Organizational Behavior Study Guide
Chapter 2 Study Guide- the high performance organization
High performance organizations deploy Total Quality Management strategies that are customer-responsive, as South West Airlines did in regards to keeping cost low, despite the expansion of the company. It knew what its customers desired, and continued this effective 'brand strategy.' Yet the company also responded to its employee's needs for flexible and challenging jobs, and treated employees with respect. Also, organizationally it was cost effective, as from the Southwest's organizational hierarchy was flat and lean, comprised of CEO, department heads, managers, supervisors, and employees and thus responsive to the challenges faced by the airline industry after 9-11 that leveled so many other businesses.
Global Dimensions of Organizational Behavior
Wal-Mart initially had difficulty deploying its United States advantages internationally because of its difficulty of integrating the unique company culture into that of European attitudes towards marketing. Its stress upon cheer, for example, was incomprehensible to its German staff, in terms of the employees' attitudes to their employment, just as Japanese firms were often faced with obstacles in integrating their collective ethos into more individualistic American cultures. Culture must not simply be inclusive to an organization. Organizational internal culture must shift with the larger national cultural context in light of the needs posed by globalization.
Chapter 12: Strategic Competency and Organizational Design
IBM, showed a constructive ability to engage in organizational learning. Despite facing political obstacles such as 9-11 and prejudice against technology companies after the dot-com bust it has remained a huge, complex technological powerhouse. IBM's longer-term outlook is bright today, despite the obstacles it has faced, because the infrastructure within the organization allows growth. It has sound decision making chain of command that has stood it well over the years. Firms need to adjust to their environments and contexts as well as to influence them, and IBM has shown itself capable of doing so in terms of the firm's environment, size and technology.
