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In Week 8 we are studying the Basic Elements of Control. In chapters 14 & 15, it mentioned the purpose of control, operational control, finance control, structural control, and strategy. Your assignment for this week is to compose a five to seven (7) page paper that shows your understanding of the characteristics of control. The 7 page minimum requirement does NOT include the title page, and reference page. The paper should answer the question:

From your perspective, what could your past or current manager/supervisor do to more effectively manage the control types of Operations, Finance, Structural, and Strategy? Refer to chapters 14 & 15 to help answer this question.

*Note- Paper is formatted based on APA guidelines, and includes a title page, in-text citations and a reference page. Please ensure that the paper meets basic writing standards including grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, and organization.

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Fundamentals of
MANAGEMENT
Eighth Edition
Ricky W. Griffin
Australia • Brazil • Japan • Korea • Mexico • Singapore • Spain • United Kingdom • United States
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Fundamentals of Management,
Eighth Edition
Ricky W. Griffin
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For Matt and Lura—Thank you for what you add to our family.
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Brief Contents
Preface xxi
Acknowledgments xxv
PART 1 An Introduction to Management
CHAPTER 1 Understanding the Manager’s Job 1
CHAPTER 2 The Environments of Organizations and Managers 34
PART 2 Planning
CHAPTER 3 Planning and Strategic Management 65
CHAPTER 4 Managing Decision Making 98
CHAPTER 5 Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 127
PART 3 Organizing
CHAPTER 6 Organization Structure and Design 159
CHAPTER 7 Organization Change and Innovation 191
CHAPTER 8 Managing Human Resources in Organizations 223
PART 4 Leading
CHAPTER 9 Basic Elements of Individual Behavior in Organizations 260
CHAPTER 10 Managing Employee Motivation and Performance 292
CHAPTER 11 Leadership and Influence Processes 326
CHAPTER 12 Communication in Organizations 361
CHAPTER 13 Managing Work Groups and Teams 391
PART 5 Controlling
CHAPTER 14 Basic Elements of Control 424
CHAPTER 15 Managing Operations, Quality, and Productivity 456
Appendix: Interpretations of Skills Self-Assessment Instruments 490
Name Index 502
Organization and Product Index 505
Subject Index 510
v
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Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxv
PART 1 An Introduction to Management
C H A P T E R 1
Understanding the Manager’s Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
An Introduction to Management 3
Kinds of Managers 4
Levels of Management, 4 • Managing in Different Areas of the Organization, 5
Basic Management Functions 6
Planning and Decision Making, 6 • Organizing, 6 • Leading, 7 • Controlling, 7
Fundamental Management Skills 7
Toward Zero Waste 8
Technical Skills, 8 • Interpersonal Skills, 8 • Conceptual Skills, 8 • Diagnostic
Skills, 9 • Communication Skills, 9 • Decision-Making Skills, 9 • Time Management
Skills, 9
The Science and the Art of Management 9
The Science of Management, 9 • The Art of Management, 10
The Evolution of Management 10
The Importance of Theory and History 11
Why Theory?, 11 • Why History?, 11
The Historical Context of Management 11
The Classical Management Perspective 12
Scientific Management, 12 • Administrative Management, 13 • The Classical
Management Perspective Today, 14
The Behavioral Management Perspective 14
The Hawthorne Studies, 15 • The Human Relations Movement, 16 • Contemporary
Behavioral Science in Management, 17 • The Behavioral Management Perspective
Today, 17
The Quantitative Management Perspective 17
Management Science, 17 • Operations Management, 18 • The Quantitative Management
Perspective Today, 19
Contemporary Management Perspectives 19
The Systems Perspective 19
The Contingency Perspective 20
Contemporary Management Issues and Challenges 21
Contemporary Applied Perspectives, 21 • Contemporary Management Challenges, 21
The Rise of the Service Sector 23
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 24
Discussion Questions 25
Building Effective Time Management Skills 26
Building Effective Decision-Making Skills 26
vi
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Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 27
Experiential Exercise 28
Management at Work 29
You Make the Call: Reed Hastings Doesn’t Like Standing Still 31
Endnotes 31
C H A P T E R 2
The Environments of Organizations and Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The Organization’s Environments 37
The General Environment 37
The Economic Dimension, 37 • The Technological Dimension, 37
What Goes Around … 38
The Political–Legal Dimension, 38
The Task Environment 39
Competitors, 39 • Customers, 39 • Supplier, 39 • Regulators, 40 • Strategic
Partners, 40
The Internal Environment 41
Owners, 41 • Board of Directors, 42 • Employees, 42 • Physical Work
Environment, 42
The Ethical and Social Environment of Management 43
Individual Ethics in Organizations 43
Managerial Ethics, 43 • Managing Ethical Behavior, 44
Emerging Ethical Issues 45
Ethical Leadership, 45 • Corporate Governance, 46 • Ethics and Information
Technology, 46
Social Responsibility in Organizations 47
Arguments for Social Responsibility, 47 • Arguments Against Social Responsibility, 47
Managing Social Responsibility 48
Formal Organizational Dimensions, 48
Greening the Business Environment: HP Keeps Itself in the Recycling Loop 49
Informal Organizational Dimensions, 50
The International Environment of Management 51
Trends in International Business 51
Levels of International Business Activity 51
Exporting and Importing, 52 • Licensing, 52 • Strategic Alliances, 53 • Direct
Investment, 53
The Context of International Business 53
The Cultural Environment, 53 • Controls on International Trade, 54 • Economic
Communities, 55 • The Role of the GATT and WTO, 56
The Organization’s Culture 56
The Importance of Organizational Culture 56
Determinants of Organizational Culture 57
Managing Organizational Culture 57
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 58
Discussion Questions 58
Building Effective Interpersonal Skills 59
Building Effective Communication Skills 60
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 60
Experiential Exercise 61
Management at Work 61
You Make the Call: Social Entrepreneurship at Its Finest 63
Endnotes 63
Contents vii
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PART 2 Planning
C H A P T E R 3
Planning and Strategic Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Planning and Organizational Goals 67
Organizational Goals 68
Purposes of Goals, 68 • Kinds of Goals, 69
Kinds of Organizational Plans 69
Strategic Plans, 69 • Tactical Plans, 69
Setting a New Direction for General Motors 70
Operational Plans, 70
The Nature of Strategic Management 71
The Components of Strategy 71
Types of Strategic Alternatives 72
Using SWOT Analysis to Formulate Strategy 72
Evaluating an Organization’s Strengths 72
Evaluating an Organization’s Weaknesses 74
Evaluating an Organization’s Opportunities and Threats 74
Formulating Business-Level Strategies 74
Porter’s Generic Strategies 74
Strategies Based on the Product Life Cycle 75
Formulating Corporate-Level Strategies 77
Single-Product Strategy 77
Related Diversification 77
Unrelated Diversification 78
Managing Diversification, 79 • BCG Matrix, 79
The Little-White-Lie Strategy 80
GE Business Screen 82
Tactical Planning 83
Developing Tactical Plans 83
Executing Tactical Plans 84
Operational Planning 84
Single-Use Plans 85
Programs, 85 • Projects, 85
Standing Plans 85
Policies, 86 • Standard Operating Procedures, 86 • Rules and Regulations, 86
Contingency Planning and Crisis Management 86
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 89
Discussion Questions 90
Building Effective Decision-Making Skills 91
Building Effective Communication and Interpersonal Skills 91
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 92
Experiential Exercise 93
Management at Work 94
You Make the Call: Google’s Strategy for Dominance 96
Endnotes 96
C H A P T E R 4
Managing Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
The Nature of Decision Making 100
viii Contents
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Decision Making Defined 100
Types of Decisions 101
Decision-Making Conditions 102
Decision Making Under Certainty, 102 • Decision Making Under Risk, 102 • Decision
Making Under Uncertainty, 103
The Wide World of Risk 104
Rational Perspectives on Decision Making 104
The Classical Model of Decision Making 104
Steps in Rational Decision Making 105
Recognizing and Defining the Decision Situation, 105 • Identifying
Alternatives, 105 • Evaluating Alternatives, 107 • Selecting the Best
Alternative, 108 • Implementing the Chosen Alternative, 108 • Following Up and
Evaluating the Results, 109
Evidence-Based Management 110
Behavioral Aspects of Decision Making 111
The Administrative Model 111
Political Forces in Decision Making 112
Intuition and Escalation of Commitment 113
Intuition, 113 • Escalation of Commitment, 113
A Bad Decision at Wesabe 114
Risk Propensity and Decision Making 115
Ethics and Decision Making 115
Group and Team Decision Making in Organizations 116
Forms of Group and Team Decision Making 116
Interacting Groups or Teams, 116 • Delphi Groups, 116 • Nominal Groups, 117
Advantages of Group and Team Decision Making 117
Disadvantages of Group and Team Decision Making 118
Managing Group and Team Decision-Making Processes 118
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 119
Discussion Questions 119
Building Effective Conceptual Skills 120
Building Effective Technical Skills 120
Skills Self-Assessment 121
Experiential Exercise 121
Management at Work 122
You Make the Call: The Embargo Grinds On 124
Endnotes 124
C H A P T E R 5
Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
The Nature of Entrepreneurship 129
The Role of Entrepreneurship in Society 129
Job Creation 131
Innovation 132
Importance to Big Business 133
Strategy for Entrepreneurial Organizations 133
Choosing an Industry 133
Services, 133 • Retailing, 134
Contents ix
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A New Model for Going Green 135
Construction, 136 • Finance and Insurance, 136 • Wholesaling, 137
• Transportation, 137 • Manufacturing, 137
Emphasizing Distinctive Competencies 139
Identifying Niches in Established Markets, 139 • Identifying New Markets, 139
Samuel Adams Makes Headway 140
First-Mover Advantages, 141
Writing a Business Plan 141
Entrepreneurship and International Management 141
Structure of Entrepreneurial Organizations 142
Starting the New Business 142
Buying an Existing Business, 142 • Starting from Scratch, 143
Financing the New Business 143
Personal Resources, 143 • Strategic Alliances, 144 • Lenders, 144 • Venture Capital
Companies, 144 • Small-Business Investment Companies, 144 • SBA Financial
Programs, 145
Sources of Management Advice 145
Advisory Boards, 145 • Management Consultants, 145 • The Small Business
Administration, 146 • Networking, 147
Franchising 147
The Performance of Entrepreneurial Organizations 148
Trends in Small-Business Start-Ups 149
Emergence of E-Commerce, 149 • Crossovers from Big Business, 150 • Opportunities for
Minorities and Women, 150 • Better Survival Rates, 151
Reasons for Failure 151
Reasons for Success 151
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 152
Discussion Questions 153
Building Effective Diagnostic Skills 153
Building Effective Conceptual Skills 154
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 154
Experiential Exercise 155
Management at Work 155
You Make the Call: Putting the Greek into Yogurt 157
Endnotes 157
PART 3 Organizing
C H A P T E R 6
Organization Structure and Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
The Basic Elements Of Organizing 162
Job Specialization 162
Benefits and Limitations of Specialization, 162 • Alternatives to Specialization, 162
Grouping Jobs: Departmentalization 164
Functional Departmentalization, 165 • Product Departmentalization, 166 • Customer
Departmentalization, 166 • Location Departmentalization, 166
Establishing Reporting Relationships 166
Chain of Command, 166 • Span of Management, 167 • Tall Versus Flat
Organizations, 167
x Contents
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Distributing Authority 167
The Delegation Process, 167
Delayering as a Defense Mechanism 168
Decentralization and Centralization, 169
A Panel of Your Peers 170
Coordinating Activities 170
The Need for Coordination, 171 • Structural Coordination Techniques, 171 • Electronic
Coordination, 172
The Bureaucratic Model of Organization Design 172
Situational Influences on Organization Design 173
Core Technology 174
Environment 175
Organizational Size and Life Cycle 176
Basic Forms of Organization Design 177
Functional (U-Form) Design 177
Conglomerate (H-Form) Design 178
Divisional (M-Form) Design 179
Matrix Design 179
Hybrid Designs 181
Emerging Issues in Organization Design 182
The Team Organization 182
The Virtual Organization 182
The Learning Organization 182
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 183
Discussion Questions 184
Building Effective Conceptual Skills 184
Building Effective Diagnostic Skills 185
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 185
Experiential Exercise 186
Management at Work 187
You Make the Call: Authority & Function at A&F 189
Endnotes 189
C H A P T E R 7
Organization Change and Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
The Nature of Organization Change 194
Forces for Change 194
External Forces, 194 • Internal Forces, 195
Planned Versus Reactive Change 195
Managing Change in Organizations 195
Steps in the Change Process 196
The Lewin Model, 196 • A Comprehensive Approach to Change, 196
Understanding Resistance to Change 197
Uncertainty, 197 • Threatened Self-Interests, 198 • Different Perceptions, 198 • Feelings
of Loss, 198
Overcoming Resistance to Change 198
Participation, 198
Charting a “New” Old Course 199
Education and Communication, 200 • Facilitation, 200 • Force-Field Analysis, 201
Contents xi
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Areas of Organization Change 201
Changing Organization Structure and Design 201
Changing Technology and Operations 202
Changing People, Attitudes, and Behaviors 203
Changing Business Processes 204
The Need for Business Process Change, 204
To Offshore or Not to Offshore 205
Approaches to Business Process Change, 206
Organization Development 207
OD Assumptions, 207 • OD Techniques, 207 • The Effectiveness of OD, 208
Organizational Innovation 209
The Innovation Process 209
Innovation Development, 209 • Innovation Application, 210 • Application
Launch, 210 • Application Growth, 210 • Innovation Maturity, 210 • Innovation
Decline, 210
Forms of Innovation 210
Radical Versus Incremental Innovations, 211 • Technical Versus Managerial
Innovations, 211 • Product Versus Process Innovations, 211
The Failure to Innovate 212
Lack of Resources, 212 • Failure to Recognize Opportunities, 212 • Resistance to
Change, 212 • Promoting Innovation in Organizations, 213 • The Reward
System, 213 • Organization Culture, 213 • Intrapreneurship in Larger
Organizations, 213
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 215
Discussion Questions 215
Building Effective Decision-Making Skills 216
Building Effective Diagnostic Skills 216
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 217
Experiential Exercise 218
Management at Work 219
You Make the Call: Cultivating Innovation at IKEA 221
Endnotes 221
C H A P T E R 8
Managing Human Resources in Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
The Environmental Context of HRM 226
The Strategic Importance of HRM 226
The Legal Environment of HRM 227
Equal Employment Opportunity Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, 228 • Compensation and Benefits, 228
Labor Relations 229
Health and Safety, 230 • Emerging Legal Issues, 230
Attracting Human Resources 230
Human Resource Planning 230
Job Analysis, 230 • Forecasting Human Resource Demand and Supply, 231 • Matching
Human Resource Supply and Demand, 232
Recruiting Human Resources 232
Selecting Human Resources 233
Application Blanks, 233 • Tests, 234 • Interviews, 234 • Assessment
Centers, 234 • Other Techniques, 234
xii Contents
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Developing Human Resources 234
Training and Development 235
Assessing Training Needs, 235 • Common Training Methods, 235 • Evaluation of
Training, 235
Darden Invests in Employee Development 236
Performance Appraisal 237
Common Appraisal Methods, 237 • Errors in Performance Appraisal, 238
Performance Feedback 239
Maintaining Human Resources 240
Determining Compensation 240
Holding True at Nucor Steel 241
Wage-Level Decision, 242 • Wage Structure Decision, 242 • Individual Wage
Decisions, 243
Determining Benefits 243
Managing Workforce Diversity 244
The Meaning of Diversity 244
The Impact of Diversity 244
Diversity as a Competitive Advantage, 244 • Diversity as a Source of Conflict, 244
Managing Diversity in Organizations 245
Individual Strategies, 245 • Organizational Approaches, 245
Managing Labor Relations 246
How Employees Form Unions 246
Collective Bargaining 248
New Challenges in the Changing Workplace 249
Managing Knowledge Workers 249
The Nature of Knowledge Work, 249 • Knowledge Worker Management and Labor
Markets, 249
Contingent and Temporary Workers 250
Trends in Contingent and Temporary Employment, 250 • Managing Contingent and
Temporary Workers, 250
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 251
Discussion Questions 252
Building Effective Decision-Making Skills 252
Building Effective Technical Skills 253
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 254
Experiential Exercise 255
Management at Work 255
You Make the Call: No Company for Old-Fashioned Management 257
Endnotes 257
PART 4 Leading
C H A P T E R 9
Basic Elements of Individual Behavior in Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Understanding Individuals in Organizations 262
The Psychological Contract 262
The Person–Job Fit 263
The Nature of Individual Differences 264
Personality and Individual Behavior 264
Contents xiii
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The “Big Five” Personality Traits 264
The Myers–Briggs Framework 266
Other Personality Traits at Work 267
Emotional Intelligence 268
Attitudes and Individual Behavior 269
Work-Related Attitudes 269
Job Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction, 269
Toss It, or Recycle It? 270
Organizational Commitment, 271
Affect and Mood in Organizations 271
Perception and Individual Behavior 272
Basic Perceptual Processes 272
Selective Perception, 272 • Stereotyping, 272
Perception and Attribution 273
Stress and Individual Behavior 273
Causes and Consequences of Stress 275
Causes of Stress, 275 • Consequences of Stress, 276
Managing Stress 276
When Stress Becomes Too Tough to Handle 277
Creativity in Organizations 279
The Creative Individual 279
Background Experiences and Creativity, 279 • Personal Traits and
Creativity, 280 • Cognitive Abilities and Creativity, 280
The Creative Process 280
Preparation, 280 • Incubation, 280 • Insight, 281 • Verification, 281
Enhancing Creativity in Organizations 281
Types of Workplace Behavior 282
Performance Behaviors 282
Withdrawal Behaviors 282
Organizational Citizenship 283
Dysfunctional Behaviors 283
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 284
Discussion Questions 285
Building Effective Interpersonal Skills 285
Building Effective Time Management Skills 286
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 286
Experiential Exercise 287
Management at Work 287
You Make the Call: Putting In the Hours 289
Endnotes 289
C H A P T E R 1 0
Managing Employee Motivation and Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
The Nature of Motivation 294
Content Perspectives on Motivation 295
The Needs Hierarchy Approach 296
The Two-Factor Theory 297
Individual Human Needs 298
Process Perspectives on Motivation 299
xiv Contents
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Expectancy Theory 299
Effort-to-Performance Expectancy, 300 • Performance-to-Outcome Expectancy, 300
• Outcomes and Valences, 300 • The Porter–Lawler Extension, 301
Equity Theory 302
Goal-Setting Theory 302
Goal Difficulty, 303 • Goal Specificity, 303
Reinforcement Perspectives on Motivation 304
Kinds of Reinforcement in Organizations 304
To Reward or To Punish? … That Is the Question 305
Providing Reinforcement in Organizations 306
Popular Motivational Strategies 307
Empowerment and Participation 307
Alternative Forms of Work Arrangements 307
Service with a Smile 308
Variable Work Schedules, 309 • Flexible Work Schedules, 309 • Job
Sharing, 309 • Telecommuting, 310
Using Reward Systems to Motivate Performance 310
Merit Reward Systems 311
Incentive Reward Systems 311
Incentive Pay Plans, 311 • Other Forms of Incentive, 312
Team and Group Incentive Reward Systems 312
Common Team and Group Reward Systems 313
Other Types of Team and Group Rewards, 313
Executive Compensation 314
Standard Forms of Executive Compensation, 314 • Special Forms of Executive
Compensation, 314 • Criticisms of Executive Compensation, 315
New Approaches to Performance-Based Rewards 316
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 316
Discussion Questions 317
Building Effective Interpersonal and Communication Skills 318
Building Effective Decision-Making Skills 318
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 319
Experiential Exercise 319
Management at Work 321
You Make the Call: Motivating the Whole Person 323
Endnotes 323
C H A P T E R 1 1
Leadership and Influence Processes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
The Nature of Leadership 328
The Meaning of Leadership 329
Leadership and Management 329
Leadership and Power 329
Legitimate Power, 329 • Reward Power, 330 • Coercive Power, 331 • Referent
Power, 331 • Expert Power, 331
Generic Approaches to Leadership 331
Leadership Traits 331
Leadership Behaviors 332
Michigan Studies, 332 • Ohio State Studies, 332 • Managerial Grid, 333
Situational Approaches to Leadership 334
Contents xv
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Leadership Tips for Tough Times 335
LPC Theory 336
Favorableness of the Situation, 337 • Favorableness and Leader Style, 337 • Flexibility of
Leader Style, 338
Path-Goal Theory 338
Leader Behavior, 339 • Situational Factors, 339
Vroom’s Decision Tree Approach 340
Basic Premises, 340 • Decision-Making Styles, 342 • Evaluation and Implications, 343
The LMX Approach 343
Related Approaches to Leadership 344
Substitutes for Leadership 344
Charismatic Leadership 344
Transformational Leadership 345
Emerging Approaches to Leadership 346
Strategic Leadership 346
Cross-Cultural Leadership 346
Diversity Still Lagging in the Boardroom 347
Ethical Leadership 348
Political Behavior in Organizations 348
Common Political Behaviors 349
Impression Management 349
Managing Political Behavior 350
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 351
Discussion Questions 352
Building Effective Diagnostic Skills 352
Building Effective Interpersonal Skills 353
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 354
Experiential Exercise 355
Management at Work 356
You Make the Call: When to Stand on Your Head and Other Tips from the Top 357
Endnotes 358
C H A P T E R 1 2
Communication in Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Communication and the Manager’s Job 364
A Definition of Communication 364
Characteristics of Useful Information 365
Accurate, 365 • Timely, 365 • Complete, 365 • Relevant, 366
The Communication Process 366
Forms of Communication in Organizations 367
Interpersonal Communication 367
Oral Communication, 367 • Written Communication, 367 • Choosing the Right
Form, 368
Communication in Networks and Work Teams 368
Organizational Communication 369
Vertical Communication, 369 • Horizontal Communication, 370
Digital Communication 371
Information Systems, 371
The Brutally-Honest-Opinion Business 372
Personal Digital Technology, 374
xvi Contents
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Informal Communication in Organizations 375
The Grapevine 375
Management by Wandering Around 377
Nonverbal Communication 377
Say It with a Smile 378
Managing Organizational Communication 379
Barriers to Communication 379
Individual Barriers, 379 • Organizational Barriers, 380
Improving Communication Effectiveness 381
Individual Skills, 382 • Organizational Skills, 383
Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 383
Discussion Questions 384
Building Effective Technical Skills 385
Building Effective Interpersonal Skills 385
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 386
Experiential Exercise 387
Management at Work 387
You Make the Call: “Que Pasa in the Ad Agency?” 389
Endnotes 389
C H A P T E R 1 3
Managing Work Groups and Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Groups and Teams in Organizations 394
Types of Groups and Teams 394
Functional Groups, 394 • Informal or Interest Groups, 394 • Task Groups, 395
Using Customer-Created Groups for Competitive Advantage 396
Why People Join Groups and Teams 398
Interpersonal Attraction, 399 • Group Activities, 399 • Group Goals, 399 • Need
Satisfaction, 399 • Instrumental Benefits, 400
Stages of Group and Team Development 400
Characteristics of Groups and Teams 402
Role Structures 402
Role Ambiguity, 402 • Role Conflict, 403 • Role Overload, 403
Measuring Carbon Footprints 404
Behavioral Norms 405
Norm Generalization, 406 • Norm Variation, 406 • Norm Conformity, 406
Cohesiveness 407
Factors That Increase Cohesiveness, 407 • Factors That Reduce
Cohesiveness, 408 • Consequences of Cohesiveness, 408
Formal and Informal Leadership 409
Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflict 409
The Nature of Conflict 409
Causes of Conflict 410
Interpersonal Conflict, 410 • Intergroup Conflict, 411 • Conflict Between Organization
and Environment, 412
Managing Conflict in Organizations 412
Stimulating Conflict 413
Controlling Conflict 413
Resolving and Eliminating Conflict 414
Negotiation 414
Contents xvii
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Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 416
Discussion Questions 417
Building Effective Conceptual Skills 417
Building Effective Communication Skills 418
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 418
Experiential Exercise 419
Management at Work 419
You Make the Call: Managing by Clowning Around 421
Endnotes 421
PART 5 Controlling
C H A P T E R 1 4
Basic Elements of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
The Nature of Control 426
The Purpose of Control 427
Adapting to Environmental Change, 427 • Limiting the Accumulation of
Error, 427 • Coping with Organizational Complexity, 428 • Minimizing Costs, 428
Types of Control 428
Engineering Time 429
Areas of Control, 430 • Levels of Control, 430 • Responsibilities for Control, 431
Steps in the Control Process 432
Establishing Standards, 432 • Measuring Performance, 433 • Comparing Performance
Against Standards, 433 • Considering Corrective Action, 434
Operations Control 434
Preliminary Control 434
Screening Control 435
Postaction Control 436
Financial Control 436
Budgetary Control 436
Types of Budgets, 437 • Developing Budgets, 438 • Strengths and Weaknesses of
Budgeting, 439
Other Tools for Financial Control 440
Financial Statements, 440 • Ratio Analysis, 440 • Financial Audits, 440
Structural Control 441
Bureaucratic Control 442
Decentralized Control 443
Strategic Control 443
Managing Control in Organizations 444
Characteristics of Effective Control 444
Integration with Planning, 444 • Flexibility, 444
Balancing Control with Fun 445
Accuracy, 445 • Timeliness, 446 • Objectivity, 446
Resistance to Control 446
Overcontrol, 446 • Inappropriate Focus, 447 • Rewards for Inefficiency, 447 • Too Much
Accountability, 447
Overcoming Resistance to Control 447
Encourage Employee Participation, 447 • Develop Verification Procedures, 448
xviii Contents
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Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 448
Discussion Questions 449
Building Effective Time Management Skills 449
Building Effective Technical Skills 450
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 451
Experiential Exercise 451
Management at Work 453
You Make the Call: Shifting Gears in the Auto Industry 454
Endnotes 455
C H A P T E R 1 5
Managing Operations, Quality, and Productivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
The Nature of Operations Management 459
The Importance of Operations 459
Manufacturing and Production Operations 460
Service Operations 460
The Role of Operations in Organizational Strategy 461
Designing Operations Systems 461
Determining the Product–Service Mix 462
Capacity Decisions 462
Facilities Decisions 462
Location, 462 • Layout, 463
How to Get2 a Human 464
Organizational Technologies 465
Manufacturing Technology 466
Automation, 466 • Computer-Assisted Manufacturing, 467 • Robotics, 468
Service Technology 468
Implementing Operations Systems Through Supply Chain Management 469
Operations Management as Control 469
Combining Technology and Artistry 470
Purchasing Management 471
Inventory Management 472
Managing Total Quality 473
The Meaning of Quality 473
The Importance of Quality 474
Competition, 474 • Productivity, 474 • Costs, 475
Total Quality Management 475
Strategic Commitment, 475 • Employee Involvement, 476
Technology, 476 • Materials, 476 • Methods, 476
TQM Tools and Techniques 476
Value-Added Analysis, 476 • Benchmarking, 476 • Outsourcing, 477 • Reducing Cycle
Time, 477 • ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 14000, 478 • Statistical Quality
Control, 478 • Six Sigma, 478
Managing Productivity 478
The Meaning of Productivity 479
Levels of Productivity, 479 • Forms of Productivity, 479
The Importance of Productivity 479
Productivity Trends 480
Improving Productivity 481
Improving Operations, 481 • Increasing Employee Involvement, 482
Contents xix
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Summary of Learning Outcomes and Key Points 482
Discussion Questions 483
Building Effective Communication Skills 484
Building Effective Diagnostic Skills 484
Skills Self-Assessment Instrument 485
Experiential Exercise 485
Management at Work 486
You Make the Call: Orchestrating Outcomes 488
Endnotes 488
Appendix: Interpretations of Skills Self-Assessment Instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Name Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
Organization and Product Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Subject Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510
xx Contents
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Preface
Literally hundreds of books have been written for introductory management courses. As
the body of material comprising the theory, research, and practice of management has
grown and expanded, textbook authors have continued to mirror this expansion of mate-
rial in their books. Writers have understood the importance of adding new material
about traditional topics, such as planning and organizing, while simultaneously adding
coverage of emerging newer topics, such as sustainability, ethics, and social media. As a
by-product of this trend, our general survey textbooks have grown longer and longer,
making it increasingly difficult to cover all the material in one course.
