24 Questions
What are the three types of environment in which organizations operate?
Temporal, PEST framework, and internal environment
What are the five levels of environmental turbulence according to Ansoff and McDonnell?
Level 1: predictable, Level 2: forecastable by extrapolation, Level 3: predictable threats and opportunities, Level 4: partially predictable opportunities, Level 5: unpredictable surprises
What type of change situation does closed change describe?
Closed change describes a situation where we are able to say what happened, why it happened, and what the consequences are.
According to the text, what is important for managers to develop in the business culture?
Managers need to develop a business culture that makes ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability an integral part of the company’s business model.
What are the characteristics that future leaders need to possess, as mentioned in the text?
Future leaders need to be agile, authentic, sustainable, and talented.
What are the two ways in which the temporal environment influences organizations?
General way, through cycles of industry-based innovation; Specific way, through the life-cycle of the organization itself
What are the three different kinds of change situations proposed by Stacey?
Closed change, contained change, open-ended change
What is the first type of environment in which organizations operate, as mentioned in the text?
The first type of environment consists of historical developments bringing changes over time.
What framework is mentioned as the second type of environment in the text?
The PEST framework
What does the third type of environment, the organizations' internal environment, consist of?
The organizations' internal environment consists of organizational changes that are the first-line responses to changes in the external and temporal environments.
What concept by Stacey can be related to the levels of environmental turbulence proposed by Ansoff and McDonnell?
Stacey's concept of 'close to certainty' and 'far from certainty' can be related to the levels of environmental turbulence proposed by Ansoff and McDonnell.
What are the environmental factors influencing organizations?
Political, economic, social, technological, legal, and ecological aspects
Give an example of a political trigger that influences organizational life.
New Public Management (NPM)
What do governments aim to maintain a balance between in terms of economic triggers?
Economic growth, healthy balance of payments, low inflation, and low unemployment
What are some examples of internal triggers that can cause change within organizations?
New leadership, falling performance, vision and mission statements, high turnover and morale issues, relocation, adoption of new technology, and mergers and acquisitions
How is technology use transforming organizations in terms of the future of work?
Leading to more connected devices, increased importance of people skills, need for flexible management, and diversity as a business imperative
What will managers need to analyze employee engagement through, according to the text?
Emails and social media
How are workplace structures predicted to change in the future?
Wider and less hierarchical
What are some of the ways in which investment in technology affects organizations?
It drives productivity and affects organizational structure, required skills, and employee training
How is the future of work described in terms of the importance of people skills?
Increased importance
What is an example of a socio-cultural trigger that can influence organizations and their employees?
Changing expectations, demographics, family structures, awareness of equality, and cultural differences
According to Daft, how can an organization be described?
An organization can be described as a social entity that has goals and purpose, has boundaries, and patterns the activities of participants into a recognizable structure.
According to the text, what are the main elements of most organizations and their functioning?
The main elements include a social entity with goals and purpose, boundaries, and recognizable patterns in participants' activities.
What is the purpose of an organization, as mentioned in the text?
The purpose of an organization is to achieve some defined purpose or goal.
Study Notes
- Business conditions continue to become more complex and uncertain with faster pace of change and unpredictable future.
- Environmental factors influencing organizations include political, economic, social, technological, legal, and ecological aspects.
- Political triggers: various national and international bodies influence organizational life through legislation and economic prosperity promotion. New Public Management (NPM) is one example of political thinking about public service management.
- Economic triggers: governments aim to maintain balance between economic growth, healthy balance of payments, low inflation, and low unemployment.
- Socio-cultural triggers: changing expectations, demographics, family structures, awareness of equality, and cultural differences influence organizations and their employees.
- Technological triggers: investment in technology drives productivity and affects organizational structure, required skills, and employee training.
- Internal triggers: new leadership, falling performance, vision and mission statements, high turnover and morale issues, relocation, adoption of new technology, and mergers and acquisitions can trigger change within organizations.
- The future of work: technology use is transforming organizations, leading to more connected devices, increased importance of people skills, need for flexible management, and diversity as a business imperative.
- By 2020, each person will have six connected devices, requiring managers to lead dispersed and independent teams and analyze employee engagement through emails and social media.
- Workplace structures will become wider and less hierarchical, and managers will have tools for performance analysis.
- Diversity will continue to be a significant business concern.
Test your knowledge of organizations and their changing environments with this quiz based on Chapter 1. Explore the concept of organizations as structured entities with defined purposes and goals, as well as their boundaries and social nature.
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