorphism

when an organization adopts certain kinds of values and norms, because its pressured by other in the organization/ society 

mimetic isomorphism

intentionally imitate one another to increase legitimacy

normative isomorphism

when organizations come to resemble one another over time as they indirectly adopt norms and values of other organizations in the environment  

organizational decline

The life cycle stage that an organization enters when it fails to anticipate, recognize, avoid, neutralize, or adapt to external or internal pressures that threaten its long-term survival.

profitability

A measurement of how well a company is making use of resources relative to its competitors

organizational inertia

Forces inside an organization that make it resistant to change.

risk aversion

managers become unwilling to bear the uncertainty of changes as organizations grow 

organizational decision-making

The process of responding to a problem by searching for and selecting a solution or course of action that will create value for organizational stakeholders.

programmed decisions

Decisions that are repetitive and routine.

nonprogrammed decisions

Decisions that are novel and unstructured.

rational model of decision making

decision making is a straightforward 3 stage process

the carnegie model

introduces a new set of more realistic assumptions about decision making process

satisficing 

Limited information searches to identify problems and alternative solutions.

bounded rationality

A limited capacity to process information.