Another trend in management education is a focus on teaching in a broader context—
that is, introductory management courses are increasingly being taught with less
emphasis on theory alone and more emphasis on application of concepts. Teaching
students how to apply management concepts successfully often involves focusing
more on skills development and the human side of the organization. This trend
requires that textbooks cover theoretical concepts within a flexible framework that
enables instructors to make use of interactive tools such as case studies, exercises, and
projects. It also dictates that a text be as relevant to students as possible. Hence, while
this book draws examples and cases from older large firms like Ford, IBM, and Nissan,
it also makes extensive use of newer firms such as Google, Netflix, Facebook, Star-
bucks, Urban Outfitters, and others.
This textbook represents a synthesis of these trends toward a more manageable and
practical approach. By combining concise text discussion, standard pedagogical tools,
lively and current content, an emphasis on organizational behavior, and exciting skills
development material, Fundamentals of Management answers the need for a new
approach to management education. This book provides almost limitless flexibility, a
solid foundation of knowledge-based material, and an action-oriented learning dimen-
sion unique in the field. Indeed, over half a million students were introduced to the
field of management using the first seven editions of this book. This eighth edition builds
solidly on the successes of the earlier editions.
ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK
Most management instructors today organize their course around the traditional man-
agement functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Fundamentals of
Management uses these functions as its organizing framework. The book consists of
five parts, with fifteen chapters.
Part One introduces management through two chapters. Chapter 1 provides a basic
overview of the management process in organizations, and Chapter 2 introduces students
to the environment of management. Part Two covers the first basic management func-
tion, planning. Chapter 3 introduces the fundamental concepts of planning and discusses
strategic management. Managerial decision making is the topic of Chapter 4. Finally,
Chapter 5 covers entrepreneurship and the management of new ventures.
The second basic management function, organizing, is the subject of Part Three. In
Chapter 6, the fundamental concepts of organization structure and design are introduced
xxi
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and discussed. Chapter 7 explores organization change and organizational innovation.
Chapter 8 is devoted to the management of human resources.
Many instructors and managers believe that the third basic management function,
leading, is especially important in contemporary organizations. Thus, Part Four consists
of five chapters devoted to this management function. Basic concepts and processes asso-
ciated with individual behavior are introduced and discussed in Chapter 9. Employee
motivation is the subject of Chapter 10. Chapter 11 examines leadership and influence
processes in organizations. Communication in organizations is the topic of Chapter 12.
The management of groups and teams is covered in Chapter 13.
The fourth management function, controlling, is the subject of Part Five. Chapter 14
introduces the fundamental concepts and issues associated with management of the con-
trol process. A special area of control today, managing for total quality, is discussed in
Chapter 15.
SKILLS-FOCUSED PEDAGOGICAL FEATURES
Both the overarching framework and streamlined topical coverage make it possible to
address new dimensions of management education without creating a book so long that
it is unwieldy. Specifically, each chapter is followed by an exciting set of skills-based
exercises and related activities. These resources have been created to bring an active
and a behavioral orientation to management education by requiring students to solve
problems, make decisions, respond to situations, and work in groups. In short, these
materials simulate many of the day-to-day challenges and opportunities that real man-
agers face.
Among these skills-based exercises are two different Building Effective Skills features
organized around the set of basic management skills introduced in Chapter 1. The Skills
Self-Assessment Instrument exercise helps readers learn something about their own
approach to management. Feedback for the Self-Assessment Instruments can be found
in the Appendix. Finally, an Experiential Exercise provides additional action-oriented
learning opportunities, usually in a group setting.
New to the eighth edition, each chapter also contains interesting boxed features, two per
chapter, centered around sustainability, leadership, the service sector, and managing
during tough times. These features depart briefly from the flow of the chapter to highlight
or extend especially interesting or emerging points and issues related to boxed feature titles.
In addition to the end-of-chapter exercises, every chapter includes important standard
pedagogy: learning objectives, a chapter outline, an opening incident, key terms, a sum-
mary of key points, questions for review, questions for analysis, and an end-of-chapter
case with questions.
CHANGES TO THE EIGHTH EDITION
The eighth edition of Fundamentals of Management retains the same basic structure and
format as the previous edition. However, within that framework the content of the book
has been thoroughly revised and updated. The following changes are illustrative of the
new material:
(1) New topical coverage related to both domestic and global economic conditions is
included. The book also places greater emphasis on the services sector of the econ-
omy. Coverage of the economic impact of unrest in the Middle East and Hurricane
Sandy has also been added. Moreover, all data regarding international business
xxii Preface
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activity, entrepreneurship and small businesses, and workforce diversity have been
updated to the most current figures available.
(2) Several new management techniques are also included in this edition. Examples
include the tiered workforce and evidence-based management. These and other
new techniques are discussed in several places in the book.
(3) The latest research findings regarding globalization, strategic management,
organizing, motivation, leadership, and control have been incorporated into
the text and referenced at the end of the book. Over 150 new articles and
books are cited.
(4) Virtually all of the cases and boxed inserts are new to this edition of Fundamentals
of Management, while the few retained from earlier editions have been updated as
needed. They reflect a wide variety of organizations and illustrate both successful
and less successful practices and decisions.
(5) As noted earlier, this book features a rich and diverse array of end-of-chapter
materials to facilitate both learning and skill development. For this edition, a sub-
stantial portion of this material has been replaced or substantially revised.
SUPPLEMENTS
Instructor Supplements
Instructor’s Resource Companion Website. Find all of the helpful, time-saving teaching
resources you need to create a dynamic, interactive management course. The Instructor’s
Website includes the Instructor’s Manual (IM) files, Testing files, PowerPoint slides, and
a DVD Guide to help you most effectively use this edition’s accompanying video cases.
Updated content throughout the IM and PowerPoint slides reflects the latest edition of
the text. Almost one-third of the Test Bank questions are new. New to this edition, we
are now providing our Test Bank in Cognero. Cengage Learning Testing Powered by
Cognero is a flexible, online system that allows you to:
• author, edit, and manage test bank content
• create multiple test versions in an instant
• deliver tests from your LMS, your classroom, or wherever you want
Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero works on any operating system or
browser.
• No special installs or downloads are needed.
• Create tests from school, home, the coffee shop—anywhere with Internet access.
What will you find?
• Simplicity at every step. A desktop-inspired interface features drop-down menus and
familiar, intuitive tools that take you through content creation and management
with ease.
• Full-featured test generator. Create ideal assessments with your choice of question
types. Searchable metadata helps ensure your tests are complete and compliant.
• Cross-compatible capability. Import and export content into other systems.
Video Case DVD. Put management in action with this edition’s new video package.
All new “On the Job” videos illustrate management concepts at work within familiar
companies, large and small, giving students an insider’s perspective.
Preface xxiii
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Student Supplements
MindTap™
Students who purchase the MindTap product will enjoy a number of innovative features
designed to enhance their learning experience. The e-book has been enriched with inter-
active figures and animated videos that increase comprehension of the most challenging
topics, and the insightful video cases are embedded directly into the end-of-chapter
materials. At the beginning of each chapter, students will be asked to take a self-assessment
questionnaire that introduces an important topic and shows how it relates to students’
current experience. Students will also have ready access to the assignments chosen by the
instructor, which may include test-prep quizzes, homework questions, Write Experience
essay-writing practice, and experiential exercises (role-play activities and group project
activities).
New to this edition, the role-play activities give students opportunities to practice
their managerial and communication skills in an online, real-time environment, while
the group project activities encourage them to take a modern approach to applying key
concepts using a digital collaborative workspace. By giving them opportunities to collab-
orate online, apply course concepts, and create solutions to realistic management
problems, all of these learning activities are designed to enable students to Engage,
Connect, Perform, and Lead—in short, to learn to “Think and Act Like Managers,” with
demonstrable skills in critical thinking, analysis, and much more.
Augmenting the entire MindTap experience, robust diagnostic tools powered by
Knewton provide students with feedback and personalized study plans based on actual
assigned coursework rather than a separate set of quizzes. Using recommendations
provided by Knewton, students can focus their efforts on the most important concepts
they need to learn at that moment in time, as well as more effectively prepare for
exams. Furthermore, Knewton gives instructors the ability to focus class time on the
most relevant material and effectively assist struggling students. Using the MindTap
Progress App, instructors can track student proficiency, which will allow them to quickly
react to where students are in their learning and make the best use of class time. This
creates even more opportunities to train students to “Think and Act Like Managers.
xxiv Preface
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Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge the many contributions that others have made to this book.
My faculty colleagues at Texas A&M University have contributed enormously both to
this book and to my thinking about management education. The fine team of profes-
sionals at Cengage Learning has also been instrumental in the success of this book. Erin
Joyner, Mike Schenk, Scott Person, Julia Chase, Jennifer Ziegler, Sarah Shainwald, and
the team at Integra Software Services were instrumental in the creation of this edition.
Many reviewers have played a critical role in the continuous evolution and improvement
of this project. They examined my work in detail and with a critical eye. I would like to tip
my hat to the following reviewers, whose imprint can be found throughout this text:
Joseph Adamo (Cazenovia College), Sally Alkazin (Linfield College), Robert Ash
(Santiago Canyon College), Sherryl Berg-Ridenour (DeVry College–Pomona), Alain
Broder (Touro College), Murray Brunton (Central Ohio Tech), Sam Chapman (Diablo
Valley College), Elizabeth Anne Christo-Baker (Terra Community College), Gary Corona
(Florida State College–Jacksonville), Dr. Anne Cowden (California State University),
Suzanne Crampton (Grand Valley State University), Thomas DeLaughter (University of
Florida), Anita Dickson (Northampton Community College), Joe Dobson (Western
Illinois University), Michael Dutch (University of Houston), Dale Eesley (University of
Nebraska–Omaha), Norb Elbert (Eastern Kentucky University), Teri Elkins (University
of Houston), Jan Feldbauer (Schoolcraft College), Tamela D. Ferguson (University of
Louisiana at Lafayette), Anne Fiedler (Barry University), Eugene Garaventa (College of
Staten Island), Phillip Gonsher (Johnson Community College), Patricia Green (Nassau
Community College), John Guess (Delgado Community College), Joseph S. Hooker, Jr.
(North Greenville College), David Hudson (Spalding University), George W. Jacobs
(Middle Tennessee State University), Tim McCabe (Tompkins Cortland Community
College), Garry McDaniel (Franklin University), Lauryn Migenes (University of Central
Florida), Christopher Neck (Arizona State University), Judy Nixon (University of
Tennessee–Chattanooga), Ranjna Patel (Bethune-Cookman College), Lisa Reed (University
of Portland), Virginia Rich (Caldwell College), Dr. Joan Rivera (Angelo State University),
Roberta B. Slater (Pennsylvania College of Technology), Bob Smoot (Hazard Community
College), Howard Stanger (Canisius College), Sheryl A. Stanley (Newman University), Roy
Strickland (Ozarks Technical Community College), Mike L. Stutzman (Mt. Mercy College
and Kirkwood College), Abe Tawil (Baruch University), Lynn Turner (California Polytech
University–Pomona), Barry Van Hook (Arizona State University), Ruth Weatherly
(Simpson College), and Mary Williams (Community College of Nevada).
My wife, Glenda, and our children, Dustin, Ashley, Matt, and Lura, are of course due
the greatest thanks. Their love, care, interest, and enthusiasm help sustain me in all that I
do. And my granddaughter, Griffin, brings joy to my life and a smile to my face every
time I think about her.
I enthusiastically invite your feedback on this book. If you have any questions, sugges-
tions, or issues to discuss, please feel free to contact me. The most efficient way to reach
me is through e-mail. My address is rgriffin@tamu.edu.
R.W.G.
xxv
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C H A P T E R 1
Understanding the
Manager’s Job
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Define management, describe the kinds of managers found in organizations, identify and explain the
four basic management functions, describe the fundamental management skills, and comment on
management as a science and art.
2 Justify the importance of history and theory to managers, and explain the evolution of management
thought through the classical, behavioral, and quantitative perspectives.
3 Identify and discuss key contemporary management perspectives represented by the systems and
contingency perspectives, and identify the major challenges and opportunities faced by managers
today.
Management in Action
Reed Hastings Doesn’t Like Standing Still
“Don’t be afraid to change the model.”
—Netflix CEO Reed Hastings
Several years ago, Reed Hastings, a California entrepreneur between start-up
ventures, incurred a $40 late fee at Blockbuster. “It was six weeks late,” he
admits. “I had misplaced the cassette [and] I didn’t want to tell my wife. . . . I was
embarrassed about it.” The next day he dropped off the VHS cassette and paid
the late fee on his way to the gym. As it turns out, his itinerary for the day was
quite opportune: In the middle of his workout, he recalls, “I realized [the gym]
had a much better business model. You could pay $30 or $40 a month and work
out as little or as much as you wanted.”
Thus was born the idea for Netflix. But Hastings knew he needed to start
slowly. So, when Netflix was launched in 1997, its only innovations involved the
convenience of ordering movies over the Internet and receiving and returning
them by mail; Netflix merely rented movies for $4 apiece plus $2 for postage
(and, yes, it charged late fees). Basically, the customer base consisted of people
who wanted to watch movies without having to leave the house. But Hastings
and co-founder Marc Randolph then quickly decided to test a subscription-based
model, unlimited rentals by mail for a flat fee and, perhaps most important, no
due dates (and thus no late fees). Current customers were first offered the
opportunity to shift from their pay-per-rental plans to subscription plans on a
free, trial basis and then given the chance to renew the subscription plan on a
paid basis. “We knew it wouldn’t be terrible,” says Hastings, “but we didn’t
Sergii Tsololo/Photos.com
1
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know if it would be great.” In the first month, however, 80 percent of Netflix users
who’d tried the no-cost subscription plan had renewed on a paid basis.
“Having unlimited due dates and no late fees,” said Hastings back in 2003,
“has worked in a powerful way and now seems obvious, but at that time, we
had no idea if customers would even build and use an online queue.” The
“queue,” as any Netflix user will tell you, is the list of movies that the customer
wants to watch. Netflix maintains your queue, follows your online directions in
keeping it up to date, and automatically sends you the next movie you want
each time you send one back.
The essence of queuing—and of the Netflix business model—is clearly
convenience. Although the ability to enhance customer convenience, even when
combined with cost savings, often gives a company a competitive advantage in
its industry, it doesn’t always have the industry-wide effect that it’s had in the
case of Netflix. Not only did the Netflix subscriber model improve the service
provided by the industry in an unexpected way, but ultimately it also weakened
the competitive positions of companies already doing business in the industry—
notably, Blockbuster. In late 2012, the onetime industry leader’s market
capitalization, which had peaked at $5 billion in 2002, was languishing at
$35 million. At the same time, Netflix’s market cap stood at nearly $10 billion
and would top $15 billion by 2013.
How had Hastings’s upstart company managed to put itself in such an enviable
position? For one thing, it got off to a fast start. In 1997, when DVDs were just
being test-marketed in the United States, Hastings and Randolph gambled that
the new medium would eventually overtake videocassettes as the format of
choice for both the home-movie industry and the home-movie renter. They were
Reed Hastings has used a variety of management techniques to build Netflix into an entertainment
powerhouse.
M
ik
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C
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ss
e
se
/R
E
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R
S
2 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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right, of course—by 2002, one in four U.S. households owned a DVD player, but
the number today is close to nine in ten. (In any case, it would have cost about $4
to mail a videocassette both ways, compared to the $0 78 that it costs to ship a
DVD back and forth.)
More important, as the first company to rent movies by mail, Netflix was the
first to establish a rental-by-mail customer base. At first, says Hastings, “people
thought the idea was crazy. But it was precisely because it was a contrarian idea
that [it] enabled us to get ahead of our competitors.” As Netflix has continued to
expand and nurture its subscriber base, it’s also generated both brand recognition
and brand loyalty. “Netflix has customer loyalty. It’s a passion brand,” explains
Hastings, who hastens to add that keeping customers happy is crucial “because
the more someone uses Netflix, the more likely they are to stay with us.”
Netflix also puts a premium on hiring the very best people. Hastings hires bright
people, pays them above-market wages, and provides innovative and interesting
benefits. For instance, Netflix employees can take as much vacation time as they
want so long as they perform their jobs at a high level. But at the same time, the
firm has very high performance standards and employees sometimes complain
about too much pressure. As Hastings says, “We treat our top performers very
well. We provide average employees with reasonable severance package[s].”
Today Netflix continues to be at the forefront of innovation and has established
a strong position in the emerging video-on-demand market. In 2013, the company
obtained exclusive rights to distribute the original series The House of Cards,
Hemlock Grove, Orange Is the New Black, and the revival of Arrested
Development. And each proved to be a big smash. All told, Netflix’s 36 million
subscribers watch about 4 billion hours of programs every quarter on more than
1,000 different devices—indeed, on a normal evening Netflix accounts for over a
third of all Internet usage in North America!
Never one to stand still, Reed Hastings continues to look for the “next big
thing.” Unlike most traditional managers, Hastings doesn’t have an office. He
simply wanders around headquarters, talking to people about their work and
their ideas, and occasionally grabbing an empty chair or desk to check his
e-mail. When he needs solitude to think and ponder major decisions, he retreats
to a rooftop “cube” with four glass walls overlooking the Santa Cruz mountains.
And from that cube Hastings will continue to make the right moves.1
This book is about managers like Reed Hastings and the work they do. In this
chapter, we examine the general nature of management, its dimensions, and its
challenges. We explain the basic concepts of management and managers,
discuss the management process, and summarize the origins of contemporary
management thought. We conclude this chapter by introducing critical
challenges and issues that managers are facing now and will continue to
encounter in the future.
AN INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT
An organization is a group of people working together in a structured and coordinated
fashion to achieve a set of goals, which may include profit (Netflix or Starbucks), the discov-
ery of knowledge (the University of Nebraska or the National Science Foundation), national
organization
A group of people
working together in a
structured and
coordinated fashion
to achieve a set of
goals
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 3
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defense (the U.S. Navy or Marines), the coordination of various local charities (the United
Way of America), or social satisfaction (a fraternity or sorority).
Managers are responsible for using the organization’s resources to help achieve its
goals. More precisely, management can be defined as a set of activities (including plan-
ning and decision making, organizing, leading, and controlling) directed at an organiza-
tion’s resources (human, financial, physical, and information), with the aim of achieving
organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner. A manager, then, is someone
whose primary responsibility is to carry out the management process. By efficient, we
mean using resources wisely, in a cost-effective way. By effective, we mean making the
right decisions and successfully implementing them. In general, successful organizations
are both efficient and effective.2
Today’s managers face various interesting and challenging situations. The average
executive works 60 hours a week; has enormous demands placed on his or her time;
and faces increased complexities posed by globalization, domestic competition, govern-
ment regulation, shareholder pressure, emerging technologies, the rise of social media,
and other Internet-related uncertainties. Their job is complicated even more by rapid
changes, unexpected disruptions, and both minor and major crises. The manager’s job
is unpredictable and fraught with challenges, but it is also filled with opportunities
to make a difference. Good managers can propel an organization into unprecedented
realms of success, whereas poor managers can devastate even the strongest of
organizations.3
Kinds of Managers
Many different kinds of managers work in organizations today. Figure 1.1 shows how
various kinds of managers within an organization can be differentiated by level and by
area.
Levels of Management One way to classify managers is in terms of their level in the
organization. Top managers make up the relatively small group of executives who man-
age the overall organization. Titles found in this group include president, vice president,
and chief executive officer (CEO). Top managers create the organization’s goals, overall
strategy, and operating policies. They also officially represent the organization to the
external environment by meeting with government officials, executives of other organiza-
tions, and so forth.
Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, is a top manager, as are Paula Boggs and Peter
Gibbons, two of the firm’s executive vice presidents. Likewise, Reed Hastings, Sergey
Brin and Larry Page (Google’s founders and top executives), Marissa Mayer (CEO of
Yahoo!), Richard Hayne (CEO of Urban Outfitters), and Mary Barra (CEO of General
Motors) are also top managers. The job of a top manager is likely to be complex and
varied. Top managers make decisions about activities such as acquiring other companies,
investing in research and development (R&D), entering or abandoning various markets,
and building new plants and office facilities. They often work long hours and spend
much of their time in meetings or on the telephone. In most cases, top managers are
also very well paid. In fact, the elite top managers of very large firms sometimes make
several million dollars a year in salary, bonuses, and stock.4 In 2012, Ford paid Alan
Mulally $1,400,000 in salary for his work as CEO. He was also awarded a bonus of
$9,450,000 and around $15,000,000 in stock and option awards.5
Middle management is probably the largest group of managers in most organizations.
Common middle-management titles include plant manager, operations manager, and
division head. Middle managers are primarily responsible for implementing the policies
and plans developed by top managers and for supervising and coordinating the activities
management
A set of activities
(including planning
and decision making,
organizing, leading,
and controlling)
directed at an
organization’s
resources (human,
financial, physical,
and information),
with the aim of
achieving
organizational goals
in an efficient and
effective manner
manager
Someone whose
primary
responsibility is to
carry out the
management
process
efficient
Using resources
wisely in a cost-
effective way
effective
Making the right
decisions and
successfully
implementing them
4 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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of lower-level managers.6 Jason Hernandez, a regional manager at Starbucks responsible
for the firm’s operations in three eastern states, is a middle manager.
First-line managers supervise and coordinate the activities of operating employees.
Common titles for first-line managers are supervisor, coordinator, and office manager.
Positions like these are often the first held by employees who enter management from
the ranks of operating personnel. Wayne Maxwell and Jenny Wagner, managers of Star-
bucks coffee shops in Texas, are first-line managers. They oversee the day-to-day opera-
tions of their respective stores, hire operating employees to staff them, and handle other
routine administrative duties required of them by the parent corporation. In contrast to
top and middle managers, first-line managers typically spend a large proportion of their
time supervising the work of their subordinates.
Managing in Different Areas of the Organization Regardless of their level, man-
agers may work in various areas within an organization. In any given firm, for example,
these areas may include marketing, financial, operations, human resources, administra-
tive, and others.
M
ar
ke
tin
g
Ad
m
in
ist
ra
tio
n
Ot
he
r
Hu
m
an
re
so
ur
ce
s
Op
er
at
io
ns
Fin
an
ce
Middle managers
Areas of Management
Levels of Management
First-line managers
Top managers
©
C
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g
a
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e
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a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 1.1
Kinds of Managers by Level and Area
Organizations generally have three levels of management, represented by top
managers, middle managers, and first-line managers. Regardless of level, managers
are also usually associated with a specific area within the organization, such as
marketing, finance, operations, human resources, administration, or some other area.
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 5
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Marketing managers work in areas related to the marketing function—getting consu-
mers and clients to buy the organization’s products or services (be they Samsung smart-
phones, Toyota automobiles, Vogue magazines, Associated Press news reports, streaming
video rentals from Netflix, or lattes at Starbucks). These areas include new product
development, promotion, and distribution. Given the importance of marketing for virtu-
ally all organizations, developing good managers in this area is critical.
Financial managers deal primarily with an organization’s financial resources. They are
responsible for activities such as accounting, cash management, and investments. In
some businesses, especially banking and insurance, financial managers are found in large
numbers.
Operations managers are concerned with creating and managing the systems that cre-
ate an organization’s products and services. Typical responsibilities of operations man-
agers include production control, inventory control, quality control, plant layout, and site
selection.
Human resources managers are responsible for hiring and developing employees. They
are typically involved in human resource planning, recruiting and selecting employees,
training and development, designing compensation and benefit systems, formulating per-
formance appraisal systems, and discharging low-performing and problem employees.
