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MGTS1301 - Week 7: External and Internal Environments Notes

Week 7: External and Internal Environments

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the five dimensions of the organization’s General Environment.
  • Describe the four dimensions of the organization’s Task Environment.
  • Explain the two basic strategies an organization can adopt for dealing with environmental uncertainty.
  • Identify corporate culture as one factor in the internal environment of an organization and explain the difference between visible and invisible culture.
  • Explain the relationship between corporate culture and external environment and describe different types of culture that fit with different environments and strategies.

Assignment Guidance

  • Week 4: Read the assignment guidance module and attend/watch the seminar on the assignment.
  • Week 5: Choose your topic and find five newspaper articles on your topic. Draft Section 2 of your assignment.
  • Week 6: Find the three journal articles for your assignment (this can take some time). Read the journal articles and identify the key insight relevant to your issue. Draft Section 3 of your assignment.
  • Week 7: Draft Sections 4, 5 and 1 of your assignment. Include screenshots of the journal articles in your appendix. Last chance for questions and consultation.
  • Week 8: Revise, proofread and reference your assignment. Submit your assignment Monday 14 April by 13:00.

Extra Consultations

  • Extra consultation links
  • Last questions should be submitted to the Discussion Board or to mgts1301@business.uq.edu.au
  • Due date: Monday 14 April @13:00

Shut Up and Write

  1. Decide on the task to be done
  2. Set the pomodoro (timer) to 25 minutes
  3. Work on the task until the timer rings
  4. Take a short break (5 minutes) then do another burst
  5. Every four “pomodori” take a longer break (15–20 minutes)

The Management Process

  • Planning: Setting performance objectives and deciding how to achieve them.
  • Organizing: Arranging tasks, people, and other resources to accomplish the work.
  • Leading: Inspiring people to work hard to achieve high performance.
  • Controlling: Measuring performance and taking action to ensure desired results.

Suncorp and Flexible Work

When it comes to flexible work Suncorp should:

A. Respond to the general environment by giving graduates complete freedom over where and when they work.

B. Respond to the task environment by hiring graduates who are committed to coming into the office.

C. Prioritize invisible and visible corporate culture by requiring graduates to come into the office on certain days.

D. Build a corporate culture that connects to the external environment so that graduates feel connected to the company whether they work from the office or remotely.

Sobah

Identify elements of Sobah’s General Environment & Corporate Culture?

  • General Environment:
    • Economic (?)
    • Sociocultural
    • Politico-Legal
    • Technological
    • Natural
  • Corporate Culture:
    • Stories
    • Rituals, rites & heroes
    • Symbols (dress, office layout, slogans)
    • Values, assumptions, beliefs

Amazon

  1. Describe a customer experience you have had with Amazon. Overall was it positive or negative?
  2. What stories have you heard about working for Amazon (e.g. employment conditions and wages in Amazon’s factories and corporate officers around the world).

Key Takeaways

  • Managers should adapt to and/or influence the General Environment (Economic, Sociocultural, Politico-Legal, Technological, Natural) and Task Environment (Customers, Suppliers, Competitors and the Labour Market).
  • Corporate culture is one-way managers can respond to the external environment (e.g. by fostering Achievement, Adaptability, Consistency or Involvement Cultures).
  • Corporate Culture includes visible and invisible elements.

Next Week

  • Strategic Management Seminar
  • Strategic Management Tutorial
  • Monday to Thursday: ASSESSMENT (External and Internal)
  • Friday: Week off