HL Key Terms Quiz 2.2, 2.3, 2.5

Outsourced Workers

Employees hired from outside a company to perform specific tasks or services, often to reduce costs or improve efficiency.

Peripheral Workers

Workers hired through external companies to perform specific tasks, often in a less stable employment environment than core employees. 

Professional Care

Refers to specialized services provided by trained experts, typically in health, education, or technical fields

Shamrock Organization

A model of organization structure characterized by a core group of essential employees, supplemented by flexible labor including freelancers and outsourced workers

Project-Based Organization

Intuitive Thinking (Management)

A cognitive process that relies on instincts and immediate perceptions rather than analytical and logical reasoning. Quick decision making based on gut feelings. 

Scientific Thinking (Management)

Structured approach to decision making that emphasizes empirical evidence, data analysis, and logical reasoning to solve problems

Corporate Culture

Set of shared values, beliefs, and behaviors within an organization that influences how employees interact and work together

Culture Clash

The conflict that arises when different corporate cultures or values intersect, often leading to misunderstandings and challenges in integration 

Culture Gap

The difference in values, beliefs, or practices between two or more organizational cultures that can lead misunderstandings or miscommunications

Gods of Management

Each mythological god represents different management approaches to influencing, changing, motivating, and rewarding teams

Person Culture

Exists where individuals believe themselves to be superior to the organization. Architect firms and some university departments = person culture (Dionysus)

Power Culture

Exists when a few individuals retain the essential power. Control comes from them and is established throughout the organization (Zeus)

Role Culture

Refers to organizations where employees have clearly defined roles/operate in a highly controlled/precise organizational structure (Apollo)

Task Culture

Refers to an organizational culture focused on specific problems. Power shifts from person to person (Athena). People like the idea of this culture.

Features of Power Culture

Few rules and procedures, people are judged by their results rather than their effort and decisions may not be long term based

Features of Person Culture

See themselves as separate from the organization, each specialist brings a particular expertise to the organization

Features of Task Culture 

Often crossing the lines of matrix structure, net and its different strands used to describe this

Features of Role Culture

Tall hierarchical bureaucracies with a long chain of command, position and rule book play key roles in decision making

Pros to Shamrock Organization

Cost efficient, flexible, access to specialized skills

Cons to Shamrock Organization

Less control, feelings of employee disengagement, dependence on external vendors

Pros to Task Culture

Focus on outcome, promotes teamwork, flexibile

Cons to Task Culture

Lack of long-term focus, potential for confusion, potential conflict within teams

Pros of Power Culture

Quick decision making, clear direction and leadership, efficient 

Cons of Power Culture

Limited employee involvement, limited delegation, dependence on high few, more resistant to change

Pros of Project Based Organization

Employee specialization in topics, flexible allocation of resources, innovating 

Cons of project based organization

Resource allocation challenges, employee uncertainty (Maslow’s), coordination difficulties

Pros of Scientific Thinking

Decision making based on facts, improved accuracy, risk management

Cons of Scientific Thinking

Over reliance on the data, costly and time consuming, limited flexibility