Administrative, or general, managers are not associated with any particular manage-
ment specialty. Probably the best example of an administrative management position is
that of a hospital or clinic administrator. Administrative managers tend to be generalists;
they have some basic familiarity with all functional areas of management rather than
specialized training in any one area.7
Many organizations have specialized management positions in addition to those already
described. Public relations managers, for example, deal with the public and media for firms
such as Facebook and the Dow Chemical Company to protect and enhance the image of
their organizations. R&D managers coordinate the activities of scientists and engineers
working on scientific projects in organizations such as Google, Shell Oil, and NASA. Internal
consultants are used in organizations such as Prudential Insurance to provide specialized
expert advice to operating managers. International operations are often coordinated by spe-
cialized managers in organizations like Walmart and Halliburton. The number, nature, and
importance of these specialized managers vary tremendously from one organization to
another. As contemporary organizations continue to grow in complexity and size, the num-
ber and importance of such managers are also likely to increase.
Basic Management Functions
Regardless of level or area, management involves the four basic functions of planning
and decision making, organizing, leading, and controlling. This book is organized around
these basic functions, as shown in Figure 1.2.
Planning and Decision Making In its simplest form, planning means setting an
organization’s goals and deciding how best to achieve them. Decision making, a part of
the planning process, involves selecting a course of action from a set of alternatives.
Planning and decision making help managers maintain their effectiveness by serving as
guides for their future activities. In other words, the organization’s goals and plans
clearly help managers know how to allocate their time and resources. Part 1 of this
book is devoted to planning and decision-making activities and concepts.
Organizing Once a manager has set goals and developed a workable plan, his or her
next management function is to organize people and the other resources necessary to
carry out the plan. Specifically, organizing involves determining how activities and
planning
Setting an
organization’s goals
and deciding how
best to achieve them
decision making
Part of the planning
process that involves
selecting a course of
action from a set of
alternatives
organizing
Determining how
activities and
resources are to be
grouped
6 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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resources are to be grouped. Although some people equate this function with the crea-
tion of an organization chart, we will see in Part 3 that it is actually much more.
Leading The third basic managerial function is leading. Some people consider leading
to be both the most important and the most challenging of all managerial activities.
Leading is the set of processes used to get members of the organization to work together
to further the interests of the organization. We cover the leading function in detail in
Part 4.
Controlling The final phase of the management process is controlling, or monitoring
the organization’s progress toward its goals. As the organization moves toward its goals,
managers must monitor progress to ensure that it is performing in such a way as to
arrive at its “destination” at the appointed time. Part 5 explores the control function.
The “Sustainability Matters” feature also illustrates how control can be applied to waste
management.
Fundamental Management Skills
To carry out these management functions most effectively, managers rely on a number
of different fundamental management skills, of which the most important are technical,
interpersonal, conceptual, diagnostic, communication, decision-making, and time man-
agement skills.8
Organizing
Determining how
best to group
activities and
resources
Controlling
Monitoring
and correcting
ongoing activities
to facilitate goal
attainment
Planning and
Decision Making
Setting the organiza-
tion’s goals and
deciding how best
to achieve them
Leading
Motivating members
of the organization
to work in the best
interests of the
organization
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 1.2
The Management Process
Management involves four basic activities—planning and decision making,
organizing, leading, and controlling. Although there is a basic logic for describing
these activities in this sequence (as indicated by the solid arrows), most managers
engage in more than one activity at a time and often move back and forth between
the activities in unpredictable ways (as shown by the dotted arrows).
leading
The set of processes
used to get members
of the organization to
work together to
further the interests
of the organization
controlling
Monitoring
organizational
progress toward goal
attainment
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 7
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Technical Skills Technical skills are necessary to accomplish or understand the spe-
cific kind of work done in an organization. Technical skills are especially important for
first-line managers. These managers spend much of their time training their subordinates
and answering questions about work-related problems. If they are to be effective managers,
they must know how to perform the tasks assigned to those they supervise. While Reed
Hastings now spends most of his time dealing with strategic and management issues, he
also keeps abreast of new and emerging technologies and trends that may affect Netflix.
Interpersonal Skills Managers spend considerable time interacting with people
both inside and outside the organization. For obvious reasons, then, they also need
interpersonal skills—the ability to communicate with, understand, and motivate both
individuals and groups. As a manager climbs the organizational ladder, he or she must
be able to get along with subordinates, peers, and those at higher levels of the organiza-
tion. Because of the multitude of roles that managers must fulfill, a manager must also be
able to work with suppliers, customers, investors, and others outside the organization.
Conceptual Skills Conceptual skills depend on the manager’s ability to think in the
abstract. Managers need the mental capacity to understand the overall workings of the
organization and its environment, to grasp how all the parts of the organization fit
SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
Toward Zero Waste
DuPont was once a major generator of trash, routinely
dumping thousands of tons of waste materials in land-
fills each year. But a few years ago, the firm announced
its intentions to dramatically reduce the waste it was
sending to landfills, with a goal of achieving total recy-
cling wherever possible. To initiate this effort, the firm
first set a standard for each of its business units and
facilities. Next, it developed procedures for monitoring
progress toward those standards.
Take DuPont’s Building Innovations unit, for
example, which makes products like kitchen counter-
tops and Tyvek building wrap. In 2008, the business
was sending 81 million pounds of waste to landfills
each year. But by January 2013, it was not sending
anything to landfills! Among the new practices lead-
ing to this milestone are the following:
• Composting cafeteria waste and using it in
landscaping
• Repairing shipping pallets to extend their use life,
and shredding those not repairable for use as
animal bedding
• Recycling countertop waste into landscape stone
A new term has even been coined to reflect this
accomplishment: zero-landfill status. DuPont isn’t
alone, of course. GM recently reported that 81 of its
North American manufacturing plants have achieved
zero-landfill status. Moreover, GM also says that it
recycles 92 percent of all waste generated by its facil-
ities worldwide. Honda reports that 10 of its 14 North
American factories have achieved zero-landfill status.
And Toyota claims that its North American operations
are at “near zero” landfill status.
Outside the auto industry, Boeing says that a reno-
vated Chinook helicopter plant is at zero landfill status.
And PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay facilities are, in the words of
the company, approaching zero landfill status at some
of its facilities. For now, though, a few roadblocks and
challenges are still being faced by businesses trying to
improve their environmental footprint through control
procedures. For one thing, some waste products are
simply difficult to recycle. For example, DuPont noted
that reducing waste by 80 percent was surprisingly
easy, but that last 20 percent posed real challenges.
There is also no independent resource for verifying
zero-landfill status. Regardless, though, critics agree
that even if a firm takes small liberties in reporting
waste reductions, they are still making progress.
References: “Companies Air for Zero Success in Waste Recycling,”
USA Today, January 30, 2013, p. 3B; “Ford to Accelerate Waste Reduc-
tion Effort,” greenbiz.com/news, March 4, 2013; “Waste Reduction,”
www.gm.com/vision/waste_reduction_.html, March 5, 2013.
technical skills
The skills necessary
to accomplish or
understand the
specific kind of work
done in an
organization
interpersonal skills
The ability to
communicate with,
understand, and
motivate both
individuals and
groups
conceptual skills
The manager’s
ability to think in the
abstract
8 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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together, and to view the organization in a holistic manner. This ability allows them to
think strategically, to see the “big picture,” and to make broad-based decisions that serve
the overall organization. Reed Hastings’s idea to extend the payment model used by
health clubs to the video rental market came from his strong conceptual skills.
Diagnostic Skills Successful managers also possess diagnostic skills—skills that
enable them to visualize the most appropriate response to a situation. A physician diag-
noses a patient’s illness by analyzing symptoms and determining their probable cause.
Similarly, a manager can diagnose and analyze a problem in the organization by studying
its symptoms and then developing a solution.9
Communication Skills Communication skills refer to the manager’s abilities to
both effectively convey ideas and information to others and effectively receive ideas and
information from others. These skills enable a manager to transmit ideas to subordinates
so that they know what is expected, to coordinate work with peers and colleagues so that
they work well together, and to keep higher-level managers informed about what is going
on. In addition, communication skills help the manager listen to what others say and
understand the real meaning behind e-mails, letters, reports, and other written
communication.
Decision-Making Skills Effective managers also have good decision-making skills.
Decision-making skills refer to the manager’s ability to correctly recognize and define
problems and opportunities and to then select an appropriate course of action to solve
problems and capitalize on opportunities. No manager makes the right decision all the
time. However, effective managers make good decisions most of the time. And, when
they do make a bad decision, they usually recognize their mistake quickly and then
make good decisions to recover with as little cost or damage to their organization as pos-
sible. Managers at Netflix made a poor decision when they decided to split their services
into two businesses, but they quickly reversed themselves before things got too bad.
Time Management Skills Finally, effective managers usually have good time man-
agement skills. Time management skills refer to the manager’s ability to prioritize
work, to work efficiently, and to delegate work appropriately. As already noted, managers
face many different pressures and challenges. It is too easy for a manager to get bogged
down doing work that can easily be postponed or delegated to others.10 When this hap-
pens, unfortunately, more pressing and higher-priority work may get neglected.11
The Science and the Art of Management
Given the complexity inherent in the manager’s job, a reasonable question relates to
whether management is a science or an art. In fact, effective management is a blend of
both science and art. Successful executives recognize the importance of combining both
the science and art of management as they practice their craft.12
The Science of Management Many management problems and issues can be
approached in ways that are rational, logical, objective, and systematic. Managers can
gather data, facts, and objective information. They can use quantitative models and
decision-making techniques to arrive at “correct” decisions. And they need to take such a
scientific approach to solving problems whenever possible, especially when they are dealing
with relatively routine and straightforward issues. When Starbucks considers entering a
new market, its managers look closely at a wide variety of objective details as they formu-
late their plans. Technical, diagnostic, and decision-making skills are especially important
when approaching a management task or problem from a scientific perspective.
diagnostic skills
The manager’s
ability to visualize the
most appropriate
response to a
situation
communication
skills
The manager’s
abilities both to
effectively convey
ideas and
information to others
and to effectively
receive ideas and
information from
others
decision-making
skills
The manager’s
ability to correctly
recognize and define
problems and
opportunities and to
then select an
appropriate course
of action to solve
problems and
capitalize on
opportunities
time management
skills
The manager’s
ability to prioritize
work, to work
efficiently, and to
delegate
appropriately
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 9
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The Art of Management Even though managers may try to be scientific as often as
possible, they must frequently make decisions and solve problems on the basis of intui-
tion, experience, instinct, and personal insights. Relying heavily on conceptual, commu-
nication, interpersonal, and time management skills, for example, a manager may have to
decide among multiple courses of action that look equally attractive. And even “objective
facts” may prove to be wrong. When Starbucks was planning its first store in New York
City, market research clearly showed that New Yorkers preferred drip coffee to more
exotic espresso-style coffees. After first installing more drip coffee makers and fewer
espresso makers than in their other stores, managers had to backtrack when New Yor-
kers lined up clamoring for espresso. Starbucks now introduces a standard menu and
layout in all its stores, regardless of presumed market differences, and then makes neces-
sary adjustments later.13 Thus, managers must blend an element of intuition and per-
sonal insight with hard data and objective facts.14
THE EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT
Most managers today recognize the importance of history and theory in their work. For
instance, knowing the origins of their organization and the kinds of practices that have
led to success—or failure—can be an indispensable tool in managing the contemporary
organization. Thus, in our next section, we briefly trace the history of management
thought. Then we move forward to the present day by introducing contemporary man-
agement issues and challenges.
Most successful managers have strong time management skills. This allows them to stay on top
of their work, meet deadlines, achieve their goals, and avoid unnecessary stress. Poor time
management skills, however, often lead to falling behind on work, not meeting goals, being late on
projects, and excessive stress.
©
E
le
n
a
K
h
a
ri
ch
ki
n
a
/S
h
u
tt
e
rs
to
ck
.c
o
m
10 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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The Importance of Theory and History
Some people question the value of history and theory. Their arguments are usually based
on the assumptions that history is not relevant to contemporary society and that theory
is abstract and of no practical use. In reality, however, both theory and history are
important to all managers today.
Why Theory? A theory is simply a conceptual framework for organizing knowledge and
providing a blueprint for action.15 Although some theories seem abstract and irrelevant,
others appear very simple and practical. Management theories, which are used to build orga-
nizations and guide them toward their goals, are grounded in reality.16 Practically any orga-
nization that uses assembly lines (such as Nissan and Samsung) is drawing on what we
describe later in this chapter as scientific management. Many organizations, including
Nucor Steel and Google, use the behavioral perspective (also introduced later in this chapter)
to improve employee satisfaction and motivation. And naming a large company that does
not use one or more techniques from the quantitative management perspective would be
difficult. For example, retailers such as Best Buy and Target routinely use operations man-
agement to determine how many checkout lines they need to have open at any given time.
In addition, most managers develop and refine their own theories of how they should run
their organizations and manage the behavior of their employees. James Sinegal, founder and
CEO of Costco Wholesale, believes that paying his employees well while keeping prices as
low as possible are the key ingredients in success for his business. This belief is based essen-
tially on his personal theory of competition in the warehouse retailing industry.
Why History? Awareness and understanding of important historical developments
are also important to contemporary managers.17 Understanding the historical context of
management provides a sense of heritage and can help managers avoid the mistakes of
others. Most courses in U.S. history devote time to business and economic developments
in this country, including the Industrial Revolution, the early labor movement, and the
Great Depression, and to captains of U.S. industry such as Cornelius Vanderbilt (rail-
roads), John D. Rockefeller (oil), and Andrew Carnegie (steel). The contributions of
those and other industrialists left a profound imprint on contemporary culture.18
Many managers are also realizing that they can benefit from a greater understanding
of history in general. For example, Ian M. Ross of AT&T’s Bell Laboratories cites The
Second World War by Winston Churchill as a major influence on his approach to lead-
ership. Other books often mentioned by managers for their relevance to today’s business
problems include such classics as Plato’s Republic, Homer’s Iliad, Sun Tzu’s The Art of
War, and Machiavelli’s The Prince.19 And new business history books have also been
directed at women managers and the lessons they can learn from the past.20
Managers at Wells Fargo clearly recognize the value of history. For example, the com-
pany maintains an extensive archival library of its old banking documents and records,
and even employs a full-time corporate historian. As part of their orientation and train-
ing, new managers at Wells Fargo take courses to become acquainted with the bank’s
history.21 Similarly, Shell Oil, Levi Strauss, Walmart, Lloyd’s of London, Disney, Honda,
and Unilever all maintain significant archives about their pasts and frequently evoke
images from those pasts in their orientation and training programs, advertising cam-
paigns, and other public relations activities.
The Historical Context of Management
The practice of management can be traced back thousands of years. The Egyptians used
the management functions of planning, organizing, and controlling when they con-
structed the pyramids. Alexander the Great employed a staff organization to coordinate
theory
A conceptual
framework for
organizing
knowledge and
providing a blueprint
for action
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 11
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activities during his military campaigns. The Roman Empire developed a well-defined
organizational structure that greatly facilitated communication and control. Socrates dis-
cussed management practices and concepts in 400 BC, Plato described job specialization
in 350 BC, and the Persian scientist and philosopher al-Farabi listed several leadership
traits in AD 900.22
In spite of this history, the serious study of management did not begin until the nine-
teenth century. Two of its pioneers were Robert Owen and Charles Babbage. Owen
(1771–1858), a British industrialist and reformer, was one of the first managers to recog-
nize the importance of an organization’s human resources and to express concern for the
personal welfare of his workers. Babbage (1792–1871), an English mathematician,
focused his attention on efficiencies of production. He placed great faith in the division
of labor and advocated the application of mathematics to such problems as the efficient
use of facilities and materials.
The Classical Management Perspective
Early in the twentieth century, the preliminary ideas and writings of these and other
managers and theorists converged with the emergence and evolution of large-scale busi-
nesses and management practices. This created interest and focused attention on how
businesses should be operated. The first important ideas to emerge are now called the
classical management perspective, which actually includes two different viewpoints: sci-
entific management and administrative management.
Scientific Management Productivity emerged as a serious busi-
ness problem during the early years of the twentieth century. Business
was expanding and capital was readily available, but labor was in short
supply. Hence, managers began to search for ways to use existing
labor more efficiently. In response to this need, experts began to
focus on ways to improve the performance of individual workers.
Their work led to the development of scientific management. Some
of the earliest advocates of scientific management included Frederick
W. Taylor (1856–1915), Frank Gilbreth (1868–1924), and Lillian
Gilbreth (1878–1972).23 Taylor played the dominant role.
One of Taylor’s first jobs was as a foreman at the Midvale
Steel Company in Philadelphia. There he observed what he called
soldiering—employees deliberately working at a pace slower than
their capabilities. Taylor studied and timed each element of the steel-
workers’ jobs. He determined what each worker should be produc-
ing, and then he designed the most efficient way of doing each part
of the overall task. Next, he implemented a piecework pay system.
Rather than paying all employees the same wage, he began increasing
the pay of each worker who met and exceeded the target level of
output set for his or her job.
After Taylor left Midvale, he worked as a consultant for several
companies, including Simonds Rolling Machine Company and
Bethlehem Steel. At Simonds he studied and redesigned jobs, intro-
duced rest periods to reduce fatigue, and implemented a piecework
pay system. The results were higher quality and quantity of output,
and improved morale. At Bethlehem Steel, Taylor studied efficient
ways of loading and unloading railcars and applied his conclusions
with equally impressive results. During these experiences, he
formulated the basic ideas that he called scientific management.
Frederick W. Taylor was one of the first
management consultants and helped create
scientific management. Time-and-motion
studies and performance-based pay
systems were among the innovations Taylor
and his associates introduced. Mass-
production assembly line technologies also
benefited from Taylor’s ideas and insights.
B
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classical
management
perspective
Consists of two
distinct branches—
scientific
management and
administrative
management
scientific
management
Concerned with
improving the
performance of
individual workers
soldiering
Employees
deliberately working
at a slow pace
12 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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Figure 1.3 illustrates the basic steps Taylor suggested. He believed that managers who
followed his guidelines would improve the efficiency of their workers.24
Taylor’s work had a major impact on U.S. industry. By applying his principles, many
organizations achieved major gains in efficiency. Taylor was not without his detractors,
however. Labor argued that scientific management was just a device to get more work
from each employee and to reduce the total number of workers needed by a firm. There
was a congressional investigation into Taylor’s ideas, and evidence suggests that he falsified
some of his findings.25 Nevertheless, Taylor’s work left a lasting imprint on business.26
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, contemporaries of Taylor, were a husband-and-wife team
of industrial engineers. One of Frank Gilbreth’s most interesting contributions was to the
craft of bricklaying. After studying bricklayers at work, he developed several procedures
for doing the job more efficiently. For example, he specified standard materials and tech-
niques, including the positioning of the bricklayer, the bricks, and the mortar at different
levels. The results of these changes were a reduction from 18 separate physical move-
ments to 5 and an increase in the output of about 200 percent. Lillian Gilbreth made
equally important contributions to several different areas of work, helped shape the
field of industrial psychology, and made substantive contributions to the field of person-
nel management. Working individually and together, the Gilbreths developed numerous
techniques and strategies for eliminating inefficiency. They applied many of their ideas
to their family and documented their experiences raising 12 children in the book and
original 1950 movie Cheaper by the Dozen.
Administrative Management Whereas scientific management deals with the jobs of
individual employees, administrative management focuses on managing the total orga-
nization. The primary contributors to administrative management were Henri Fayol
(1841–1925), Lyndall Urwick (1891–1983), and Max Weber (1864–1920).
Henri Fayol was administrative management’s most articulate spokesperson. A French
industrialist, Fayol was unknown to U.S. managers and scholars until his most important
work, General and Industrial Management, was translated into English in 1930.27 Draw-
ing on his own managerial experience, he attempted to systematize management practice
to provide guidance and direction to other managers. Fayol was also the first to identify
the specific managerial functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. He
believed that these functions accurately reflect the core of the management process.
Most contemporary management books (including this one) still use this framework,
and practicing managers agree that these functions are critical parts of their jobs.
After a career as a British army officer, Lyndall Urwick became a noted management
theorist and consultant. He integrated scientific management with the work of Fayol and
Develop a science
for each element of
the job to replace old
rule-of-thumb methods
Scientifically select
employees and then
train them to do the job
as described in step 1
Supervise employees
to make sure they
follow the prescribed
methods for performing
their jobs
Continue to plan
the work, but use
workers to get the
work done
21 43
FIGURE 1.3
Steps in Scientific Management
Frederick Taylor developed this system of scientific management, which he believed would lead to a more
efficient and productive workforce. Bethlehem Steel was among the first organizations to profit from
scientific management and still practices some parts of it today.
administrative
management
Focuses on
managing the total
organization
©
C
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a
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in
g
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 13
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other administrative management theorists. He also advanced modern thinking about
the functions of planning, organizing, and controlling. Like Fayol, he developed a list of
guidelines for improving managerial effectiveness. Urwick is noted not so much for his
own contributions as for his synthesis and integration of the work of others.
Although Max Weber lived and worked at the same time as Fayol and Taylor, his
contributions were not recognized until some years had passed. Weber was a German
sociologist, and his most important work was not translated into English until 1947.28
Weber’s work on bureaucracy laid the foundation for contemporary organization theory,
which is discussed in detail in Chapter 6. The concept of bureaucracy, as we discuss later
in this book, is based on a rational set of guidelines for structuring organizations in the
most efficient manner.
The Classical Management Perspective Today The classical management per-
spective provides many management techniques and approaches that are still relevant
today. For example, many of the job specialization techniques and scientific methods
espoused by Taylor and his contemporaries are still reflected in how several industrial
jobs are designed today.29 Moreover, many contemporary organizations still use some
of the bureaucratic procedures suggested by Weber. Also, these early theorists were the
first to focus attention on management as a meaningful field of study. Several aspects of
the classical perspective are also relevant to our later discussions of planning, organizing,
and controlling. And recent advances in areas such as business-to-business (B2B) digital
commerce and supply chain management also have efficiency as their primary goal. On
the other hand, the classical perspective focused on stable, simple organizations; many
organizations today, in contrast, are changing and complex. They also proposed univer-
sal guidelines that we now recognize do not fit every organization. A third limitation of
the classical management perspective is that it slighted the role of the individual in orga-
nizations. This role was much more fully developed by advocates of the behavioral man-
agement perspective.
The Behavioral Management Perspective
Early advocates of the classical management perspective viewed organizations and jobs
from an essentially mechanistic point of view; that is, they sought to conceptualize orga-
nizations as machines and workers as cogs within those machines. Even though many
early writers recognized the role of individuals, their focus tended to be on how man-
agers could control and standardize the behavior of their employees. In contrast, the
behavioral management perspective placed much more emphasis on individual atti-
tudes, behaviors, and group processes and recognized the importance of behavioral pro-
cesses in the workplace.
The behavioral management perspective was stimulated by many writers and theoretical
movements. One of those movements was industrial psychology, the practice of applying
psychological concepts to industrial settings. Hugo Munsterberg (1863–1916), a noted
German psychologist, is recognized as the father of industrial psychology. He established
a psychological laboratory at Harvard University in 1892, and his pioneering book,
Psychology and Industrial Efficiency, was translated into English in 1913.30 Munsterberg
suggested that psychologists could make valuable contributions to managers in the areas
of employee selection and motivation. Industrial psychology is still a major course of
study at many colleges and universities. Another early advocate of the behavioral approach
to management was Mary Parker Follett (1868–1933).31 Follett worked during the scien-
tific management era but quickly came to recognize the human element in the workplace.
Indeed, her work clearly anticipated the behavioral management perspective, and she
appreciated the need to understand the role of human behavior in organizations.
behavioral
management
perspective
Emphasizes
individual attitudes
and behaviors and
group processes
14 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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The Hawthorne Studies Although Munsterberg and Follett made major contribu-
tions to the development of the behavioral approach to management, its primary catalyst
was a series of studies conducted near Chicago at Western Electric’s Hawthorne plant
between 1927 and 1932. The research, originally sponsored by General Electric, was con-
ducted by Elton Mayo and his associates.32 Mayo was a faculty member and consultant
at Harvard. The first study involved manipulating illumination for one group of workers
and comparing their subsequent productivity with the productivity of another group
whose illumination was not changed. Surprisingly, when illumination was increased for
the experimental group, productivity went up in both groups. Productivity continued to
increase in both groups, even when the lighting for the experimental group was
decreased. Not until the lighting was reduced to the level of moonlight did productivity
begin to decline (and General Electric withdrew its sponsorship).
Another experiment established a piecework incentive pay plan for a group of nine
men assembling terminal banks for telephone exchanges. Scientific management would
have predicted that each man would try to maximize his pay by producing as many
units as possible. Mayo and his associates, however, found that the group itself infor-
mally established an acceptable level of output for its members. Workers who overpro-
duced were branded rate busters, and underproducers were labeled chiselers. To be
accepted by the group, workers produced at the accepted level. As they approached this
acceptable level of output, workers slacked off to avoid overproducing.
Other studies, including an interview program involving several thousand workers, led
Mayo and his associates to conclude that human behavior was much more important in
The Hawthorne studies were a series of early experiments that focused on behavior in the
workplace. In one experiment involving this group of workers, for example, researchers monitored
how productivity changed as a result of changes in working conditions. The Hawthorne studies
and subsequent experiments led scientists to the conclusion that the human element is very
important in the workplace.
C
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&
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A
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h
iv
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is
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ry
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r
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 15
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the workplace than had been previously believed. In the lighting experiment, for exam-
ple, the results were attributed to the fact that both groups received special attention and
sympathetic supervision for perhaps the first time. The incentive pay plans did not work
because wage incentives were less important to the individual workers than was social
acceptance in determining output. In short, individual and social processes played
major roles in shaping worker attitudes and behavior.
The Human Relations Movement The human relations movement, which grew
from the Hawthorne studies and was a popular approach to management for many
years, proposed that workers respond primarily to the social context of the workplace,
including social conditioning, group norms, and interpersonal dynamics. A basic
assumption of the human relations movement was that the manager’s concern for work-
ers would lead to increased satisfaction, which would in turn result in improved perfor-
mance. Two writers who helped advance the human relations movement were Abraham
Maslow (1908–1970) and Douglas McGregor (1906–1964).
In 1943, Maslow advanced a theory suggesting that people are motivated by a hierar-
chy of needs, including monetary incentives and social acceptance.33 Maslow’s hierarchy,
perhaps the best-known human relations theory, is described in detail in Chapter 10.
Meanwhile, Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y model best represents the
essence of the human relations movement (see Table 1.1).34 According to McGregor,
Theory X and Theory Y reflect two extreme belief sets that different managers have
about their workers. Theory X is a relatively pessimistic and negative view of workers
and is consistent with the views of scientific management. Theory Y is more positive
and represents the assumptions made by human relations advocates. In McGregor’s
Table 1.1 Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X Assumptions 1. People do not like work and try to avoid it.
2. People do not like work, so managers have to
control, direct, coerce, and threaten employees to
get them to work toward organizational goals.
3. People prefer to be directed, to avoid responsibil-
ity, and to want security; they have little ambition.
Theory Y Assumptions 1. People do not naturally dislike work; work is a
natural part of their lives.
2. People are internally motivated to reach objectives
to which they are committed.
3. People are committed to goals to the degree that
they receive personal rewards when they reach
their objectives.
4. People will both seek and accept responsibility
under favorable conditions.
5. People have the capacity to be innovative in
solving organizational problems.
6. People are bright, but under most organizational
conditions, their potential is underutilized.
Source: D. McGregor and W. Bennis, The Human Side Enterprise: 25th Anniversary Printing,
1960, Copyright © 1960 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Douglas McGregor
developed Theory X
and Theory Y. He
argued that Theory X
best represented the
views of scientific
management and
Theory Y repre-
sented the human
relations approach.
McGregor believed
that Theory Y was
the best philosophy
for all managers.
human relations
movement
Argued that workers
respond primarily to
the social context of
the workplace
Theory X
A pessimistic and
negative view of
workers consistent
with the views of
scientific
management
Theory Y
A positive view of
workers; it
represents the
assumptions that
human relations
advocates make
16 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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view, Theory Y was a more appropriate philosophy for managers to adhere to. Both
Maslow and McGregor notably influenced the thinking of many practicing managers.
Contemporary Behavioral Science in Management Munsterberg, Mayo, Maslow,
McGregor, and others have made valuable contributions to management. Contemporary
theorists, however, have noted that many of the human relationists’ assertions were sim-
plistic and provided inadequate descriptions of work behavior. Current behavioral per-
spectives on management, known as organizational behavior, acknowledge that human
behavior in organizations is much more complex than the human relationists realized.
The field of organizational behavior draws from a broad, interdisciplinary base of psy-
chology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and medicine. Organizational behavior
takes a holistic view of behavior and addresses individual, group, and organization pro-
cesses. These processes are major elements in contemporary management theory.35
Important topics in this field include job satisfaction, stress, motivation, leadership,
group dynamics, organizational politics, interpersonal conflict, and the structure and
design of organizations.36 A contingency orientation also characterizes the field (dis-
cussed more fully later in this chapter). Our discussions of organizing (Chapters 6–8)
and leading (Chapters 9–13) are heavily influenced by organizational behavior. And,
finally, managers need a solid understanding of human behavior as they address
diversity-related issues such as ethnicity and religion in the workplace. Indeed, all these
topics are useful to help managers better deal with the consequences of layoffs and job
cuts and to motivate today’s workers.
The Behavioral Management Perspective Today The primary contributions of
this approach relate to how it has changed managerial thinking. Managers are now
more likely to recognize the importance of behavioral processes and to view employees
as valuable resources instead of mere tools. However, organizational behavior is still rel-
atively imprecise in its ability to predict behavior, especially the behavior of a specific
individual. It is not always accepted or understood by practicing managers. Hence the
contributions of the behavioral school are just beginning to be fully realized.
The Quantitative Management Perspective
The third major school of management thought began to emerge during World War II.
During the war, government officials and scientists in England and the United States
worked to help the military deploy its resources more efficiently and effectively. These
groups took some of the mathematical approaches to management developed decades
earlier by Taylor and Gantt and applied these approaches to logistical problems during
the war.37 They learned that problems regarding troop, equipment, and submarine
deployment, for example, could all be solved through mathematical analysis. After the
war, companies such as DuPont and General Electric began to use the same techniques
for deploying employees, choosing plant locations, and planning warehouses. Basically,
then, this perspective is concerned with applying quantitative techniques to management.
More specifically, the quantitative management perspective focuses on decision making,
cost-effectiveness, mathematical models, and the use of computers. The two branches of
the quantitative approach are management science and operations management.
Management Science Unfortunately, the term management science appears to be
related to scientific management, the approach developed by Taylor and others early in
the twentieth century. But the two have little in common and should not be confused.
Management science focuses specifically on the development of mathematical models.
A mathematical model is a simplified representation of a system, process, or relationship.
organizational
behavior
Contemporary field
focusing on
behavioral
perspectives on
management
quantitative
management
perspective
Applies quantitative
techniques to
management
management
science
Focuses specifically
on the development
of mathematical
models
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 17
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At its most basic level, management science focuses on models, equations, and similar
representations of reality. For example, managers at Detroit Edison use mathematical
models to determine how best to route repair crews during blackouts. Citizens Bank of
New England uses models to figure out how many tellers need to be on duty at each
location at various times throughout the day. In recent years, paralleling the advent of
the personal computer, management science techniques have become increasingly
sophisticated. For example, automobile manufacturers Daimler AG and General Motors
use realistic computer simulations to study collision damage to cars. These simulations
help them lower costs by crashing actual test cars only after multiple simulations.
Operations Management Operations management is somewhat less mathematical
and statistically sophisticated than management science, and it can be applied more
directly to managerial situations. Indeed, we can think of operations management as a
form of applied management science. Operations management techniques are generally
concerned with helping the organization produce its products or services more efficiently
and can be applied to a wide range of problems.
For example, Unilever and Home Depot each use operations management techniques
to manage their inventories. (Inventory management is concerned with specific inven-
tory problems, such as balancing carrying costs and ordering costs, and determining
the optimal order quantity.) Linear programming (which involves computing simulta-
neous solutions to a set of linear equations) helps United Airlines plan its flight sche-
dules, Consolidated Freightways develop its shipping routes, and General Instrument
Corporation plan what instruments to produce at various times. Other operations man-
agement techniques include queuing theory, break-even analysis, and simulation. All
these techniques and procedures apply directly to operations, but they are also helpful
in areas such as finance, marketing, and human resource management.38
The quantitative management perspective is important to a variety of management situations
today. Computer simulations, mathematical modeling, and statistical analyses are all commonly
used in many different organizations.
operations
management
Concerned with
helping the
organization more
efficiently produce
its products or
services
©
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18 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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The Quantitative Management Perspective Today Like the other management
perspectives, the quantitative management perspective has made important contributions
and has certain limitations. It has provided managers with an abundance of decision-
making tools and techniques and has increased understanding of overall organizational
processes. This perspective has been particularly useful in the areas of planning and con-
trolling. Relatively new management concepts such as supply chain management and
new techniques such as enterprise resource planning, both discussed later in this book,
also evolved from the quantitative management perspective. Even more recently, mathe-
maticians are using tools and techniques from the quantitative perspective to develop
models that might be helpful in the war against terrorism.39 However, mathematical
models cannot fully account for individual behaviors and attitudes. Some believe that
the time needed to develop competence in quantitative techniques retards the develop-
ment of other managerial skills. Finally, mathematical models typically require a set of
assumptions that may not be realistic.
CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES
It is important to recognize that the classical, behavioral, and quantitative approaches to
management are not necessarily contradictory or mutually exclusive. Even though each
of the three perspectives makes very different assumptions and predictions, each can also
complement the others. Indeed, a complete understanding of management requires an
appreciation of all three perspectives. The systems and contingency perspectives can
help us integrate these earlier approaches and enlarge our understanding of all three.
The Systems Perspective
The systems perspective is one important contemporary management perspective. A
system is an interrelated set of elements functioning as a whole.40 As shown in Figure 1.4,
by viewing an organization as a system, we can identify four basic elements: inputs, trans-
formation processes, outputs, and feedback. First, inputs are the material, human, financial,
and information resources that an organization gets from its environment. Next, through
technological and managerial processes, inputs are transformed into outputs. Outputs
include products, services, or both (tangible and intangible); profits, losses, or both (even
Inputs from the
environment:
material inputs,
human inputs,
financial inputs, and
information inputs
Transformation
process: technology,
operating systems,
administrative
systems, and
control systems
Outputs into
the environment:
products/services,
profits/losses,
employee behaviors,
and information
outputs
Feedback ©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 1.4
The Systems Perspective of Organizations
By viewing organizations as systems, managers can better understand the importance of their environment
and the level of interdependence among their organization’s subsystems. Managers must also understand
how their decisions affect and are affected by the organization’s other subsystems.
system
An interrelated set of
elements functioning
as a whole
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 19
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not-for-profit organizations must operate within their budgets); employee behaviors; and
information. Finally, the environment reacts to these outputs and provides feedback to the
system.
Thinking of organizations as systems provides us with a variety of important view-
points on organizations, such as the concepts of open systems, subsystems, synergy,
and entropy. Open systems are systems that interact with their environment, whereas
closed systems do not interact with their environment. Although organizations are
open systems, some make the mistake of ignoring their environment and behaving as
though it is not important.
The systems perspective also stresses the importance of subsystems—systems within a
broader system. For example, the marketing, production, and finance functions within
Mattel are systems in their own right but are also subsystems within the overall organiza-
tion. Because they are interdependent, a change in one subsystem can affect other subsys-
tems as well. If the production department at Mattel lowers the quality of the toys being
made (by buying lower-quality materials, for example), the effects are felt in finance
(improved cash flow in the short run owing to lower costs) and marketing (decreased
sales in the long run because of customer dissatisfaction). Managers must therefore
remember that although organizational subsystems can be managed with some degree of
autonomy, their interdependence should not be overlooked. For instance, recent research
has underscored the interdependence of strategy and operations in businesses.41
Synergy suggests that organizational units (or subsystems) may often be more suc-
cessful working together than working alone. The Walt Disney Company, for example,
benefits greatly from synergy. The company’s movies, theme parks, television programs,
and merchandise-licensing programs all benefit one another. Children who enjoy Disney
movies such as Monsters University and Frozen want to go to Disney World to see the
attractions and shows based on the movies and their favorite characters; and when they
shop at Target, they see and want to buy stuffed toys and action figures of the same
characters. Music from the films generates additional revenues for the firm, as do com-
puter games and other licensing arrangements for lunchboxes, clothing, and so forth.
Synergy was also the major objective of Procter & Gamble’s acquisition of Gillette; the
firm decided it could use its own retailing presence and international distribution net-
works to substantially increase Gillette’s sales. And Gillette’s products are natural com-
plements to P&G’s existing line of grooming products.42 Synergy is an important concept
for managers because it emphasizes the importance of working together in a cooperative
and coordinated fashion.43
Finally, entropy is a normal process that leads to system decline. When an organiza-
tion does not monitor feedback from its environment and make appropriate adjust-
ments, it may fail. For example, witness the problems and eventual demise of
Studebaker (an automobile manufacturer) and Circuit City (a major retailer). Each of
these organizations went bankrupt because it failed to revitalize itself and keep pace
with changes in its environment. A primary objective of management, from a systems
perspective, is to continually reenergize the organization to avoid entropy.
The Contingency Perspective
Another noteworthy recent addition to management thinking is the contingency per-
spective. The classical, behavioral, and quantitative approaches are considered universal
perspectives because they try to identify the “one best way” to manage organizations.
The contingency perspective, in contrast, suggests that universal theories cannot be
applied to organizations because each organization is unique. Instead, the contingency
perspective suggests that appropriate managerial behavior in a given situation depends
on, or is contingent on, unique elements in that situation.44
open systems
A system that
interacts with its
environment
closed systems
A system that does
not interact with its
environment
subsystems
A system within
another system
synergy
Two or more
subsystems working
together to produce
more than the total of
what they might
produce working
alone
entropy
A normal process
leading to system
decline
universal
perspectives
An attempt to
identify the one best
way to do something
contingency
perspective
Suggests that
appropriate
managerial behavior
in a given situation
depends on, or is
contingent on,
unique elements in a
given situation
20 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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Stated differently, effective managerial behavior in one situation cannot always be
generalized to other situations. Recall, for example, that Frederick Taylor assumed that
all workers would generate the highest possible level of output to maximize their own
personal economic gain. We can imagine some people being motivated primarily by
money—but we can just as easily imagine other people being motivated by the desire
for leisure time, status, social acceptance, or any combination of these (as Mayo found
at the Hawthorne plant). In 2000, Cisco Systems had the largest market cap in the
world and was growing at a rate of 50 percent per year. A recession and the terrorist
attacks in September 2001, however, caused the technology sector to crash, and Cisco’s
stock dropped in value by 86 percent. Cisco’s CEO, John Chambers, had to downsize the
company through layoffs and divestitures and transform it into a smaller company. As
he went through this process, he also changed his management style. He had previously
been an autocratic manager and led Cisco using a command-and-control hierarchy. As a
result of the transformation at Cisco, however, Chambers decided he needed to change
his own management style as well. So, he began to adopt a much more democratic
approach and run Cisco using a more democratic organizational structure.45
Contemporary Management Issues and Challenges
Interest in management theory and practice has heightened in recent years as new issues
and challenges have emerged. No new paradigm has been formulated that replaces the
traditional views, but managers continue to strive toward a better understanding of how
they can better compete and lead their organizations toward improved effectiveness.
Contemporary Applied Perspectives Several applied authors have significant influ-
ence on modern management theory and practice. Among the most popular applied authors
today are Peter Senge, Stephen Covey, Tom Peters, Jim Collins, Michael Porter, John Kotter,
and Gary Hamel.46 Their books highlight the management practices of successful firms such
as Shell Oil, Ford, and IBM, or they outline conceptual or theoretical models or frameworks
to guide managers as they formulate strategies or motivate their employees. Malcolm
Gladwell’s books The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers have all caught the attention of
many contemporary managers. Scott Adams, creator of the popular comic strip Dilbert,
also remains popular today. Adams is a former communications industry worker who devel-
oped his strip to illustrate some of the absurdities that occasionally afflict contemporary
organizational life. The daily strip is routinely e-mailed and posted outside office doors,
above copy machines, and beside water coolers in hundreds of offices.
Contemporary Management Challenges Managers today also face an imposing
set of challenges as they guide and direct the fortunes of their companies. Coverage of
each of these challenges is thoroughly integrated throughout this book. In addition,
many of them are highlighted or given focused coverage in one or more special ways.
One significant challenge (and opportunity) is globalization. Managing in a global
economy poses many different challenges and opportunities. For example, at a macro
level, property ownership arrangements vary widely. So does the availability of natural
resources and infrastructure components, as well as government’s role in business. More-
over, behavioral processes vary widely across cultural and national boundaries. For
example, values, symbols, and beliefs differ sharply among cultures. Different work
norms and the role that work plays in a person’s life, for example, influence patterns of
both work-related behavior and attitudes toward work. They also affect the nature of
supervisory relationships, decision-making styles and processes, and organizational con-
figurations. Group and intergroup processes, responses to stress, and the nature of polit-
ical behaviors also differ from culture to culture.
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 21
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Another management challenge that has taken on renewed importance is ethics and
social responsibility and their relationship to corporate governance. Unfortunately, busi-
ness scandals involving unethical conduct have become almost commonplace today. For
example, the effects of Allen Stanford’s alleged $7 billion Ponzi scheme ruined the finan-
cial futures of thousands of people. From a social responsibility perspective, increasing
attention has been focused on pollution and business’s obligation to help clean up our
environment, business contributions to social causes, and so forth. The proper frame-
work for corporate governance is often at the center of these debates and discussions.47
Quality also continues to pose an important management challenge today. Quality is
an important issue for several reasons. First, more and more organizations are using
quality as a basis for competition. Lexus, for example, stresses its high rankings in the
J. D. Power survey of customer satisfaction in its print advertising. Second, improving
quality tends to increase productivity because making higher-quality products generally
results in less waste and rework. Third, enhancing quality lowers costs. Managers at
Whistler Corporation once realized that the firm was using 100 of its 250 employees to
repair defective radar detectors that had been built incorrectly in the first place.
The shift toward a service economy also continues to be important. Traditionally, most
U.S. businesses were manufacturers—using tangible resources like raw materials and
machinery to create tangible products like automobiles and steel. And manufacturing is
indeed still important in the U.S. economy. In the last few decades, however, the service sec-
tor of the economy has become much more important. This is documented more fully in the
“At Your Service” feature. Although there are obviously many similarities between managing
in a manufacturing and a service organization, there are also many fundamental differences.
The economic recession of 2008–2010 and slow recovery in 2011–2014 have also cre-
ated myriad challenges, as well as some opportunities, for managers. Most businesses
struggled, and some failed to survive. But some managers also used this period as a
framework for reducing their costs, streamlining their operating systems and procedures,
and fine-tuning their business strategies. As the economy slowly began to rebound in
2013, firms like Ford, Target, and Delia seemed to be well positioned for new growth
and cautiously began hiring new employees.
A related challenge for managers is the rapidly changing workplace.48 Indeed, this
new workplace is accompanied by both dramatic challenges and amazing opportunities.
Among other things, workplace changes relate in part to both workforce reductions and
expansion. For example, many firms hired large numbers of new workers during the eco-
nomic expansion that was taking place between 2002 and early 2008. But as the recession
of 2008–2010 took hold, many of those same firms had to reduce their workforces, while
others cut hours and pay and suspended all hiring until conditions showed signs of
improvement. But even more central to the idea of workplace change are developments
such as workforce diversity and the characteristics of new workers themselves.
The management of diversity continues to be an important organizational opportunity—
and challenge—today. The term diversity refers to differences among people. Diversity
may be reflected along numerous dimensions, but most managers tend to focus on age,
gender, ethnicity, and physical abilities and disabilities.49 For example, the average age of
workers in the United States is gradually increasing. An increasing number of women have
also entered the U.S. workforce. Fifty years ago, only about one-third of U.S. women
worked outside their homes; today, 60 percent of women aged 16 and older are in the
workforce. The ethnic composition of the workplace is also changing.
Aside from its demographic composition, the workforce today is changing in other
ways. During the 1980s, many people entering the workforce came to be called yuppies,
slang for young urban professionals. These individuals were highly motivated by career
prospects, sought employment with big corporations, and often were willing to make
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work their highest priority. Thus, they put in long hours and could be expected to
remain loyal to the company, regardless of what happened.
But younger people entering the workforce over the past 20 to 30 years are frequently
quite different from their parents and other older workers. Generation X, Generation Y,
and the Millennials, as these groups are called, tend to be less devoted to long-term
career prospects and less willing to adapt to a corporate mindset that stresses conformity
and uniformity. Instead, they often seek work in smaller, more entrepreneurial firms that
allow flexibility and individuality. They also place a premium on lifestyle preferences,
often putting location high on their list of priorities when selecting an employer.
AT YOUR SERVICE
The Rise of the Service Sector
Manufacturing is a form of business that combines
and transforms resources into tangible outcomes
that are then sold to others. Goodyear is a manufac-
turer because it combines rubber and chemical com-
pounds and uses blending equipment and molding
machines to create tires. Broyhill is a manufacturer
because it buys wood and metal components, pads,
and fabric and then combines them into furniture. And
Apple is a manufacturer because it uses electronic,
metal, plastic, and composite components to build
smartphones, computers, and other digital products.
Manufacturing was once the dominant technology
in the United States. During the 1970s, though,
manufacturing entered a long period of decline, primar-
ily because of foreign competition. U.S. firms had
grown lax and sluggish, and new foreign competitors
came onto the scene with better equipment and much
higher levels of efficiency. For example, steel compa-
nies in Asia were able to produce high-quality steel for
much lower prices than large U.S. steel companies
such as Bethlehem Steel and U.S. Steel. Faced with
a battle for survival, some companies disappeared,
but many others underwent a long and difficult period
of change by eliminating waste and transforming
themselves into leaner, more efficient, and responsive
entities. They reduced their workforces dramatically,
closed antiquated or unnecessary plants, and modern-
ized their remaining plants. Over the last decade or so,
however, their efforts have started to pay dividends
and U.S. manufacturing has regained a competitive
position in many different industries. While low
wages continue to center a great deal of global
manufacturing in Asia, once-strong manufacturers are
again thriving in the United States.
During the decline of the manufacturing sector, a
tremendous growth in the service sector, often fueled
by visionary entrepreneurs, kept the overall U.S. econ-
omy from declining at the same rate. A service organi-
zation is one that transforms resources into an
intangible output and creates time or place utility for
its customers. For example, Netflix provides video ren-
tals through mail order and online delivery options.
Facebook offers its members a venue for networking
and interacting with others. And your local hairdresser
cuts your hair. In 1947, the service sector was respon-
sible for less than half of the U.S. gross national product
(GNP). By 1975, however, this figure reached 65 per-
cent, and by 2010 had surpassed 80 percent. The ser-
vice sector has been responsible for almost 90 percent
of all new jobs created in the United States since 1990.
Moreover, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta-
tistics, employment in service occupations is expected
to grow 26.8 percent between 2010 and 2020.
Managers have come to see that many of the
tools, techniques, and methods that are used in a
factory are also useful to a service firm. For example,
managers of automobile plants and hair salons each
have to decide how to design their facility, identify
the best location for it, determine optimal capacity,
make decisions about inventory storage, set proce-
dures for purchasing raw materials, and set stan-
dards for productivity and quality. At the same time,
though, service-based firms must hire and train
employees based on a skill set that is different
from that required by most manufacturers. For
instance, consumers seldom come into contact
with the Toyota employee who installs the seats in
their car, so that person can be hired based on tech-
nical skills. But Toyota must also recruit people for
sales and customer service jobs who not only know
how to do a job but who can also effectively interface
with a variety of consumers.
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 23
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Thus, managers are increasingly faced with the challenge of, first, creating an environ-
ment that will be attractive to today’s worker; and, second, addressing the challenge of
providing new and different incentives to keep people motivated and interested in their
work. They must build enough flexibility into the organization to accommodate an ever-
changing set of lifestyles and preferences. And, of course, as these generations eventually
move into top spots of major corporations, there may even be entirely new paradigms
for managing that cannot be foreseen today.50
Managers must also be prepared to address organization change.51 This has always been
a concern, but the rapid, constant environmental change faced by businesses today has
made change management even more critical. Simply put, an organization that fails to
monitor its environment and to change to keep pace with that environment is doomed
to failure. But more and more managers are seeing change as an opportunity, not a cause
for alarm. Indeed, some managers think that if things get too calm in an organization and
people start to become complacent, they should shake things up to get everyone energized.
New technology, especially as it relates to information, also poses an increasingly
important challenge for managers. Communications advances such as smartphones and
other wireless communication networks have made it easier than ever for managers to
communicate with one another. Social media has also quickly established itself as a
major force in all walks of contemporary life. At the same time, these innovations have
increased the work pace for managers, cut into their time for thoughtful contemplation
of decisions, and increased the amount of information they must process. Issues associ-
ated with employee privacy have also emerged. For instance, controversies have arisen
when businesses take action against people for things they do in their personal lives—
posting negative comments about their employer on Facebook, for example.
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AND KEY POINTS
1. Define management, describe the kinds of
managers found in organizations, identify and
explain the four basic management functions,
describe the fundamental management skills, and
comment on management as a science and art.
• Management is a set of activities (planning and
decision making, organizing, leading, and
controlling) directed at using an organization’s
resources (human, financial, physical, and
information) to achieve organizational goals in
an efficient and effective manner.
• A manager is someone whose primary respon-
sibility is to carry out the management process
within an organization.
• Managers can be classified by level: top man-
agers, middle managers, and first-line
managers.
• Managers can also be classified by area: mar-
keting, finances, operations, human resources,
administration, and specialized.
• The basic activities of the management process
include planning and decision making
(determining courses of action), organizing
(coordinating activities and resources), leading
(motivating and managing people), and con-
trolling (monitoring and evaluating activities).
• Effective managers also tend to have the
following skills: technical, interpersonal,
conceptual, diagnostic, communication,
decision making, and time management.
• The effective practice of management requires a
synthesis of science and art: a blend of rational
objectivity and intuitive insight.
2. Justify the importance of history and theory to
managers, and explain the evolution of manage-
ment thought through the classical, behavioral,
and quantitative perspectives.
• Understanding the historical context and
precursors of management and organizations
provides a sense of heritage and can also help
managers avoid repeating the mistakes of
others.
• The classical management perspective, which
paid little attention to the role of workers, had
two major branches: scientific management
24 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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(concerned with improving efficiency and work
methods for individual workers) and adminis-
trative management (concerned with how orga-
nizations themselves should be structured and
arranged for efficient operations).
• The behavioral management perspective, char-
acterized by a concern for individual and group
behavior, emerged primarily as a result of the
Hawthorne studies. The human relations
movement recognized the importance and
potential of behavioral processes in organiza-
tions but made many overly simplistic
assumptions about those processes. Organiza-
tional behavior, a more realistic outgrowth of
the behavioral perspective, is of interest to
many contemporary managers.
• The quantitative management perspective, which
attempts to apply quantitative techniques to
decision making and problem solving, has two
components: management science and opera-
tions management. These areas are also of con-
siderable importance to contemporary managers.
Their contributions have been facilitated by the
tremendous increase in the use of personal com-
puters and integrated information networks.
3. Identify and discuss key contemporary manage-
ment perspectives represented by the systems and
contingency perspectives, and identify the major
challenges and opportunities faced by managers
today.
• Two relatively recent additions to management
theory that can serve as frameworks for inte-
grating the other perspectives are the systems
perspective and the contingency perspective.
• The important issues and challenges that con-
temporary managers face include globalization,
ethics and social responsibility, product and
service quality, the service economy, the eco-
nomic recession of 2008–2010, the new work-
place, workforce diversity, organization change,
and technology.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Questions for Review
1. What three basic levels of management can be
identified in most organizations? How precise are
the lines differentiating these levels? In which of
the basic areas do managers work?
2. What four basic functions make up the management
process? How are they related to one another?
3. Identify several of the important skills that help
managers succeed. Give an example of each. How
might the importance of different skills vary by
level and area within an organization?
4. Briefly describe the principles of scientific man-
agement and administrative management. What
assumptions do these perspectives make about
workers? To what extent are these assumptions
still valid today?
5. Describe the systems perspective. Why is a busi-
ness organization considered an open system?
Questions for Analysis
1. Recall a recent group project or task in which
you have participated. Explain how members
of the group displayed each of the managerial
skills.
2. The text notes that management is both a science
and an art. Recall an interaction you have had with
someone at a higher level in an organization
(manager, teacher, group leader, or the like). In
that interaction, how did the individual use sci-
ence? If he or she did not use science, what could
have been done to use science? In that interaction,
how did the individual use art? If she or he did not
use art, what could have been done to use art?
3. Watch a movie that involves an organization of
some type. Harry Potter, Avatar, The Avengers,
Flight, and Up in the Air would all be good choices.
Identify as many management activities and skills
as you can.
4. Young, innovative, or high-tech firms often adopt
the strategy of ignoring history or attempting to
do something radically new. In what ways might
this strategy help them? In what ways might this
strategy hinder their efforts?
5. Can a manager use tools and techniques from
several different perspectives at the same time? For
example, can a manager use both classical and
behavioral perspectives? Give an example of a time
when a manager did this, and explain how it
enabled him or her to be effective.
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 25
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BUILDING EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Time management skills refer to the ability to prioritize
tasks, to work efficiently, and to delegate appropriately.
This exercise allows you to assess your own current
time management skills and to gather some suggestions
for how you can improve in this area.
Exercise Background
As we saw in this chapter, effective managers must be
prepared to switch back and forth among the four basic
activities in the management process. They must also
be able to fulfill a number of different roles in their
organizations, and they must exercise various manage-
rial skills in doing so. On top of everything else, their
schedules are busy and full of tasks—personal and job-
related activities that require them to “switch gears”
frequently throughout the workday.
Stephen Covey, a management consultant and the
author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has
developed a system for prioritizing tasks. First, he
divides them into two categories—urgent and critical.
Urgent tasks, such as those with approaching deadlines,
must be performed right away. Critical tasks are tasks
of high importance—say, those that will affect signifi-
cant areas of one’s life or work. Next, Covey plots both
types of tasks on a grid with four quadrants: A task
may be urgent, critical, urgent and critical, or not urgent
and not critical.
Most managers, says Covey, spend too much time
on tasks that are urgent when in fact they should be
focused on tasks that are critical. He observes, for
example, that managers who concentrate on urgent
tasks meet their deadlines but tend to neglect critical
areas such as long-term planning. (Unfortunately, the
same people are also prone to neglect critical areas of
their personal lives.) In short, effective managers must
learn to balance the demands of urgent tasks with those
of critical tasks by redistributing the amount of time
devoted to each type.
Exercise Task
1. Visit one of the websites of Franklin Covey (the
firm cofounded by Stephen Covey) and locate a
time management survey. If you cannot locate one
associated with Franklin Covey, many others are
available through a quick Internet search. Com-
plete a survey that will provide you with a time
management score.
2. Now spend some time interpreting your score,
examine the assessment of your current use of
time and the suggestions for how you can improve
your time management. In what ways do you agree
and disagree with your personal assessment?
Explain your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing.
3. Think of a task that you regularly perform and
that, if you were being perfectly honest, you could
label not urgent and not critical. How much time
do you spend on this task? What might be a more
appropriate amount of time? To what other tasks
could you give some of the time that you spend on
this not urgent and not critical task?
4. What one thing can you do today to make better
use of your time? Try it to see if your time man-
agement improves.
BUILDING EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Decision-making skills include the ability to recognize
and define problems or opportunities and then select
the appropriate course of action. This exercise will help
you develop your own decision-making skills while also
underscoring the importance of subsystem interdepen-
dencies in organizations.
Exercise Background
You’re the vice president of a large company
that makes outdoor furniture for decks, patios, and
pools. Each product line and the firm itself have
grown substantially in recent years. Unfortunately,
your success has attracted the attention of competitors,
and several have entered the market in the last two
years. Your CEO wants you to determine how to cut
costs by 10 percent so that prices can be cut by the
same amount. She’s convinced that the move is neces-
sary to retain market share in the face of new
competition.
You’ve examined the situation and decided that you
have three options for cutting costs:
• Begin buying slightly lower-grade materials, includ-
ing hardwood, aluminum, vinyl, and nylon.
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• Lay off a portion of your workforce and then try to
motivate everyone who’s left to work harder; this
option also means selecting future hires from a
lower-skill labor pool and paying lower wages.
• Replace existing equipment with newer, more effi-
cient equipment; although this option entails sub-
stantial up-front investment, you’re sure that you
can more than make up the difference in lower
production costs.
Exercise Task
With this background in mind, respond to the follow-
ing questions:
1. Carefully examine each of your three options. In
what ways might each option affect other parts of
the organization?
2. Which is the most costly option in terms of impact
on other parts of the organization, not in terms of
absolute dollars? Which is the least costly?
3. What are the primary obstacles that you might
face in trying to implement each of your three
options?
4. Are there any other options for accomplishing
your goal of reducing costs?
SKILLS SELF-ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT
How Do I Rate as a Manager?*
This self-assessment will help you with your current
understanding of the practice of management and
your own approach to management. This assessment
outlines four important functions of management:
planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. You
should respond to this in one of three ways:
(a) Respond based on your own managerial experi-
ence if you have any.
(b) Respond about effective (or ineffective) managers
you have observed in your work experience.
(c) Respond in terms of how you think an ideal man-
ager should behave.
Instructions: Recall a situation in which you were
a member of a group or team that had a specific task
or project to complete. This may have been at work,
in a class, or in a church, club, or civic organization.
Now assess your behavior in each of the functions. For
each question, rate yourself according to the following
scale:
Rating Scale
Insert your score from one of the following five options
for each of the statements that follow.
• 5 Definitely true of me
• 4 Probably true of me
• 3 Neither true nor not true, or undecided
• 2 Probably not true of me
• 1 Definitely not true of me
I. Planning
_______ 1. I prepare an agenda for meetings.
_______ 2. I try to anticipate what will happen in the
future as a result of my current actions
and decisions.
_______ 3. I establish clear goals for myself and
others.
_______ 4. I carefully analyze the pros and cons
involved in situations before reaching
decisions.
_______ 5. I am quite willing to try new things, to
experiment.
_______ 6. I have a clear vision for accomplishing
the task at hand.
_______ 7. I put plans in writing so that others can
know exactly what they are.
_______ 8. I try to remain flexible so that I can adapt
to changing conditions.
_______ 9. I try to anticipate barriers to goal
accomplishment and how to overcome
them.
_______ 10. I discuss plans and involve others in
arriving at those plans.
_______ Section I Total
II. Organizing
_______ 1. I try to follow the plan while working on
the task.
_______ 2. I try to develop any understanding of the
different steps or parts needed to
accomplish the task at hand.
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 27
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_______ 3. I evaluate different ways of working on
the task before deciding on which course
of action to follow.
_______ 4. I have a clear sense of the priorities
necessary to accomplish the task.
_______ 5. I arrange for others to be informed about
the degree of progress in accomplishing
the task.
_______ 6. I am open to alternative, even novel,
ways of working on the task.
_______ 7. I adapt the sequence of activities involved
if circumstances change.
_______ 8. I have a clear sense of how the steps
involved in accomplishing the task
should be structured.
_______ 9. I lead or follow where appropriate to see
to it that progress is made toward
accomplishing the task.
_______ 10. I coordinate with others to assure steady
progress on the task.
_______ Section II Total
III. Leading
_______ 1. I set an example for others to follow.
_______ 2. I am effective at motivating others.
_______ 3. I try to keep a balance between getting
the work done and keeping a spirit of
teamwork.
_______ 4. I try to handle conflict in nonthreatening,
constructive ways.
_______ 5. I help others in the group and provide
them with guidance and training to bet-
ter perform their roles.
_______ 6. I am open to suggestions from others.
_______ 7. I keep everyone informed about the
group’s activities and progress.
_______ 8. I show a genuine interest in the work of
others.
_______ 9. I am considerate when providing con-
structive suggestions to others.
_______ 10. I understand the needs of others and
encourage their initiative in meeting
those needs.
_______ Section III Total
IV. Controlling
_______ 1. I regularly assess the quantity and quality
of progress on the task at hand.
_______ 2. I try to assure that the information I have
is timely, accurate, complete, and relevant.
_______ 3. I routinely share information with others
to help them accomplish their tasks.
_______ 4. I compare progress with plans and take
corrective action as warranted.
_______ 5. I manage my time and help others to
manage theirs.
_______ 6. I have good sources of information or
methods for obtaining information.
_______ 7. I use technology (computers, tablets,
smartphones, etc.) to aid in monitoring
progress and communicating with
others.
_______ 8. I anticipate possible negative reactions
and take action to minimize them.
_______ 9. I recognize that fixing problems before
they occur is better than fixing problems
after they occur.
_______ 10. I try to balance my attention on the
many different steps needed to accom-
plish the task at hand.
_______ Section IV Total
Source: Adapted from Van Fleet, D. D., Van Fleet, E. W., and Seperich,
G. J. 2013. Principles of Management for Agribusiness. Clifton Park,
NY: Delmar/Cengage Learning; Griffin, R. W. 2011. Management.
Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning; and Van Fleet, D. D.
1991. Behavior in Organizations. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, in collabo-
ration with G. Moorhead and R. W. Griffin.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE
Johari Window
Purpose: This exercise has two purposes: to encourage
you to analyze yourself more accurately and to start you
working on small-group cohesiveness. This exercise
encourages you to share data about yourself and then to
assimilate and process feedback. Small groups are typically
more trusting and work better together, as you will be able
to see after this exercise has been completed. The Johari
Window is a particularly good model for understanding
the perceptual process in interpersonal relationships.
28 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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This skill builder focuses on the human resources
model and will help you develop your mentor role.
One of the skills of a mentor is self-awareness.
Introduction: Each individual has four sets of per-
sonality characteristics. One set, which includes such
characteristics as working hard, is well known to the
individual and to others. A second set is unknown to
the individual but obvious to others. For example, in a
working situation, a peer group might observe that
your jumping in to move the group off dead center is
appropriate. At other times, you jump in when the
group is not really finished, and you seem to interrupt.
A third set of personality characteristics is known to
the individual but not to others. These are situations
that you have elected not to share, perhaps because of
a lack of trust. Finally, there is a fourth set, which is not
known to the individual or to others, such as why you
are uncomfortable at office parties.
Instructions: Look at the Johari Window. In quadrant
1, list three things that you know about yourself and that
you think others know. List three things in quadrant 3
that others do not know about you. Finally, in quadrant
2, list three things that you did not know about yourself
last semester that you learned from others.
*Source: Adapted from Joseph Luft, Group Processes: An Introduc-
tion to Group Dynamics (Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield, 1970), pp. 10–11;
and William C. Morris and Marshall Sashkin, Organizational Behav-
ior in Action (St. Paul, MN: West, 1976), p. 56.
MANAGEMENT AT WORK
Some Keys to Making a Steinway
Everybody knows what a grand piano looks like,
although it’s hard to describe its contour as anything
other than “piano shaped.” From a bird’s-eye view, you
might recognize something like a great big holster. The
case—the curved lateral surface that runs around the
whole instrument—appears to be a single continuous
piece of wood, but it isn’t really. If you look carefully
Quadrant 1
“The Open Self ”
Characteristics apparent
to me and to others
Quadrant 2
“The Blind Self ”
Characteristics not
apparent to me
Quadrant 3
“The Concealed Self ”
Characteristics known to me
but kept hidden from others
Quadrant 4
“The Unknown Self ”
The Blind Area
Things I Know
About Myself
My Own Perceptions
Things I Do Not Know
About Myself
Things Others
Know
About Me
Things Others
Do Not Know
About Me
O
th
er
P
er
so
n
s’
Pe
rc
ep
ti
o
n
s
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 29
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at the case of a piano built by Steinway & Sons, you’ll
see that you’re actually looking at a remarkable com-
posite of raw material, craftsmanship, and technology.
The process by which this component is made—like
most of the processes for making a Steinway grand—
is a prime example of a technical, or task, subsystem at
work in a highly specialized factory.
The case starts out as a rim, which is constructed out of
separate slats of wood, mostly maple (eastern rock maple,
to be precise). Once raw boards have been cut and planed,
they’re glued along their lengthwise edges to the width of
121 2 inches. These composite pieces are then jointed and
glued end-to-end to form slats 22 feet long—the measure
of the piano’s perimeter. Next, a total of 18 separate
slats—14 layers of maple and 4 layers of other types of
wood—are glued and stacked together to form a book—
one (seemingly) continuous “board” 31 4 inches thick.
Then comes the process that’s a favorite of visitors on
the Steinway factory tour—bending this rim into the
shape of a piano. Steinway does it pretty much the same
way that it has for more than a century—by hand and all
at once. Because the special glue is in the process of dry-
ing, a crew of six has just 20 minutes to wrestle the book,
with block and tackle and wooden levers and mallets, into
a rim-bending press—“a giant piano-shaped vise,” as
Steinway describes it—which will force the wood to “for-
get” its natural inclination to be straight and assume the
familiar contour of a grand piano.
Visitors report the sound of splintering wood, but
Steinway artisans assure them that the specially cured
wood isn’t likely to break or the specially mixed glue to
lose its grip. It’s a good thing, too, both because the
wood is expensive and because the precision Steinway
process can’t afford much wasted effort. The company
needs 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftspeople, and
countless hours of skilled labor to produce a grand
piano. Today, the New York factory turns out about
10 pianos in a day or 2,500 a year. (A mass producer
might build 2,000 pianos a week.) The result of this
painstaking task system, according to one business
journalist with a good ear, is “both impossibly perfect
instruments and a scarcity,” and that’s why Steinways
are so expensive—currently, somewhere between
$45,000 and $110,000.
But Steinway pianos, the company reminds potential
buyers, have always been “built to a standard, not to a
price.” “It’s a product,” says company executive Leo F.
Spellman, “that in some sense speaks to people and will
have a legacy long after we’re gone. What [Steinway]
craftsmen work on today will be here for another 50
or 100 years.” Approximately 90 percent of all concert
pianists prefer the sound of a Steinway, and the com-
pany’s attention to manufacturing detail reflects the fact
that when a piano is being played, the entire instrument
vibrates—and thus affects its sound. In other words—
and not surprisingly—the better the raw materials,
design, and construction, the better the sound.
That’s one of the reasons Steinway craftsmen put so
much care into the construction of the piano’s case: It’s
a major factor in the way the body of the instrument
resonates. The maple wood for the case, for example,
arrives at the factory with water content of 80 percent.
It’s then dried, both in the open air and in kilns,
until the water content is reduced to about 10 percent
—suitable for both strength and pliability. To ensure
that strength and pliability remain stable, the slats
must be cut so that they’re horizontally grained and
arranged, with the “inside” of one slat—the side that
grew toward the center of the tree—facing the “outside”
of the next one in the book. The case is removed
from the press after one day and then stored for ten
weeks in a humidity-controlled rim-bending room.
Afterward, it’s ready to be sawed, planed, and sanded
to specification—a process called frazing. A black lacquer
finish is added, and only then is the case ready to be
installed as a component of a grand piano in progress.
The Steinway process also puts a premium on
skilled workers. Steinway has always been an employer
of immigrant labor, beginning with the German crafts-
men and laborers hired by founder Henry Steinway in
the 1860s and 1870s. Today, Steinway employees come
from much different places—Haitians and Dominicans
in the 1980s, exiles from war-torn Yugoslavia in the
1990s—and it still takes time to train them. It takes
about a year, for instance, to train a case maker, and
“when you lose one of them for a long period of time,”
says Gino Romano, a senior supervisor hired in 1964,
“it has a serious effect on our output.” Romano recalls
one year in mid-June when a case maker was injured in
a car accident and was out for several weeks. His
department fell behind schedule, and it was September
before Romano could find a suitable replacement (an
experienced case maker in Florida who happened to be
a relative of another Steinway worker).
The company’s employees don’t necessarily share
Spellman’s sense of the company’s legacy, but many
of them are well aware of the brand recognition com-
manded by the products they craft, according to
Romano:
“The payback is not in [the factory]. The payback is
outside, when you get the celebrity treatment for
30 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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building a Steinway, when you meet somebody for the
first time and they ooh and ahh: ‘You build Steinways?
Wow.’ You’re automatically put on a higher level, and
you go, ‘I didn’t realize I was that notable.’”
Case Questions
1. Explain the process by which a Steinway grand
piano is constructed as a subsystem of a larger
system. From what the text tells you, give some
examples of how the production subsystem is
affected by the management, financial, and mar-
keting subsystems.
2. Discuss the Steinway process in terms of the sys-
tems perspective of organizations summarized in
Figure 1.4. Explain the role of each of the three
elements highlighted by the figure—inputs from
the environment, the transformation process, and
outputs into the environment.
3. Discuss some of the ways the principles of behav-
ioral management and operations management can
throw light on the Steinway process. How about
the contingency perspective? In what ways does the
Steinway process reflect a universal perspective,
and in what ways does it reflect a contingency
perspective?
Case References
Steinway & Sons, “The Steinway Restoration Center,”
www.steinway.com, accessed on July 27, 2013;
Steinway & Sons, “Online Factory Tour,” http://www.
steinway.com, accessed on July 27, 2013; WGBH
(Boston), “Note by Note: The Making of Steinway
L1037,” www.wgbh.org, accessed on July 27, 2013;
Maya Roney, “Steinway: Worth Much More Than a
Song,” BusinessWeek, www.businessweek.com,
accessed on July 27, 2013; James Barron, “88 Keys,
Many Languages, One Proud Name,” New York
Times, www.nytimes.com, accessed on July 27, 2013;
Michael Lenehen, “K 2571: The Making of a Steinway
Grand,” Atlantic Monthly, August 1982, www.
sherwinbeach.com, accessed on July 27, 2013; and
Rick Rogers, “Steinway Builds a Legacy with Distinc-
tive Pianos,” Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City),
www.richardhuggins.com, accessed on July 27, 2013.
You Make the Call
Reed Hastings Doesn’t Like Standing Still
1. You’re a Netflix employee, and Reed Hastings has
just stopped by your desk. “I’d like to know,” he
says, “what you like most and least about working
here.” How do you think you might respond?
2. You’re a major Netflix stockholder attending the
firm’s annual board meeting. When you bump
into Reed Hastings at a reception, he asks you,
“How do you think we’re doing with this com-
pany?” How would you respond?
3. You’re the founder and owner of a small media
company, and Netflix has indicated an interest in
buying your business. In addition to price, what
other factors (if any) are important to you?
4. You’ve been contacted by a marketing research
company doing work for Netflix. The researcher
asks if you use Netflix and, if not, why? If you do
use Netflix, the researcher asks what you like and
dislike most about it. What would you say?
ENDNOTES
1 “How Netflix Got Started,” CNNMoney.com, January 28, 2009,
http://money.cnn.com on July 25, 2013; Reed Hastings, “How I
Did It: Reed Hastings, Netflix,” Inc.com, December 1, 2005, www
.inc.com on July 25, 2013; Sally Aaron, “Netflix Script Spells
Disruption,” Harvard Business School Working Knowledge,
March 22, 2004, http://hbswk.hbs.edu on July 25, 2013; John
M. Caddell, “Frontiers of Innovation—Netflix Demolishes Its
Own Business Model,” PennLive.com, February 11, 2009, http://
blog.pennlive.com on July 25, 2013; “Netflix Subscriber Loss
Triggers Panic Selling,” CBSNews.com, October 24, 2011, www
.cbsnews.com on July 25, 2013; Andrew Goldman, “Reed
Hastings Knows He Messed Up,” New York Times, October 20,
2011, www.nytimes.com on July 25, 2013; “The Man Who Ate
the Internet,” Bloomberg BusinessWeek, May 13, 2013–May 19,
2013, pp. 56–62.
2 Fred Luthans, “Successful vs. Effective Real Managers,” Academy
of Management Executive, May 1988, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 127–132.
See also “The Best Performers,” BusinessWeek, Special Issue,
Spring 2012, pp. 38–49.
3 See “The Best (& Worst) Managers of the Year,” Bloomberg
Businessweek, January 10, 2013, pp. 68–74; see also “Two Days
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 31
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
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With a Tech Titan on a Mission,” USA Today, January 10, 2013,
pp. 1B, 2B.
4 See “Executive Compensation for 50 of the Largest U.S.
Companies,” USA Today, March 28, 2013, p. 2B. See also Jim
Collins, “The Ten Greatest CEOs of All Times,” Fortune, July 21,
2003, pp. 54–68.
5 “Executive Compensation for 50 of the Largest U.S. Companies,”
USA Today, March 28, 2013, p. 2B.
6 Rosabeth Moss Kanter, “The Middle Manager as Innovator,”
Harvard Business Review, July–August 2004, pp. 150–161; and
Bill Woolridge, Torsten Schmid, and Steven W. Floyd, “The
Middle Management Perspective on Strategy Process: Contribu-
tions, Synthesis, and Future Research,” Journal of Management,
2008, Vol. 34, No. 6, pp. 1190–1221.
7 John P. Kotter, “What Effective General Managers Really Do,”
Harvard Business Review, March–April 1999, pp. 145–155. See
also Peter Drucker, “What Makes an Effective Executive,”
Harvard Business Review, June 2004, pp. 58–68.
8 For a classic discussion of several of these skills, see Robert L.
Katz, “The Skills of an Effective Administrator,” Harvard
Business Review, September–October 1974, pp. 90–102. For a
recent perspective, see J. Brian Atwater, Vijay R. Kannan, and
Alan A. Stephens, “Cultivating Systemic Thinking in the Next
Generation of Business Leaders,” Academy of Management
Learning & Education, 2008, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 9–25. See also
Ricky W. Griffin and David D. Van Fleet, Building Management
Skills (Mason, OH: Cengage, 2013).
9 For an interesting application, see Mark Gottfredson, Steve
Schaubert, and Hernan Saenz, “The New Leader’s Guide to
Diagnosing the Business,” Harvard Business Review, February
2008, pp. 63–72.
10 See “The Real Reasons You’re Working So Hard … and What
You Can Do about It,” BusinessWeek, October 3, 2005, pp. 60–68;
and “I’m Late, I’m Late, I’m Late,” USA Today, November 26,
2002, pp. 1B, 2B.
11 For a thorough discussion of the importance of time manage-
ment skills, see David Barry, Catherine Durnell Cramton, and
Stephen J. Carroll, “Navigating the Garbage Can: How Agendas
Help Managers Cope with Job Realities,” Academy of Manage-
ment Executive, May 1997, pp. 26–42.
12 Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad, “Competing for the Future,”
Harvard Business Review, July–August 1994, pp. 122–128; see
also Joseph M. Hall and M. Eric Johnson, “When Should a
Process Be Art, Not Science?” Harvard Business Review, March
2009, pp. 58–65.
13 “Starbucks’ Big Mug,” Time, June 25, 2012, pp. 53–54; “Starbucks
CEO Reinvents The Spiel,” USA Today, April 25, 2013, p. 3B.
14 “Grounds Zero,” Bloomberg BusinessWeek, February 9, 2012,
pp. 69–71.
15 Terence Mitchell and Lawrence James, “Building Better Theory:
Time and the Specification of When Things Happen,” Academy
of Management Review, 2001, Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 530–547.
16 Peter F. Drucker, “The Theory of the Business,” Harvard Business
Review, September–October 1994, pp. 95–104.
17 “Why Business History?” Audacity, Fall 1992, pp. 7–15. See also
Alan L. Wilkins and Nigel J. Bristow, “For Successful Organiza-
tion Culture, Honor Your Past,” Academy of Management
Executive, August 1987, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 221–227.
18 Daniel Wren, The Evolution of Management Thought, 5th ed.
(New York: Wiley, 2005); and Page Smith, The Rise of Industrial
America (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984).
19 Martha I. Finney, “Books That Changed Careers,” HR Magazine,
June 1997, pp. 141–145. See also “Leadership in Literature,”
Harvard Business Review, March 2006, pp. 47–55.
20 See Harriet Rubin, The Princessa: Machiavelli for Women (New
York: Doubleday/Currency, 1997). See also Nanette Fondas,
“Feminization Unveiled: Management Qualities in Contempor-
ary Writings,” Academy of Management Review, January 1997,
Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 257–282.
21 Alan M. Kantrow, ed., “Why History Matters to Managers,”
Harvard Business Review, January–February 1986, pp. 81–88.
22 Wren, The Evolution of Management Thought.
23 Wren, The Evolution of Management Thought.
24 Frederick W. Taylor, Principles of Scientific Management (New
York: Harper and Brothers, 1911).
25 Charles D. Wrege and Amedeo G. Perroni, “Taylor’s Pig-Tale: A
Historical Analysis of Frederick W. Taylor’s Pig-Iron Experi-
ment,” Academy of Management Journal, March 1974, Vol. 17,
No. 1, pp. 6–27; and Charles D. Wrege and Ann Marie Stoka,
“Cooke Creates a Classic: The Story behind F.W. Taylor’s
Principles of Scientific Management,” Academy of Management
Review, October 1978, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 736–749.
26 Robert Kanigel, The One Best Way (New York: Viking, 1997); Oliver
E. Allen, “ ‘This Great Mental Revolution,’ ” Audacity, Summer 1996,
pp. 52–61; and Jill Hough and Margaret White, “Using Stories to
Create Change: The Object Lesson of Frederick Taylor’s ‘Pig-Tale,’ ”
Journal of Management, 2001, Vol. 27, pp. 585–601.
27 Henri Fayol, General and Industrial Management, trans. J. A.
Coubrough (Geneva: International Management Institute, 1930).
28 Max Weber, Theory of Social and Economic Organizations, trans.
T. Parsons (New York: Free Press, 1947); and Richard M. Weis,
“Weber on Bureaucracy: Management Consultant or Political
Theorist?” Academy of Management Review, April 1983, Vol. 8,
No. 2, pp. 242–248.
29 “The Line Starts Here,” Wall Street Journal, January 11, 1999,
pp. R1, R25.
30 Hugo Munsterberg, Psychology and Industrial Efficiency (Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1913).
31 Wren, The Evolution of Management Thought, pp. 255–264.
32 Elton Mayo, The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization
(New York: Macmillan, 1933); and Fritz J. Roethlisberger and
William J. Dickson, Management and the Worker (Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press, 1939).
33 Abraham Maslow, “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Psycholo-
gical Review, July 1943, pp. 370–396.
34 Douglas McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise (New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1960).
35 Sara L. Rynes and Christine Quinn Trank, “Behavioral Science in
the Business School Curriculum: Teaching in a Changing
Institutional Environment,” Academy of Management Review,
1999, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 808–824.
36 See Ricky W. Griffin and Gregory Moorhead, Organizational
Behavior, 11th ed. (Cincinnati, OH: Cengage, 2013), for a recent
review of current developments in the field of organizational
behavior.
32 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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37 Wren, The Evolution of Management Thought, pp. 255–264.
38 “Math Will Rock Your World,” BusinessWeek, January 23, 2006,
pp. 54–61.
39 “Quantitative Analysis Offers Tools to Predict Likely Terrorist
Moves,” Wall Street Journal, February 17, 2006, p. B1.
40 For more information on systems theory in general, see Ludwig von
Bertalanffy, C. G. Hempel, R. E. Bass, and H. Jonas, “General Systems
Theory: A New Approach to Unity of Science,” I–VI Human Biology,
1951, Vol. 23, pp. 302–361. For systems theory as applied to
organizations, see Fremont E. Kast and James E. Rosenzweig,
“General Systems Theory: Applications for Organizations and
Management,” Academy of Management Journal, December 1972,
pp. 447–465. For a recent update, see Donde P. Ashmos and George
P. Huber, “The Systems Paradigm in Organization Theory:
Correcting the Record and Suggesting the Future,” Academy of
Management Review, October 1987, pp. 607–621.
41 See Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, “Mastering the
Management System,” Harvard Business Review, January 2008,
pp. 63–72.
42 “Gillette’s New Edge,” BusinessWeek, February 6, 2006, p. 44.
43 Kathleen M. Eisenhardt and D. Charles Galunic, “Coevolving—
At Last, a Way to Make Synergies Work,” Harvard Business
Review, January–February 2000, pp. 91–103.
44 Fremont E. Kastand James E. Rosenzweig, Contingency Views of
Organization and Management (Chicago: Science Research
Associates, 1973).
45 “There Is No More Normal,” BusinessWeek, March 23–30, 2009,
pp. 30–34.
46 “The BusinessWeek Best-Seller List,” BusinessWeek, November 4,
2002, p. 26.
47 See Phanish Puranam and Bart S. Vanneste, “Trust and
Governance: Untangling a Tangled Web,” Academy of Manage-
ment Review, January 2009, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 11–31.
48 “The Way We’ll Work,” Time, May 25, 2009, pp. 39–51.
49 Patricia L. Nemetz and Sandra L. Christensen, “The Challenge
of Cultural Diversity: Harnessing a Diversity of Views to
Understand Multiculturalism,” Academy of Management Review,
1996, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 434–462; and Frances J. Milliken and
Luis L. Martins, “Searching for Common Threads: Under-
standing the Multiple Effects of Diversity in Organizational
Groups,” Academy of Management Review, 1996, Vol. 21, No. 2,
pp. 402–433.
50 “When Gen X Runs the Show,” Time, May 25, 2009, p. 48.
51 Craig L. Pearce and Charles P. Osmond, “Metaphors for Change:
The ALPS Model of Change Management,” Organizational
Dynamics, Winter 1996, pp. 23–35.
Chapter 1: Understanding the Manager’s Job 33
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
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C H A P T E R 2
The Environments of
Organizations and Managers
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Discuss the nature of an organization’s environments and identify the components of its general, task,
and internal environments.
2 Describe the ethical and social environment of management, including individual ethics, the concept of
social responsibility, and how organizations can manage social responsibility.
3 Discuss the international environment of management, including trends in international business, levels
of international business activities, and the context of international business.
4 Describe the importance and determinants of an organization’s culture, as well as how organizational
culture can be managed.
Management in Action
Social Entrepreneurship at Its Finest
“We function much as venture capitalists do in the private sector. You could
say we’re social VCs.”
—Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO of Mercy Corps
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation of
Haiti in January 2010, Oregon-based Mercy Corps arrived with a team of
emergency-response experts from around the world. Focusing on immediate
humanitarian needs, the team delivered food to overwhelmed hospitals and set
up services to provide clean water. Mercy Corps also initiated a work-for-cash
program that paid survivors to aid in clearing debris and restoring buildings,
thus providing them with a little dignity along with the means to purchase
supplies for their families and jumpstart the local economy. In addition, the
organization set up trauma centers for children, using counseling methods that it
had helped to develop in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City
eight years earlier. Similarly, following the devastating earthquake and tsunami
that struck Japan in March 2011, Mercy Corps delivered emergency supplies and
set up such programs as Comfort for Kids to help children deal with the
emotional effects of a large-scale disaster.
Obviously, Mercy Corps isn’t a newcomer to the enterprise of providing
humanitarian aid. Founded in 1979 as the Save the Refugees Fund, a task force
to help victims of famine and genocide in Cambodia, it expanded in 1982,
becoming Mercy Corps International to reflect its broader mission. Since its
Sergii Tsololo/Photos.com
34
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founding, the nonprofit organization has provided $2 2 billion in humanitarian aid
and development assistance to people in 114 countries and annually reaches
nearly 19 million people in 36 nations.
Mercy Corps’ approach to on-the-ground assistance also involves more than
immediate-response and emergency-relief services, as noted in its mission statement:
Mercy Corps has learned that communities recovering from war or social
upheaval must be the agents of their own transformation for change to
endure. It’s only when communities set their own agendas, raise their
own resources, and implement programs themselves that the first
successes result in the renewed hope, confidence, and skills to continue
their development independently.
Mercy Corps thus works to foster “sustainable community development that
integrates agriculture, health, housing and infrastructure, economic development,
education, and environment and local management,” as well as launching
“initiatives that promote citizen participation, accountability, conflict management,
and the rule of law.” In India, for example, Mercy Corps has taught small-scale tea
farmers sustainable ways to grow organic teas and get fair prices for them. On
plantations owned by big tea companies, it’s helped not only to improve living
and economic conditions in worker villages but also to form self-governing
Community Initiative Groups to manage ongoing community needs in education,
infrastructure, and employment. In southern Sudan, which has been torn by
Africa’s longest civil war, Mercy Corps has built networks of local organizations to
provide such essential services as adult literacy, orphan care, and HIV/AIDS
counseling; other programs have helped to build roads and community centers
and to electrify villages.
LA
N
/C
o
rb
is
Mercy Corps is a global humanitarian not-for-profit organization that provides assistance in the
wake of war, social upheaval, or natural disaster.
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 35
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In Indonesia, where sanitation is a major area of concern, Mercy Corps has
launched a long-term Hygiene Promotion Program. On Hand Washing Day, for
instance, community representatives take to the streets with colorful buckets and
teach children how to wash their hands with soap and water; similarly equipped
hand-washing stations have been set up in neighborhoods throughout the capital
of Djakarta. (Dirty hands can cause diarrhea, which kills 2 million children under
the age of 5 every year.) Other programs focus on education and equipment for
harvesting rainwater and removing solid waste from residential neighborhoods.
In addition to the devastating effects of war, social upheaval, and natural
disaster, Mercy Corps is also concerned with the effects of climate change on
developing communities. Thus, it works to provide “viable economic options as
communities adapt to new environmental realities,” especially in helping poor
communities cope with “the rising incidence of climate-related disasters such as
flooding and drought.” According to Mercy Corps, its climate-related programs
fall into three main areas:
1. Alternative energy: promoting energy sources that support sustainable
economic activities
2. Sustainable resource management: supporting a community’s ability to
provide its own environmental and ecological services
3. Advocacy, outreach, and models that work: inspiring governments and
communities to rely on proven environment- and climate-friendly programs
For example, when drought in the African nation of Niger threatened nearly
8 million people with malnutrition and starvation, Mercy Corps not only mobilized
efforts to provide food commodities but also helped local farmers deal with chronic
debt arising from inefficient methods and prior crop failures. A year later, Mercy
Corps responded when Timor-Leste, an island nation northwest of Australia, faced
just the opposite in climate-related crises: Because seasonal rains continued
throughout the dry season, when farmers planted and harvested the country’s
food supply, drainage systems failed and crops could not be delivered over
impassable roads. In addition to providing immediate relief, Mercy Corps trained
local blacksmiths to make portable silos for storing rice and corn, the country’s
main staples.1
Organizations exist for a variety of reasons. Some, like Netflix, pursue profits, while
others, like Mercy Corps, promote the general social welfare. Regardless of its purpose
or mission, though, any organization must be properly aligned with its environment if
it is to be effective. But there are disparate views on how this alignment should be
achieved and how an organization can legitimately pursue and then use revenues or
profits. Some companies aggressively seek to maximize their profits, grow at any cost,
and focus on nothing but what is best for the company. Others take a much different
approach to business and actively work for the betterment of society, even when it
means less profit for the owners. Clearly, then, the environmental context of business
today is changing in unprecedented ways.
36 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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THE ORGANIZATION’S ENVIRONMENTS
The external environment is everything outside an organization’s boundaries that might
affect it. There are two separate external environments: the general environment and the
task environment. An organization’s internal environment consists of conditions and
forces within the organization.
The General Environment
Each of the following dimensions embodies conditions and events that have the potential
to influence the organization in significant ways.
The Economic Dimension The economic dimension of an organization’s general
environment is the overall health and vitality of the economic system in which the orga-
nization operates.2 Particularly important economic factors for business are general eco-
nomic growth, inflation, interest rates, and unemployment. After several strong years of
growth, the U.S. economy fell into a recession during 2008 and only began to recover
from it in 2012. During this period, energy and related prices jumped, business and eco-
nomic growth slowed dramatically, and unemployment mushroomed as one struggling
business after another made workforce cuts.
As one specific example, in 2014, McDonald’s U.S. operation was functioning in an
economy characterized by weak growth, moderate unemployment, and low inflation.
These conditions produce paradoxical problems. Moderate unemployment means that
fewer people can eat out, but those who do are looking for inexpensive options—like
McDonald’s. McDonald’s can also pay lower wages to attract new employees, since
many people are looking for work and fewer opportunities are available than was the
case a few years earlier. Similarly, low inflation means that the prices McDonald’s must
pay for its supplies remain relatively constant, but it also is somewhat constrained from
increasing the prices it charges consumers for a hamburger or milkshake. The economic
dimension is also important to nonbusiness organizations. For example, during weak
economic conditions, funding for state universities may drop, and charitable organiza-
tions such as the Salvation Army are asked to provide greater assistance at the same
time that their incoming contributions dwindle. Similarly, hospitals are affected by the
availability of government grants and the number of low-income patients they must
treat free of charge. The economic dimension of the general environment is discussed
more fully in the “Tough Times, Tough Choices” feature.
The Technological Dimension The technological dimension of the general envi-
ronment is made up of the methods available for converting resources into products or
services. Although technology is applied within the organization, the forms and availabil-
ity of that technology come from the general environment. Computer-assisted
manufacturing and design techniques, for example, allowed Boeing to simulate the
more than three miles of hydraulic tubing that runs through its 787 aircraft. The results
include decreased warehouse needs, higher-quality tube fittings, lower labor costs, and
major time savings. Although some people associate technology with manufacturing
firms, it is also relevant in the service sector. For example, just as an automobile follows
a predetermined path along an assembly line as it is built, a hamburger at McDonald’s
follows a predefined path as the meat is cooked, the burger assembled, and the finished
product wrapped and bagged for a customer. The rapid infusion of the Internet and
web-based technologies into all areas of business also reflects the technological dimen-
sion. Another recent advancement is the rapid growth of integrated business software
systems. New modes of communication, ranging from social network sites like Facebook
external
environment
Everything outside
an organization’s
boundaries that
might affect it
general
environment
The set of broad
dimensions and
forces in an
organization’s
surroundings that
determines its
overall context
task environment
Specific
organizations or
groups that affect the
organization
internal
environment
The conditions and
forces within an
organization
economic
dimension
The overall health
and vitality of the
economic system in
which the
organization
operates
technological
dimension
The methods
available for
converting resources
into products or
services
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 37
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and Twitter to hardware like smartphones and the iPad, are also influencing businesses
in many different ways.
The Political–Legal Dimension The political–legal dimension of the general
environment consists of government regulation of business and the relationship between
business and government. This dimension is important for three basic reasons. First, the
legal system partially defines what an organization can and cannot do. Although the
United States is basically a free-market economy, major regulation of business activity
still exits. McDonald’s, for example, is subject to a variety of political and legal forces,
including food preparation standards and local zoning requirements.
Second, pro- or anti-business sentiment in government influences business activity.
For example, during periods of pro-business sentiment, firms find it easier to compete
and have fewer concerns about antitrust issues. On the other hand, during a period of
anti-business sentiment, firms may find their competitive strategies more restricted and
have fewer opportunities for mergers and acquisitions because of antitrust concerns.
During the prolonged period of economic growth that ended in 2008, the U.S. govern-
ment adopted a very “hands-off” approach to business, letting market forces determine
business successes and failures. However, as the economy ground to a halt in 2008, and
TOUGH TIMES, TOUGH CHOICES
What Goes Around …
It seems like just yesterday. In 2005, the global
economy was booming. In the United States, for
example, business profits were soaring, jobs were
plentiful, and home ownership was at an all-time
high. The stock market reached unprecedented
highs, pension plans were burgeoning, and new busi-
ness opportunities were plentiful.
Fast-forward just five short years to 2010, and
things looked a lot different. Business profits were
down, hundreds of thousands of jobs had been
lost, unemployment claims soared, and mortgage
foreclosures were the order of the day. The stock
market plummeted, pension plans went broke, and
it seemed like no one wanted to start a new busi-
ness (and even those who did had a hard time
getting financing).
What happened in this short period of time?
Economists call it the business cycle. Historically,
our economy has followed long periods of growth
and prosperity with periods of cutbacks and retreats.
And that’s what started in 2008. During extended
periods of prosperity, people sometimes start to act
as though good times will last forever. They continue
to bid up stock prices, for instance, far beyond
rational value. They also take on too much debt,
save too little money, and spend beyond their
means. Businesses, too, start taking more risks,
carrying larger inventories, expanding too quickly,
and hiring too many people. But things have a way
of correcting themselves, and that’s what happened
when our economy went into recession beginning in
2008.
So what does the future hold? Well, while no one
has a real crystal ball, most experts agree that the
bad times have likely run their course and things
will start looking up again. Indeed, by mid-2011, the
stock market was inching back up, continued to
slowly recover throughout 2012, and hit an all-time
high in early 2013. By 2014, many firms were hiring
again, interest rates began to inch up, and profits
started to grow again. The housing market continues
to improve, and unemployment is gradually declin-
ing, with many businesses cautiously hiring again. It
may take a while longer for growth to really take off
again, but one day profits will again start to surge,
businesses will embark on even more ambitious
hiring plans, the stock market will continue to soar,
and business opportunities will again be plentiful.
Until then, though, managers have to focus on fol-
lowing core business principles and do their best to
steer their organizations through today’s turbulence.
And they should try to remember, of course, that
even when the good times are rolling again, another
correction will occur somewhere down the road.
political–legal
dimension
The government
regulation of
business and the
relationship between
business and
government
38 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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first one and then another industry began to stumble, critics began to point to lack of
regulation and oversight as contributing factors. As a result, lawmakers began to take a
much more pronounced interest in adopting new and stricter regulations for business.3
Finally, political stability has ramifications for planning. No business wants to set up
shop in another country unless trade relationships with that country are relatively well
defined and stable. Hence, U.S. firms are more likely to do business in England, Mexico,
and Canada than in Syria and Afghanistan. Similar issues are relevant to assessments of
local and state governments. A new mayor or governor can affect many organizations,
especially small firms that do business in only one location and are susceptible to deed
and zoning restrictions, property and school taxes, and the like.
The Task Environment
Because the general environment’s impact is often vague, imprecise, and long term, most
organizations tend to focus attention on their task environment, which includes compe-
titors, customers, suppliers, strategic partners, and regulators. Although the task environ-
ment is also quite complex, it provides useful information more readily than the general
environment because the manager can identify environmental factors of specific interest
to the organization, rather than deal with the more abstract dimensions of the general
environment.4 Figure 2.1 depicts the task environment of McDonald’s.
Competitors An organization’s competitors are other organizations that compete
with it for resources. The most obvious resources that competitors vie for are customer
dollars. Under Armour, Adidas, and Nike are competitors, as are Albertson’s, Safeway,
and Kroger. McDonald’s competes with other fast-food operations, such as Burger
King, Wendy’s, Subway, and Dairy Queen; it’s also taken on Starbucks with its McCafe
line of premium coffee products. But competition also occurs among substitute products.
Thus, Ford competes with Yamaha (motorcycles), Schwinn (bicycles), and various public
transportation systems for your transportation dollars; and Walt Disney World, Carnival
Cruise Lines, and the National Park System compete for your vacation dollars. Nor is
competition limited to business firms. Universities
compete with trade schools, the military, other univer-
sities, and the external labor market to attract good stu-
dents; and art galleries compete with one another to
attract the best collections and exhibits.
Customers A second dimension of the task environ-
ment is customers, or whoever pays money to acquire
an organization’s products or services. Most McDo-
nald’s customers are individuals who buy food. But cus-
tomers need not be individuals. Schools, hospitals,
government agencies, wholesalers, retailers, and manu-
facturers are just a few of the many kinds of organiza-
tions that may be major customers of other
organizations. Some institutional customers, such as
schools, prisons, and hospitals, also buy food in bulk
from restaurants such as McDonald’s.
Supplier Suppliers are organizations that provide
resources for other organizations. McDonald’s buys
soft-drink products from Coca-Cola; individually pack-
aged servings of ketchup, salt, and pepper from various
J
.P
.
M
O
C
Z
U
LS
K
I/
A
FP
/N
e
w
sc
o
m
Organizations can serve a variety of different kinds of
customers. For example, customers can be individuals,
the government, or other businesses. This pizza
deliveryman, for example, is dropping off pizzas for the
staff of a hospital emergency room.
competitor
An organization that
competes with other
organizations for
resources
customer
Whoever pays
money to acquire an
organization’s
products or services
supplier
An organization that
provides resources
for other
organizations
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 39
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wholesalers; Big Mac ingredients from wholesale food processors; and napkins, sacks, and
wrappers from packaging manufacturers. Besides material resources such as these, busi-
nesses also rely on suppliers for information (such as economic statistics), labor (in the
form of employment agencies), and capital (from lenders such as banks). Some businesses
strive to avoid depending exclusively on particular suppliers. Others, however, find it
beneficial to create strong relationships with single suppliers.
Regulators Regulators are elements of the task environment that have the potential
to control, legislate, or otherwise influence an organization’s policies and practices.
There are two important kinds of regulators. Regulatory agencies are created by the
government to protect the public from certain business practices or to protect
organizations from one another. Powerful federal regulatory agencies include the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC). Many of these agencies play important roles in protecting the
rights of individuals. The FDA, for example, helps ensure that food is free from
contaminants; thus, it is an important regulator for McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Numerous state, regional, and local regulatory agencies also affect businesses. Perhaps
it is no surprise that some managers complain that there is too much government
regulation. Most large companies must dedicate thousands of labor hours and hun-
dreds of thousands of dollars a year to complying with government regulations. To
complicate managers’ lives even more, different regulatory agencies sometimes provide
inconsistent—and even contradictory—mandates.
The other basic form of regulator is the interest group. Prominent interest groups
include the National Organization for Women (NOW), Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD), the National Rifle Association (NRA), the League of Women Voters, the Sierra
Club, Ralph Nader’s Center for the Study of Responsive Law, Consumers Union, and
industry self-regulation groups such as the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Although
interest groups lack the official power of government agencies, they can exert consider-
able influence by using the media to call attention to their positions. MADD, for exam-
ple, puts considerable pressure on alcoholic-beverage producers (to put warning labels on
their products), automobile companies (to make it more difficult for intoxicated people
to start their cars), local governments (to stiffen drinking ordinances), and bars and res-
taurants (to refuse to sell alcohol to people who are drinking too much).
Strategic Partners Another dimension of the task environment is strategic partners
(also called strategic allies)—two or more companies that work together in joint ventures
or other partnerships.5 As shown in Figure 2.1, McDonald’s has several strategic
partners. For example, it has one arrangement with Walmart whereby small McDonald’s
restaurants are built in many Walmart stores. The firm also has a long-term deal with
Disney: McDonald’s promotes Disney movies in its stores, and Disney has allowed
McDonald’s to open restaurants near its resorts. And many of the firm’s foreign stores
are built in collaboration with local investors. Strategic partnerships help companies get
the expertise they lack from other companies. The partnerships also help spread risk and
open new market opportunities. Indeed, most strategic partnerships are among interna-
tional firms. For example, Ford has strategic partnerships with Volkswagen (sharing a
distribution and service center in South America) and Nissan (building minivans in the
United States). Even bitter rivals Ford and General Motors are working together as
strategic partners designing a new 10-speed transmission.6
regulator
A body that has the
potential to control,
legislate, or
otherwise influence
the organization’s
policies and
practices
regulatory agency
An agency created
by the government to
regulate business
activities
strategic partners
(also called
strategic ally)
An organization
working together
with one or more
other organizations
in a joint venture or
similar arrangement
interest group
A group organized
by its members to
attempt to influence
organizations
40 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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The Internal Environment
Organizations also have an internal environment that consists of their owners, board of
directors, employees, and physical work environment. (Another especially important part
of the internal environment is the organization’s culture, discussed separately later in this
chapter.)
Owners The owners of a business are, of course, the people who have legal property
rights to that business. Owners can be a single individual who establishes and runs a
small business, partners who jointly own the business, individual investors who buy
stock in a corporation, or other organizations. McDonald’s has 1.02 billion shares of
stock, each of which represents one unit of ownership in the firm. The family of McDo-
nald’s founder Ray Kroc stills owns a large block of this stock, as do several large insti-
tutional investors. In addition, thousands of individuals own just a few shares each.
McDonald’s, in turn, owns other businesses. For example, it owns several large regional
McDonald’s
Competitors
• Burger King
• Starbucks
• Subway
• Dairy Queen
Customers
• Individual
consumers
• Institutional
customers
Suppliers
• Coca-Cola
• Wholesale food
processors
• Packaging
manufacturers
Strategic Partners
• Walmart
• Disney
• Foreign partners
Regulators
• Food and Drug
Administration
• Securities and
Exchange
Commission
• Environmental
Protection
Agency
Internal environment
Task environment©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 2.1
McDonald’s Task Environment
An organization’s task environment includes its competitors, customers, suppliers,
strategic partners, and regulators. This figure clearly highlights how managers at
McDonald’s can use this framework to identify and understand their key
constituents.
owners
Whoever can claim
property rights to an
organization
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 41
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bakeries that supply its restaurants with buns. Each of these is incorporated as a separate
legal entity and managed as a wholly owned subsidiary by the parent company. McDo-
nald’s is also a partner in some Russian farms that grow potatoes to supply regional res-
taurants with french fries.
Board of Directors A corporate board of directors is a governing body that is
elected by the stockholders and charged with overseeing a firm’s general management
to ensure that it is run to best serve the stockholders’ interests. Some boards are rela-
tively passive: They perform a general oversight function but seldom get actively involved
in how the company is really run. But this trend is changing as more and more boards
carefully scrutinize the firms they oversee and exert more influence over how they are
being managed. This trend has been accelerated by numerous recent business scandals.
In some cases, board members have been accused of wrongdoing. In other cases, boards
have been found negligent for failing to monitor the actions of the firm’s executives.7 At
issue is the concept of corporate governance—who is responsible for governing the
actions of a business? McDonald’s has a board of directors composed of 14 members.
This board includes 4 inside members (full-time executives of the firm) and 10 outside
members (individuals who do not work directly for the firm). This presumably allows
decisions to be made in ways that protect the interests of diverse stakeholders.
Employees An organization’s employees are also a major element of its internal envi-
ronment. Of particular interest to managers today is the changing nature of the work-
force, which is becoming increasingly more diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, age,
and other dimensions. Workers are also calling for more job ownership—either partial
ownership in the company or at least more say in how they perform their jobs.8 Another
trend in many firms is increased reliance on temporary workers—individuals hired for
short periods of time with no expectation of permanent employment. Employers often
prefer to use “temps” because they provide greater flexibility, earn lower wages, and
often do not participate in benefits programs. But these managers also have to deal
with what often amounts to a two-class workforce and with a growing number of
employees who have no loyalty to the organization where they work because they may
be working for a different one tomorrow.9
Physical Work Environment A final part of the internal environment is the orga-
nization’s actual physical environment and the work that people do. Some firms have
their facilities in downtown skyscrapers, usually spread across several floors. Others
locate in suburban or rural settings and may have facilities more closely resembling a
college campus. Some facilities have long halls lined with traditional offices. Others
have modular cubicles with partial walls and no doors. Pitney Bowes Credit Corporation
re-created its offices to resemble something like an indoor theme park with cobblestone
look-alike carpet, a town square clock, a café, and a diner. Increasingly, newer facilities
have an even more open arrangement, where people work in large rooms, moving
among different tables to interact with different people on different projects. Freestand-
ing computer workstations are available for those who need them, and a few small rooms
might be off to the side for private business.10
Employee safety and health regulations have caused many organizations to pay more
attention to their internal environment. This concern, in turn, has also fostered new
business opportunities. Rebecca Boenigk, founder and CEO of Neutral Posture, turned
a small operation in her garage into an international company selling neutral body pos-
ture chairs designed by her father, Dr. Jerome Congleton.
board of directors
Governing body
that is elected by a
corporation’s
stockholders and
charged with
overseeing the
general manage-
ment of the firm to
ensure that it is being
run in a way that best
serves the
stockholders’
interests
42 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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THE ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
OF MANAGEMENT
The ethical and social environment has become an especially important area for man-
agers in the last few years. In this section, we first explore the concept of individual
ethics and then describe social responsibility.
Individual Ethics in Organizations
We define ethics as an individual’s personal beliefs about whether a behavior, action, or
decision is right or wrong.11 Note that we define ethics in the context of the individual—
people have ethics, whereas organizations do not. Likewise, what constitutes ethical
behavior varies from one person to another. For example, one person who finds a $20
bill on the floor of an empty room may believe that it is okay to keep it, whereas another
may feel compelled to turn it in to the lost-and-found department. Further, although
ethical behavior is in the eye of the beholder, the term usually refers to behavior that
conforms to generally accepted social norms. Unethical behavior, then, is behavior that
does not conform to generally accepted social norms.
Managerial Ethics Managerial ethics consists of the standards of behavior that
guide individual managers in their work.12 One important area of managerial ethics is
the treatment of employees by the organization. It includes, for example, hiring and fir-
ing, wages and working conditions, and employee privacy and respect. An example of
how different managers might approach this area involves minimum wages. While the
U.S. government sets a minimum hourly wage, this amount is often not enough to live
above the poverty level in high-cost areas such as New York and San Francisco. Some
J
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Unethical behavior refers to behavior that does not conform to generally accepted social norms.
Bribery is one form of behavior that is both illegal and unethical. This individual, for example, might
be paying off a building inspector to get a favorable inspection or a customer to get a big order.
ethics
An individual’s
personal beliefs
about whether a
behavior, action, or
decision is right or
wrong
ethical behavior
Behavior that
conforms to
generally accepted
social norms
unethical behavior
Behavior that does
not conform to
generally accepted
social norms
managerial ethics
Standards of
behavior that guide
individual managers
in their work
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 43
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managers might say that paying only the legal minimum is the right business practice,
while others might be inclined to pay a wage more attuned to local conditions (some-
times called a living wage).
Numerous ethical issues stem from how employees treat the organization, especially
in regard to conflicts of interest, secrecy and confidentiality, and honesty. A conflict of
interest occurs when an employee’s decision potentially benefits the individual to the
possible detriment of the organization. To guard against such practices, most companies
have policies that forbid their buyers from accepting gifts from suppliers. Divulging com-
pany secrets is also clearly unethical. Employees who work for businesses in highly
competitive industries—electronics, software, and fashion apparel, for example—might
be tempted to sell information about their companies’ plans to competitors. A third
area of concern is honesty in general. Relatively common problems in this area include
activities such as using a business telephone to make personal long-distance calls, visiting
and updating personal Facebook sites during work hours, stealing supplies, and padding
expense accounts. Although most employees are inherently honest, organizations must
nevertheless be vigilant to avoid problems with such behaviors.
Managerial ethics also comes into play in the relationship between the firm and its
employees with other economic agents. The primary agents of interest include custo-
mers, competitors, stockholders, suppliers, dealers, and unions. The behaviors between
the organization and these agents that may be subject to ethical ambiguity include adver-
tising and promotions, financial disclosures, ordering and purchasing, shipping and
solicitations, bargaining and negotiation, and other business relationships.
For example, state pharmacy boards are charged with overseeing prescription drug
safety in the United States. All told, almost 300 pharmacists serve on such boards. It
was recently reported that 72 of these pharmacists were employees of major drugstore
chains and supermarket pharmacies. These arrangements, while legal, could create the
potential for conflicts of interest because they might give the pharmacists’ employers
influence over the regulatory system designed to monitor their own business practices.13
Another recent area of concern involves financial reporting by various e-commerce
firms. Because of the complexities inherent in valuing the assets and revenues of these
firms, some of them have been very aggressive in presenting their financial position in
a highly positive light. And at least a few firms have substantially overstated their earn-
ings projections to entice more investment. Moreover, some of today’s accounting scan-
dals in traditional firms have stemmed from similarly questionable practices. For
example, Diamond Foods, a distributor of nuts and popcorn snacks, has had to restate
its earnings twice in the last two years after announcing it had improperly accounted for
$80 million in payments to almond growers.14
Hilton Hotels hired two senior executives away from rival Starwood Hotels. It was
later found that the executives took eight boxes of electronic and paper documents;
much of the material in the boxes related to plans and details related to how Starwood
had started its popular chain of W hotels. When Hilton announced plans to launch such
a brand itself, to be called Denizen Hotels, officials at Starwood became suspicious and
investigated. When they learned about the theft of confidential materials, which Hilton
subsequently returned, Starwood filed a lawsuit against Hilton.15
Managing Ethical Behavior Spurred partially by increased awareness of ethics
scandals in business and partially by a sense of enhanced corporate consciousness about
the distinction between ethical and unethical behaviors, many organizations have reem-
phasized ethical behavior on the part of employees. This emphasis takes many forms, but
any effort to enhance ethical behavior must begin with top management. It is top man-
agers, for example, who establish the organization’s culture and define what will and
44 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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what will not be acceptable behavior. Some companies have also started offering employ-
ees training in how to cope with ethical dilemmas. At Boeing, for example, line managers
lead training sessions for other employees, and the company has an ethics committee
that reports directly to the board of directors. The training sessions involve discussions
of different ethical dilemmas that employees might face and how managers might handle
those dilemmas. Chemical Bank, Halliburton, and Xerox also have ethics training pro-
grams for their managers. Still, issues continue to arise. For instance, one recent study
found an increase in the number of employees who called in sick when they were not,
in fact, ill but just wanted to have a day off.16
Organizations are also making greater efforts to formalize their ethical standards.
Some, such as General Mills and Johnson & Johnson, have prepared guidelines that
detail how employees are to treat suppliers, customers, competitors, and other constitu-
ents. Others, such as Whirlpool, Texas Instruments, and Hewlett-Packard, have devel-
oped formal codes of ethics—written statements of the values and ethical standards
that guide the firms’ actions. Of course, firms must adhere to such codes if they are to
be of value. In one now-infamous case, Enron’s board of directors voted to set aside the
firm’s code of ethics to implement a business plan that was in violation of that code.17
Of course, no code, guideline, or training program can truly substitute for the quality
of an individual’s personal judgment about what is right behavior and what is wrong
behavior in a particular situation. Such devices may prescribe what people should do,
but they often fail to help people understand and live with the consequences of their
choices. Making ethical choices may lead to very unpleasant outcomes—firing, rejection
by colleagues, and the forfeiture of monetary gain, to name a few. Thus, managers must
be prepared to confront their own conscience and weigh the options available when
making difficult ethical decisions.
Emerging Ethical Issues
Ethical scandals have become almost commonplace in today’s world. Ranging from busi-
ness and sports to politics and the entertainment industry, these scandals have rocked
stakeholder confidence and called into question the moral integrity of our society. At
the same time, most women and men today conduct themselves and their affairs in
accordance with high ethical standards. Hence, as we
summarize several emerging ethical issues in organiza-
tions, it is important to remember that one cannot
judge everyone by the transgressions of a few.
Ethical Leadership In recent years, the media have
been rife with stories about unscrupulous corporate lea-
ders. For every unethical senior manager, of course,
there are many highly ethical ones. But the actions of
such high-profile deposed executives as Mark Hurd
(Hewlett Packard), Dennis Kozlowski (Tyco), Kenneth
Lay (Enron), and Allen Stanford (Stanford Financial
Group) have substantially increased the scrutiny
directed at all executives. As a direct result, executives
everywhere are expected to exhibit nothing but the
strongest ethical conduct. This leadership, in turn, is
expected to help set the tone for the rest of the organi-
zation and to establish both norms and a culture that
reinforce the importance of ethical behavior.
J
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Ethical leadership has taken on increased importance in
recent years. One recent high-profile example involved an
executive named Mark Hurd. Hurd was appointed CEO of
Hewlett-Packard but was subsequently forced to resign
following allegations of sexual harassment.
codes of ethics
A formal, written
statement of the
values and ethical
standards that guide
a firm’s action
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 45
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The basic premise behind ethical leadership is that because leaders serve as role
models for others, their every action is subject to scrutiny. If a senior executive
exercises questionable judgment, this sends a signal to others that such actions are
acceptable. This signal may, in turn, be remembered by others when they face similar
situations. As a result, CEOs such as American Express’s Kenneth Chenault and
Costco’s James Sinegal are now being held up as the standard against which others
are being measured. The basic premise is that CEOs must set their company’s moral
tone by being honest and straightforward and by taking responsibility for any
shortcomings that are identified. To support this view, Congress passed the
Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, requiring CEOs and CFOs to vouch personally for
the truthfulness and fairness of their firms’ financial disclosures. The law also
imposes tough new measures to deter and punish corporate and accounting fraud
and corruption.
Corporate Governance A related area of emerging concern is ethical issues in cor-
porate governance. As discussed earlier in this chapter, the board of directors of a pub-
lic corporation is expected to ensure that the business is being properly managed and
that the decisions made by its senior management are in the best interests of share-
holders and other stakeholders. But many of the recent ethical scandals discussed
here actually started with a breakdown in the corporate governance structure. For
instance, World-Com’s board once approved a personal loan to the firm’s then-CEO,
Bernard Ebbers, for $366 million, even though there was little evidence that he could
repay it. And Tyco’s board approved a $20 million bonus for one of its own members
for helping with the acquisition of another firm. Boards of directors are also criticized
when they are seen as not being sufficiently independent from senior management.18
Only 4 of the 14 directors at McDonald’s are also members of the firm’s top manage-
ment team.
Ethics and Information Technology A final set of issues that has emerged in
recent times involves information technology. Among the specific focal points in this
area are individual rights to privacy and individuals’ potential abuse of information tech-
nology. Indeed, online privacy has become a hot topic as companies sort out the related
ethical and management issues. Both Facebook and Google have come under fire in
recent years when it was discovered that these firms were looking into ways to track peo-
ple’s movement as individuals logged into the sites.
One way management can address these concerns is to post a privacy policy on the
company website. The policy should explain exactly what data the company collects and
who gets to see the data. It should also allow people a choice about having their informa-
tion shared with others and indicate how people can opt out of data collection. Disney,
IBM, and other companies support this position by refusing to advertise on websites that
have no posted privacy policies.
In addition, companies can offer web surfers the opportunity to review and correct
information that has been collected, especially medical and financial data. In the offline
world, consumers are legally allowed to inspect their own credit and medical records. In
the online world, this kind of access can be costly and cumbersome because data are
often spread across several computer systems. Despite the technical difficulties, govern-
ment agencies are already working on Internet privacy guidelines, which means that
companies will need internal guidelines, training, and leadership to ensure that they are
in compliance.
Sarbanes–Oxley
Act of 2002
A law that requires
CEOs and CFOs to
vouch personally for
the truthfulness and
fairness of their
firms’ financial
disclosures and
imposes tough
new measures to
deter and punish
corporate
and accounting
fraud and corruption
46 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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Social Responsibility in Organizations
As we have seen in this chapter, ethics are associated with individuals and their decisions
and behaviors. Organizations themselves do not have ethics, but they relate to their
environments in ways that often involve ethical dilemmas and decisions. These situations
are generally referred to within the context of the organization’s social responsibility.
Specifically, social responsibility is the set of obligations an organization has to protect
and enhance the societal context in which it functions. Some of the more salient argu-
ments on both sides of this contemporary debate are summarized in Figure 2.2 and are
further explained in the following sections.
Arguments for Social Responsibility People who argue in favor of social responsibil-
ity claim that—because organizations create many of the problems that need to be
addressed, such as air and water pollution and resource depletion—organizations should
play a major role in solving them. The Sustainability Matters feature discusses one such
example. They also argue that, because corporations are legally defined entities with most
of the same privileges as private citizens, businesses should not try to avoid their obligations
as citizens. Advocates of social responsibility point out that, whereas governmental organiza-
tions have stretched their budgets to the limit, many large businesses often have surplus
revenues that could be used to help solve social problems. For example, Dell donates surplus
computers to schools, and many restaurants give leftover food to homeless shelters.
Arguments Against Social Responsibility Some people, however, including the
famous economist Milton Friedman, argue that widening the interpretation of social
responsibility will undermine the U.S. economy by detracting from the basic mission of
1. Business creates problems and
should therefore help solve them.
2. Corporations are citizens in our
society.
3. Business often has the resources
necessary to solve problems.
4. Business is a partner in our society,
along with the government and
the general population.
Social Responsibility
1. The purpose of business in U.S.
society is to generate profit
for owners.
2. Involvement in social programs
gives business too much power.
3. There is potential for conflicts
of interest.
4. Business lacks the expertise to
manage social programs.
Arguments for Social Responsibility Arguments against Social Responsibility
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 2.2
Arguments for and Against Social Responsibility
Although many people want everyone to see social responsibility as a desirable aim, in fact, several strong
arguments can be advanced both for and against social responsibility. Hence, organizations and their
managers should carefully assess their own values, beliefs, and priorities when deciding which stance and
approach to take regarding social responsibility.
social responsibility
The set of obligations
that an organization
has to protect and
enhance the societal
context in which it
functions
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 47
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business: to earn profits for owners. For example, money that Chevron or General
Electric contributes to social causes or charities is money that could otherwise be distrib-
uted to owners in the form of dividends. Shareholders of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade
Holdings once expressed outrage when the firm refused to accept a lucrative exporting
deal to Japan simply because the Japanese distributor did not have a strong social
agenda.19
Another objection to increasing the social responsibility of businesses reflects the
position that corporations already wield enormous power and that involvement in social
programs gives them even more power. Still another argument against social responsibil-
ity focuses on the potential for conflicts of interest. Suppose, for example, that one
manager is in charge of deciding which local social program or charity will receive a
large grant from her business. The local civic opera company (a not-for-profit organiza-
tion that relies on contributions for its existence) might offer her front-row tickets for
the upcoming season in exchange for her support. If opera is her favorite form of
music, she may be tempted to direct the money toward the local company when it
might be needed more in other areas.20
Finally, critics argue that organizations lack the expertise to understand how to assess
and make decisions about worthy social programs. How can a company truly know, they
ask, which cause or program is most deserving of its support or how money might best
be spent?
Managing Social Responsibility
The demands for social responsibility placed on contemporary organizations by an
increasingly sophisticated and educated public are probably stronger than ever. As we
have seen, there are pitfalls for managers who fail to adhere to high ethical standards
and for companies that try to circumvent their legal obligations. Organizations, therefore,
need to fashion an approach to social responsibility in the same way that they develop
any other business strategy. In other words, they should view social responsibility as a
major challenge that requires careful planning, decision making, consideration, and
evaluation. They may accomplish this through both formal and informal dimensions of
managing social responsibility.
Formal Organizational Dimensions Some dimensions of managing social respon-
sibility are formal and planned activities on the part of the organization. The formal
organizational dimensions through which businesses can manage social responsibility
include legal compliance, ethical compliance, and philanthropic giving.
Legal compliance is the extent to which the organization conforms to local, state, fed-
eral, and international laws. The task of managing legal compliance is generally assigned
to the appropriate functional managers. For example, the organization’s top human
resource executive is responsible for ensuring compliance with regulations concerning
hiring, pay, and workplace safety and health. Likewise, the top finance executive gener-
ally oversees compliance with securities and banking regulations. The organization’s legal
department is likely to contribute to this effort by providing general oversight and
answering queries from managers about the appropriate interpretation of laws and reg-
ulations. Unfortunately, though, legal compliance may not be enough—in some cases, for
instance, perfectly legal accounting practices have still resulted in deception and other
problems.21
Ethical compliance is the extent to which the organization’s members follow basic
ethical (and legal) standards of behavior. We noted earlier that organizations have
increased their efforts in this area—providing training in ethics and developing
guidelines and codes of conduct, for example. These activities serve as vehicles for
legal compliance
The extent to which
an organization
complies with local,
state, federal, and
international laws
ethical compliance
The extent to which
an organization and
its members follow
basic ethical
standards of
behavior
48 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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enhancing ethical compliance. Many organizations also establish formal ethics com-
mittees, which may be asked to review proposals for new projects, to help evaluate
new hiring strategies, or to assess a new environmental protection plan. They might
also serve as a peer review panel to evaluate alleged ethical misconduct by an
employee.22
SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
Greening the Business Environment: HP Keeps Itself
in the Recycling Loop
Hewlett-Packard (HP), which offers a comprehensive
product line of computer hardware, software, and
services, was one of the first companies to recycle
computer software and hardware products and com-
ponents. The project became a matter of sustained
companywide policy with the inception of HP Planet
Partners in 1991, and today HP proudly proclaims
that it’s “committed to providing customers with
inventive, high-quality products and services that
are environmentally sound and to conduct[ing] our
operations in an environmentally responsible
manner.” As “one of [the] guiding principles …
deeply ingrained in our values,” that commitment,
says HP, has become a legitimate reflection of the
firm’s overall culture.
How does Planet Partners work? First of all, HP
takes back discarded hardware and cartridges from
individual and business users. Cartridge recycling
has always been free, and since 2009, HP has
offered free recycling for any brand of computer
equipment (up to five items per customer). HP has
also expanded the Planet Partners print cartridge
return and recycling program under which users can
return HP ink and LaserJet toner cartridges directly
to HP or (using special postage-paid envelopes or
boxes) to authorized retail and recycling locations
such as Staples, the world’s largest office products
retailer.
Once they’re returned, cartridges enter the HP
Closed Loop System for Plastics Recycling—so-called
because plastic from discarded cartridges goes right
back into new cartridges. At facilities in Nashville and
Germany, the plastic (about 80 percent of an ink-jet
cartridge) is separated from electrical circuits, foam,
metal, and residual ink and shipped to a plant run by
the Lavergne Group, which makes plastic resins from
recycled material, in Montreal, Canada. There, it’s
mixed with other materials (including a lot of plastic-
bottle waste), and when the process is complete, the
new compound is ready to be used in the manufacture
of new cartridges. Since launching the closed-loop
system in 2005, HP has produced more than 500
million new cartridges, and at present the company’s
entire cartridge product line contains 60 percent
recycled materials.
It is no surprise that making cartridges is cheaper
with recycled materials than with virgin materials, but
its closed-loop recycling operations haven’t yet had
any positive effect on HP’s bottom line. In fact, the
Nashville facility operates as a cost center—it costs
money to run it but it doesn’t directly contribute to
profits. At the same time, of course, saving the envi-
ronment is not what HP does for a living, and few
people, either outside or inside HP, would argue
that its culture is inherently altruistic. HP has been
investing money in its recycling infrastructure for
decades, and that investment has paid off hand-
somely in lower production costs and a competitive
advantage in the secondary market for computer
equipment. HP has even turned “asset manage-
ment”—the process of protecting the data left on
discarded equipment—into a profitable customer
service operation.
References: Hewlett-Packard, “HP Planet Partners Recy-
cling,” “United States—Computer Hardware Recycling,”
“Product Reuse and Recycling,” “Environmental, Health and
Safety Policy,” www.hp.com, accessed on July 30, 2013;
Sarah Meyer, “How HP Does Green: Recycling Facility
Tour,” PrinterComparison.com, www.printercomparison.
com, accessed on July 30, 2013; Cora Nucci, “Inside HP’s
Ink Jet Cartridge Recycling Process,” InformationWeek,
www.informationweek.com, accessed on July 30, 2013;
Keith Kmetz, HP Shows Off Another Phase of Its “Closed
Loop” Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Process with a Tour of the
Lavergne Group Facility (Framingham, MA: IDC, April 2010),
www.hp.com, accessed on July 30, 2013; and Jim Mota-
valli, “See How Printer Cartridges Are Recycled,” The
Daily Green, http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/
green-living/the-daily-green, accessed on July 30, 2013.
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 49
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Finally, philanthropic giving is the awarding of funds or gifts to charities or other
worthy causes. Target routinely gives a share of pretax income to charity and social
programs. Omaha Steaks gives more than $100,000 per year to support the arts.23
Giving across national boundaries is also becoming more common. For example, Alcoa
gave $112,000 to a small town in Brazil to build a sewage treatment plant. And Japanese
firms such as Sony and Mitsubishi make contributions to many social programs in the
United States. However, in the current climate of cutbacks, many corporations have also
had to limit their charitable gifts over the past several years as they continue to trim their
own budgets.24 And many firms that continue to make contributions are increasingly
targeting them to programs or areas where the firm will get something in return. For
example, firms today are more likely than they were a few years ago to give money to
job-training programs rather than to the arts. The logic is that they get a more direct
payoff from the former type of contribution—in this instance, a better-trained workforce
from which to hire new employees.25 And, indeed, corporate donations to arts programs
declined 5 percent between 2003 and 2008, declined further during the recession, and
have generally remained flat since the economic recovery started in 2012.
Informal Organizational Dimensions In addition to these formal dimensions of
managing social responsibility, there are also informal ones. Leadership, organizational
culture, and how the organization responds to whistle-blowers all help shape and define
people’s perceptions of the organization’s stance on social responsibility.
Leadership practices and organizational culture can go a long way toward defining the
social responsibility stance an organization and its members will adopt.26 As described
earlier in this chapter, ethical leadership often sets the tone for the entire organization.
For example, Johnson & Johnson executives for years provided a consistent message to
employees that customers, employees, communities where the company did business,
and shareholders were all important—and primarily in that order. Thus, when packages
of poisoned Tylenol showed up on store shelves, Johnson & Johnson employees did not
need to wait for orders from headquarters to know what to do: They immediately pulled
all the packages from shelves before any other customers could buy them.27 From a dif-
ferent perspective, Walmart has recently been charged with bribing officials in other
countries in order to sidestep local regulations and expedite building permits for new
stores. Investigators allege that top managers, including then-CEO H. Lee Scott, knew
about these practices but did nothing to stop them.28
Whistle-blowing is an employee’s disclosure of illegal or unethical conduct by others
within the organization.29 How an organization responds to this practice often indicates
its values as they relate to social responsibility. Whistle-blowers may have to proceed
through a number of channels to be heard, and they may even get fired for their
efforts.30 Many organizations, however, welcome their contributions. A person who
observes questionable behavior typically first reports the incident to his or her boss. If
nothing is done, the whistle-blower may then inform higher-level managers or an ethics
committee, if one exists. Eventually, the person may have to go to a regulatory agency or
even the media to be heard. Harry Markopolos, a portfolio manager at Rampart Invest-
ments, spent nine years trying to convince the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) that a money management firm run by Bernard Madoff was falsifying the results
it was reporting to investors. Only when the U.S. economy went into recession in 2008
did the truth about Madoff come out.31 In response, the SEC announced plans to over-
haul its whistle-blowing system.32 More recently, Bradley Birkenfeld provided evidence
proving that Swiss banking giant UBS was evading corporate taxes. UBS eventually was
fined $780 million for its transgressions.33
philanthropic giving
Awarding funds or
gifts to charities or
other worthy causes
whistle-blowing
The disclosure, by an
employee, of illegal
or unethical conduct
on the part of others
within the
organization
50 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
OF MANAGEMENT
Another important competitive issue for managers today is the international environ-
ment. After describing recent trends in international business, we examine levels of inter-
nationalization and the international context of business.
Trends in International Business
The stage for today’s international business environment was set at the end of World
War II. Businesses in war-torn countries such as Germany and Japan had no choice
but to rebuild from scratch. Consequently, they had to rethink every facet of their opera-
tions, including technology, production, finance, and marketing. Although these coun-
tries took many years to recover, they eventually did so, and their economic systems
were subsequently poised for growth. During the same era, many U.S. companies grew
somewhat complacent. Their customer base was growing rapidly. Increased population,
spurred by the baby boom, and increased affluence resulting from the postwar economic
boom greatly raised the average person’s standard of living and expectations. The U.S.
public continually wanted new and better products and services. Many U.S. companies
profited greatly from this pattern, but most were also guilty of taking it for granted.
U.S. firms are no longer isolated from global competition or the global market. A few
simple numbers help tell the full story of international trade and industry. First of all, the
volume of international trade increased more than 1300 percent between 1960 and 2013.
Further, although 184 of the world’s largest corporations are headquartered in the
United States, there are also 34 in Japan, 24 in France, 23 in China, and 36 in Britain.34
Within certain industries, the preeminence of non-U.S. firms is even more striking. For
example, only three of the world’s ten largest banks and one of the largest electronics
companies are based in the United States. Only two of the ten largest chemical compa-
nies are U.S. firms. On the other hand, U.S. firms comprise seven of the nine largest
aerospace companies, three of the seven largest airlines, four of the ten largest informa-
tion technology companies, six of the seven largest diversified financial companies, and
six of the ten largest retailers.35
U.S. firms are also finding that international operations are an increasingly important
element of their sales and profits. For example, in 2012, ExxonMobil realized 67 percent
of its revenues and 61 percent of its profits abroad. For Avon, these percentages were
73 percent and 68 percent, respectively.36 Hollywood is also getting in on the act. The
Life of Pi grossed a healthy $124 million in the United States but then raked in another
$484 million abroad. Overseas markets are even more important when a film bombs
domestically. For example, Battleship cost $200 million to make and then earned a paltry
$65 million at the domestic box office. But $238 million in foreign sales pushed the
movie into the black.37 From any perspective, then, it is clear that we live in a truly
global economy. Virtually all businesses today must be concerned with the competitive
situations they face in lands far from home and with how companies from distant
lands are competing in their homelands.
Levels of International Business Activity
Firms can choose various levels of international business activity as they seek to gain a
competitive advantage in other countries. The general levels are exporting and import-
ing, licensing, strategic alliances, and direct investment. Table 2.1 summarizes the advan-
tages and disadvantages of each approach.
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 51
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Exporting and Importing Importing or exporting (or both) is usually the first type
of international business in which a firm gets involved. Exporting, or making a product
in the firm’s domestic marketplace and selling it in another country, can involve both
merchandise and services. Importing is bringing a good, service, or capital into the
home country from abroad. For example, automobiles (Mazda, Ford, Volkswagen,
Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari) and stereo equipment (Sony, Bang & Olufsen, and Sanyo)
are routinely exported by their manufacturers to other countries. Likewise, many wine
distributors buy products from vineyards in France, Italy, or the United States and
import them into their own country for resale. U.S. sports brands, such as team jerseys
and logo caps, have become one of the latest hot exports.38
When organizations decide to increase their level of internationalization, they can
adopt several strategies. Each strategy is a matter of degree, as opposed to being a dis-
crete and mutually exclusive category. And each has unique advantages that must be
considered.
Licensing A company may prefer to arrange for a foreign company to manufacture or
market its products under a licensing agreement. Factors leading to this decision may
include excessive transportation costs, government regulations, and home production
costs. Licensing is an arrangement whereby a firm allows another company to use its
brand name, trademark, technology, patent, copyright, or other assets. In return, the
licensee pays a royalty, usually based on sales. Franchising, a special form of licensing,
is also widely used in international business. Kirin Brewery, Japan’s largest producer of
beer, wanted to expand its international operations but feared that the time involved in
shipping it from Japan would cause the beer to lose its freshness. Thus, it has entered
Table 2.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Different
Approaches to Internationalization
Approach to
Internationalization Advantages Disadvantages
Importing or exporting 1. Small cash outlay
2. Little risk
3. No adaptation
necessary
1. Tariffs and taxes
2. High transportation
costs
3. Government
restrictions
Licensing 1. Increased
profitability
2. Extended profitability
1. Inflexibility
2. Competition
Strategic alliances
or joint ventures
1. Quick market entry
2. Access to materials
and technology
1. Shared ownership
(limits control and
profits)
Direct Investment 1. Enhanced control
2. Existing
infrastructure
1. Complexity
2. Greater economic and
political risk
3. Greater uncertainty
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
When organizations
decide to increase
their level of interna-
tionalization, they
can adopt several
strategies. Each
strategy is a matter
of degree, as
opposed to being
a discrete and
mutually exclusive
category. And each
has unique advan-
tages that must be
considered.
exporting
Making a product in
the firm’s domestic
marketplace and
selling it in another
country
importing
Bringing a good,
service, or capital
into the home
country from abroad
licensing
An arrangement
whereby one
company allows
another company to
use its brand name,
trademark,
technology, patent,
copyright, or other
assets in exchange
for a royalty based
on sales
52 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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into a number of licensing arrangements with breweries in other markets. These brewers
make beer according to strict guidelines provided by the Japanese firm and then package
and market it as Kirin Beer. They pay a royalty to Kirin for each case sold. Molson pro-
duces Kirin in Canada under such an agreement, and the Charles Wells Brewery does
the same in England.39
Strategic Alliances In a strategic alliance, two or more firms jointly cooperate for
mutual gain.40 For example, Unisys and Oracle have a strategic alliance that provides
customers with the service and technology of Unisys and the enterprise software of
Oracle. A joint venture is special type of strategic alliance in which the partners actually
share ownership of a new enterprise. Strategic alliances have enjoyed a tremendous
upsurge in the past few years.
Direct Investment Another level of commitment to internationalization is direct
investment. Direct investment occurs when a firm headquartered in one country builds
or purchases operating facilities or subsidiaries in a foreign country. The foreign opera-
tions then become wholly owned subsidiaries of the firm. Examples include British Pet-
roleum’s acquisition of Amoco, Dell Computer’s massive factory in China, and the
newest Disney theme park in Hong Kong. Coca-Cola recently invested $150 million to
build a new bottling and distribution network in India. Similarly, PepsiCo paid $4 2 billion
for a Russian yogurt company.41 Many U.S. firms use maquiladoras for the same purpose.
Maquiladoras are light assembly plants built in Northern Mexico close to the U.S. border.
The plants are given special tax breaks by the Mexican government, and the area is
populated with workers willing to work for low wages.
The Context of International Business
Managers involved in international business should also be aware of the cultural envi-
ronment, controls on international trade, the importance of economic communities,
and the role of the GATT and WTO.
The Cultural Environment One significant contextual challenge for the interna-
tional manager is the cultural environment and how it affects business. A country’s cul-
ture includes all the values, symbols, beliefs, and language that guide behavior. Cultural
values and beliefs are often unspoken; they may even be taken for granted by those who
live in a particular country. Cultural factors do not necessarily cause problems for man-
agers when the cultures of two countries are similar. Difficulties can arise, however,
when there is little overlap between a manager’s home culture and the culture of the
country in which business is to be conducted. For example, most U.S. managers find
the culture and traditions of England relatively familiar. The people of both countries
speak the same language and share strong historical roots, and there is a history of
strong commerce between the two countries. When U.S. managers begin operations in
Vietnam, the People’s Republic of China, or the Middle East, however, many of those
commonalities disappear.
Cultural differences between countries can have a direct impact on business practice.
For example, the religion of Islam teaches that people should not make a living by
exploiting the misfortune of others; as a result, charging interest is seen as immoral.
This means that in Saudi Arabia, few businesses provide towing services to transport
stalled cars to a repair shop (because doing so would be capitalizing on misfortune),
and in the Sudan, banks cannot pay or charge interest. Given these cultural and religious
constraints, those two businesses—automobile towing and banking—seem to hold little
promise for international managers in those particular countries!
strategic alliance
A cooperative
arrangement
between two or more
firms for mutual gain
joint venture
A special type of
strategic alliance in
which the partners
share in the
ownership of an
operation on an
equity basis
direct investment
When a firm builds or
purchases operating
facilities or
subsidiaries in a
different country
from the one where it
has its headquarters
maquiladoras
Light assembly
plants that are built
in Northern Mexico
close to the U.S.
border and are given
special tax breaks by
the Mexican
government
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 53
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Some cultural differences between countries can be even more subtle and yet have a
major impact on business activities. For example, in the United States, most managers
clearly agree about the value of time. Most U.S. managers schedule their activities very
tightly and then try hard to adhere to their schedules. Other cultures do not put such a
premium on time. In the Middle East, managers do not like to set appointments, and
they rarely keep appointments set too far into the future. U.S. managers interacting
with managers from the Middle East might misinterpret the late arrival of a potential
business partner as a negotiation ploy or an insult, when it is merely a simple reflection
of different views of time and its value.42
Language itself can be an important factor. Beyond the obvious and clear barriers
posed when people speak different languages, subtle differences in meaning can also
play a major role. For example, Imperial Oil of Canada markets gasoline under the
brand name Esso. When the firm tried to sell its gasoline in Japan, it learned that esso
means “stalled car” in Japanese. Likewise, when Chevrolet first introduced a U.S. model
called the Nova in Latin America, General Motors executives could not understand why
the car sold poorly. They eventually learned, though, that, in Spanish, no va means, “It
doesn’t go.” The color green is used extensively in Muslim countries, but it signifies
death in some other lands. The color associated with femininity in the United States is
pink, but in many other countries yellow is the most feminine color. And when Disney
was initially promoting its new theme park in Hong Kong, its print ads featured a family
consisting of two parents and two children, failing to consider that the Chinese govern-
ment limits most families to a single child. As a result, people who saw the ad were con-
fused until Disney relaunched the campaign to show parents and a single child visiting
the park.43
Controls on International Trade Another element of the international context
that managers need to consider is the extent to which there are controls on interna-
tional trade. These controls include tariffs, quotas, export restraint agreements, and
“buy national” laws. A tariff is a tax collected on goods shipped across national
boundaries. Tariffs can be collected by the exporting country, by countries through
which goods pass, or by the importing country. Import tariffs, which are the most
common, can be levied to protect domestic companies by increasing the cost of foreign
goods. Japan charges U.S. tobacco producers a tariff on cigarettes imported into Japan
as a way to keep their prices higher than the prices charged by domestic firms. Tariffs
can also be levied, usually by less developed countries, to raise money for the
government.
Quotas are the most common form of trade restriction. A quota is a limit on the
number or value of goods that can be traded. The quota amount is typically designed
to ensure that domestic competitors will be able to maintain a certain market share.
Honda is allowed to import 425,000 autos each year into the United States. This quota
is one reason Honda opened manufacturing facilities here. The quota applies to cars
imported into the United States, but the company can produce as many other cars
within U.S. borders as it wants; such cars are not considered imports. Export restraint
agreements are designed to convince other governments to limit voluntarily the volume
or value of goods exported to or imported from a particular country. They are, in effect,
export quotas. Japanese steel producers voluntarily limit the amount of steel they send to
the United States each year.
“Buy national” legislation gives preference to domestic producers through content or
price restrictions. Several countries have this type of legislation. Brazil requires that Bra-
zilian companies purchase only Brazilian-made computers. The United States requires
that the Department of Defense purchase military uniforms manufactured only in the
tariff
A tax collected on
goods shipped
across national
boundaries
quota
A limit on the
number or value of
goods that can be
traded
export restraint
agreements
Accords reached by
governmentsinwhich
countries voluntarily
limit the volume or
value of goods they
export to or import
from one another
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United States, even though the price of foreign uniforms would be only half as much.
Mexico requires that 50 percent of the parts of cars sold in Mexico be manufactured
inside its own borders.
Economic Communities Just as government policies can either increase or decrease
the political risk that international managers face, trade relations between countries can
either help or hinder international business. Relations dictated by quotas, tariffs, and so
forth can hurt international trade. There is currently a strong movement around the
world to reduce many of these barriers. This movement takes its most obvious form in
international economic communities.
An international economic community is a set of countries that agree to markedly
reduce or eliminate trade barriers among member nations. The first (and in many ways
still the most important) of these economic communities is the European Union. The
European Union (or EU, as it is often called) can be traced to 1957 when Belgium,
France, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Rome
to promote economic integration. Between 1973 and 1986, these countries were joined
by Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, and Portugal, and the group
became known first as the European Committee and then as the European Union. Austria,
Finland, and Sweden joined the EU in 1995; 12 additional countries (mostly from the for-
merly communist-controlled Eastern European region) joined between 2004 and 2007,
bringing the EU’s membership to 27 countries. For years, these countries have followed a
basic plan that led to the systematic elimination of most trade barriers. The new market
system achieved significantly more potential when most of the EU members eliminated
their home currencies (such as French francs and Italian lira) beginning on January 1,
2002, and adopted a new common currency called the euro.
G
re
g
S
m
it
h
/C
o
rb
is
Most countries impose controls on international trade. These U.S. Customs Inspectors in El Paso,
Texas, are verifying that proper tariffs were paid on merchandise being exported from Mexico into
the United States.
European Union (EU)
The first and most
important
international market
system
economic
community
A set of countries
that agree to
markedly reduce or
eliminate trade
barriers among
member nations (a
formalized market
system)
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 55
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Another important economic community encompasses the United States, Canada,
and Mexico. These countries have long been major trading partners with one another;
more than 80 percent of Mexico’s exports go to the United States, and more than 65 percent
of Mexico’s imports come from the United States. During the last several years, these
countries have negotiated a variety of agreements to make trade even easier. The most
important of these, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), eliminates
many of the trade barriers—such as quotas and tariffs—that existed previously.44
The Role of the GATT and WTO The context of international business is also
increasingly being influenced by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The GATT was first negotiated fol-
lowing World War II in an effort to avoid trade wars that would benefit rich nations and
harm poorer ones. Essentially, the GATT is a trade agreement intended to promote
international trade by reducing trade barriers and making it easier for all nations to com-
pete in international markets. The GATT was a major stimulus to international trade
after it was first ratified in 1948 by 23 countries; by 1994, a total of 117 countries had
signed the agreement.
One key component of the GATT was the identification of the so-called most favored
nation (MFN) principle. This provision stipulates that if a country extends preferential
treatment to any other nation that has signed the agreement, then that preferential treat-
ment must be extended to all signatories to the agreement. Members can extend such
treatment to nonsignatories as well, but they are not required to do so.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) came into existence on January 1, 1995. The
WTO replaced the GATT and absorbed its mission. The WTO is headquartered in
Geneva, Switzerland, and currently includes 140 member nations and 32 observer coun-
tries. Members are required to open their markets to international trade and to follow
WTO rules. The WTO has three basic goals:
1. To promote trade flows by encouraging nations to adopt nondiscriminatory and
predictable trade policies
2. To reduce remaining trade barriers through multilateral negotiations
3. To establish impartial procedures for resolving trade disputes among its members
The WTO is certain to continue to play a major role in the evolution of the global
economy. At the same time, it has also become a lightning rod for protesters and other
activists, who argue that the WTO focuses too narrowly on globalization issues to the
detriment of human rights and the environment.
THE ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE
As we noted earlier in this chapter, an especially important part of an organization’s
internal environment is its culture. Organizational culture is the set of values, beliefs,
behaviors, customs, and attitudes that helps the organization’s members understand
what it stands for, how it does things, and what it considers important.45
The Importance of Organizational Culture
Culture determines the organization’s “feel.” A strong and clear culture can play an
important role in the competitiveness of a business. At the same time, though, there is
no universal culture that will help all organizations. The stereotypic image of Microsoft,
for example, is that of a workplace where people dress very casually and work very long
hours. In contrast, the image of Bank of America for some observers is that of a formal
Organizational
Culture
The set of values,
beliefs, behaviors,
customs, and
attitudes that helps
the organization’s
members
understand what it
stands for, how it
does things, and
what it considers
important
North American
Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)
An agreement
among the United
States, Canada, and
Mexico to promote
trade with one
another
General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT)
A trade agreement
intended to promote
international trade
by reducing trade
barriers and making
it easier for all
nations to compete
in international
markets
World Trade
Organization (WTO)
An organization,
which currently
includes 140
member nations and
32 observer
countries, that
requires members to
open their markets to
international trade
and to follow WTO
rules
56 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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setting with rigid work rules and people dressed in conservative business attire. And
Texas Instruments likes to talk about its “shirtsleeve” culture, in which ties are avoided
and few managers even wear jackets. Southwest Airlines maintains a culture that stresses
fun and excitement.
Of course, the same culture is not necessarily found throughout an entire organization.
For example, the sales and marketing department may have a culture quite different from
that of the operations and manufacturing department. Regardless of its nature, however,
culture is a powerful force in organizations, one that can shape the firm’s overall effective-
ness and long-term success. Companies that can develop and maintain a strong culture,
such as Starbucks and Procter & Gamble, tend to be more effective than companies that
have trouble developing and maintaining a strong culture, such as Kmart.46
Determinants of Organizational Culture
Where does an organization’s culture come from? Typically, it develops and blossoms
over a long period of time. Its starting point is often the organization’s founder. For
example, James Cash Penney believed in treating employees and customers with respect
and dignity. Employees at J. C. Penney are still called associates rather than employees
(to reflect partnership), and customer satisfaction is of paramount importance. The
impact of Sam Walton, Ross Perot, and Walt Disney is still felt in the organizations
they founded.47 As an organization grows, its culture is modified, shaped, and refined
by symbols, stories, heroes, slogans, and ceremonies. Many decisions at Walt Disney
Company today are still framed by asking, “What would Walt have done?”
Corporate success and shared experiences also shape culture. For example, Hallmark
Cards has a strong culture derived from its years of success in the greeting card industry.
Employees speak of “the Hallmark family” and care deeply about the company; many
have worked there for years. At Kmart, in contrast, the culture is quite weak, the
management team changes rapidly, and few people sense any direction or purpose in
the company. The differences in culture at Hallmark and Kmart are in part attributable
to past successes and shared experiences.
Managing Organizational Culture
How can managers deal with culture, given its clear importance but intangible nature?
Essentially, the manager must understand the current culture and then decide whether
it should be maintained or changed. By understanding the organization’s current culture,
managers can take appropriate actions. Culture can also be maintained by rewarding
and promoting people whose behaviors are consistent with the existing culture and by
articulating the culture through slogans, ceremonies, and so forth.
Managers must walk a fine line, however, between maintaining a culture that still
works effectively and changing a culture that has become dysfunctional. For example,
many of the firms already noted, as well as numerous others, take pride in perpetuating
their culture. Shell Oil, for example, has an elaborate display in the lobby of its Houston
headquarters that tells the story of the firm’s past. But other companies may face situa-
tions in which their culture is no longer a strength. For example, some critics feel that
General Motors’ culture places too much emphasis on product development and internal
competition among divisions, and not enough on marketing and competition with other
firms. They even argue that this culture was a major contributing factor in the business
crisis that GM faced in 2009.
Culture problems sometimes arise from mergers or the growth of rival factions within
an organization. For example, Delta recently merged with Northwest Airlines. Combin-
ing the two companies led to numerous cases of conflict and operational difficulties
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 57
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because the cultures of the two firms were so different.48 To change culture, managers
must have a clear idea of what they want to create. When United and Continental
Airlines merged, top managers stressed that they wanted the new firm to personify
Continental’s employee-friendly culture and avoid the old United culture that was
fraught with hostility and mistrust between management and labor.49
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AND KEY POINTS
1. Discuss the nature of an organization’s environ-
ments, and identify and describe the components
of its general, task, and internal environments.
• Managers need to have a thorough under-
standing of the environment in which they
operate and compete. The general environment
consists of the economy, technology, and the
political–legal climate. The task environment
consists of competitors, customers, suppliers,
strategic partners, and regulators.
• The internal environment consists of the
organization’s owners, board of directors,
employees, physical environment, and culture.
Owners are those who have claims on the
property rights of the organization. The board of
directors, elected by stockholders, is responsible
for overseeing a firm’s top managers. Individual
employees are other important parts of the
internal environment. The physical environ-
ment, yet another part of the internal environ-
ment, varies greatly across organizations.
2. Describe the ethical and social environment
of management, including individual ethics, the
concept of social responsibility, and how
organizations can manage social responsibility.
• The ethical and social environment of
management is also quite important. Under-
standing the differences between ethical and
unethical behavior, as well as appreciating the
special nature of managerial ethics, can help
guide effective decision making. Understanding
the meaning of and arguments for and against
social responsibility can help a manager
effectively address both the formal and informal
dimensions of social responsibility.
3. Discuss the international environment of man-
agement, including trends in international
business, levels of international business activities,
and the context of international business.
• The international environment of management
can be a crucial one. Current trends have
resulted in the increasing globalization of mar-
kets, industries, and businesses. Organizations
seeking to become more international can rely
on importing, exporting, licensing (including
franchising), strategic alliances, and direct
investment to do so. National culture, controls
on international trade, economic communities,
and the WTO combine to determine the
context of international business.
4. Describe the importance and determinants of an
organization’s culture, as well as how organiza-
tional culture can be managed.
• Organizational culture is the set of values, beliefs,
behaviors, customs, and attitudes that helps the
organization’s members understand what it
stands for, how it does things, and what it
considers important. Organizational culture is an
important environmental concern for managers.
Managers must understand that culture is a key
determinant of how well their organization will
perform. Culture can be assessed and managed
in a number of different ways.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Questions for Review
1. Identify and discuss each major dimension of the
general environment and the task environment.
2. Do organizations have ethics? Why or why not?
3. What are the arguments for and against social
responsibility on the part of businesses? In your
opinion, which set of arguments is more
compelling?
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4. Describe the basic levels of international business
involvement. Why might a firm use more than one
level at the same time?
5. Describe various barriers to international trade.
Why do such barriers exist?
Questions for Analysis
1. Can you think of dimensions of the task environ-
ment that are not discussed in this chapter?
Indicate their linkages to those that are discussed.
2. What is the relationship between the law and ethi-
cal behavior? Can a behavior be ethical but illegal
at the same time?
3. What is your opinion of whistle-blowing? If you
were aware of criminal activity in your organiza-
tion but knew that reporting it would probably
cost you your job, what would you do?
4. What industries do you think will feel the greatest
impact of international business in the future? Will
some industries remain relatively unaffected by
globalization? If so, which ones? If not, explain
why not.
5. What is the culture of your college, university,
or place of employment? How clear is it? What
are its most positive and its most negative
characteristics?
BUILDING EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Interpersonal skills reflect the manager’s ability to com-
municate with, understand, and motivate individuals
and groups. Managers in international organizations
must understand how cultural manners and norms
affect communication with people in different parts of
the world. Similarly, as organizations become more
diverse, it is also important to understand the roles
that various forms of diversity play in the development
of interpersonal skills.
Exercise Background
Managers spend a lot of their time working with
others. These other individuals may be supervisors,
subordinates, team members, or peers and colleagues.
They may also be as close as the next office or on the
other side of the planet. To interact with such a diverse
set of people effectively, you must first develop an
awareness of and sensitivity to people from other
parts of the world and to people different from
yourself.
Exercise Task
A list of five scenarios involving people communicat-
ing with others on work-related matters follows.
Your first task, working alone, is to rank these
scenarios in order of the likelihood of interaction
difficulties. Rank the scenario that seems to have
the lowest likelihood of difficulty as number 1 (for
example, all else equal, interactions between two
white males from the same home town and of the
same age and similar interests will not likely be dif-
ficult). Rank the scenario with the highest likelihood
of difficulty as number 5 (for example, an employee
with racial prejudices interacting with someone of a
different race might have a higher likelihood of
interpersonal difficulty).
Young U.S. female manager meeting with
older female manager from Mexico
German and French colleagues exchanging
e-mails about a new project
Skype call involving a male Jordanian man-
ager, a female Australian manager, and a male Israeli
manager
Telephone conference call between a young
Indian male manager and an older Chinese male
manager
A face-to-face committee meeting with five
people of the same gender from Indonesia, Russia,
Canada, Pakistan, and Israel
After you have finished your ranking, form small
groups of three to five people and compare your rank-
ings. Discuss the similarities and differences. Try to
identify the relative impact of global differences, other
differences, and technology.
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 59
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BUILDING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Communication skills consist of a manager’s ability to
effectively receive information and ideas from others
and to effectively convey information and ideas to
others. This exercise will help you develop your com-
munication skills while also helping you understand
the importance of knowing the customer segments in
an organization’s task environment.
Exercise Background
Assume that you are a newly hired middle manager in
the marketing department of a large food manufac-
turer. You have just completed your formal study of
management and are excited about the opportunity to
apply some of those theories to the real-life problems of
your firm. One problem in particular intrigues you.
Your boss, the marketing vice president, recently devel-
oped a consumer survey to solicit feedback about pro-
ducts from customers. The feedback the firm has
received varies considerably, ranging from 2 to 5 on a
scale from 1 to 5, which gives your firm no helpful
data. In addition, sales of your company’s products
have been slowly but steadily declining over time, and
the marketing department is under some pressure from
upper management to determine why.
You have an idea that the survey is not an accurate
reflection of consumer preferences, so you make a
suggestion to your boss: “Why don’t we gather some
information about our customers, in order to under-
stand their needs better? For example, our products
are purchased by individual consumers, schools, res-
taurants, and other organizations. Maybe each type of
consumer wants something different from our
product.” Your boss’s response is to stare at you, per-
plexed, and say, “No. We’re not changing anything
about the survey.” When you ask, “Why?” the boss
responds that the product has been a bestseller for
years, that “good quality is good quality,” and thus
that all customers must want the same thing. He
then says, “I’ll spare you the embarrassment of failure
by refusing your request.”
Exercise Task
1. With this background in mind, compose a written
proposal for your boss, outlining your position. Be
sure to emphasize your fundamental concern—
that the marketing department must understand
the needs of each customer segment better in
order to provide products that meet those needs.
Consider ways to persuade your boss to change his
mind. (Hint: Telling him bluntly that he is wrong
is unlikely to be effective.)
2. On the basis of what you wrote in response to
Exercise Task 1, do you think your boss will
change his mind? If yes, exactly what will persuade
him to change his mind? If no, what other actions
could you take in a further effort to have your
ideas adopted by the firm?
SKILLS SELF-ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT
Global Awareness
Introduction: As we have noted, the environment of
business is becoming more global. The following
assessment is designed to help you determine your
readiness to respond to managing in a global context.
Instructions: You will agree with some of the follow-
ing statements and disagree with others. In some cases,
you may find it difficult to make a decision, but you
should force yourself to make a choice. Record your
answers next to each statement according to the follow-
ing scale:
4 Strongly agree
3 Somewhat agree
2 Somewhat disagree
1 Strongly disagree
_______ 1. Some areas of Switzerland are very much
like Italy.
_______ 2. Although aspects of behavior such as
motivation and attitudes within organi-
zational settings remain quite diverse
across cultures, organizations them-
selves appear to be increasingly similar
in terms of design and technology.
_______ 3. Spain, France, Japan, Singapore, Mexico,
Brazil, and Indonesia have cultures
with a strong orientation toward
authority.
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_______ 4. Japan and Austria define male and female
roles more rigidly and value qualities such
as forcefulness and achievement more
than do Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and
Finland.
_______ 5. Some areas of Switzerland are very much
like France.
_______ 6. Australia, Great Britain, the Netherlands,
Canada, and New Zealand have cultures
that view people first as individuals and
place a high priority on their own inter-
ests and values, whereas Colombia,
Pakistan, Taiwan, Peru, Singapore,
Mexico, Greece, and Hong Kong have cul-
tures in which the good of the group or of
society is considered of greatest importance.
_______ 7. The United States, Israel, Austria,
Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Germany,
and New Zealand have cultures with a
low orientation toward authority.
_______ 8. The same manager may behave differ-
ently in different cultural settings.
_______ 9. Denmark, Canada, Norway, Singapore,
Hong Kong, and Australia have cultures
in which employees tolerate a great deal
of uncertainty, but such high levels of
uncertainty are not well tolerated in
Israel, Austria, Japan, Italy, Argentina,
Peru, France, and Belgium.
_______ 10. Some areas of Switzerland are very much
like Germany.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE
Assessing Organizational Culture
Purpose: While organizational culture is intangi-
ble, it is not difficult to observe. This activity will
help you improve your skills in observing and inter-
preting organizational culture, which can help make
you a more effective participant and leader in
organizations.
Introduction: Clues to organizational culture may
be found by observing details that relate to member
behavior, traditions or customs, stories, attitudes,
values, communication patterns, organizational struc-
ture, employee dress and appearance, and even office
space arrangements. Do members address each other
by first names? Are office doors left open or closed?
What do members wear? How are achievements recog-
nized? Does the workplace feel energized or laid-back?
Do members smile and laugh often? Does seniority or
expertise earn more respect?
Instructions: First, observe clues to organizational
behavior at your school, college, or university. To the
extent possible, observe a diversity of members, includ-
ing students, teaching faculty, and nonteaching staff.
Write down specific examples. For example, students
typically wear blue jeans, while instructors usually
wear suits. In the cafeteria, freshmen sit mainly with
other freshmen. A professor may be referred to as
“Doctor” by staff, while she may refer to staff by their
first names.
Second, interpret the facts. Use your observations to
describe the organization’s core values. What does it
value most? How did you come to that conclusion?
Third, with the class or in small groups, discuss
your facts and interpretations. Focus especially on
areas of disagreement. Where individuals disagree
about the culture, try to understand why the dis-
agreement occurs. If the facts differ, perhaps the
individuals observed two different groups. For exam-
ple, students majoring in business may be different
from students in engineering or education. Or perhaps
the organizational culture tolerates or encourages lots
of differences. If there is agreement on facts but inter-
pretations differ, then perhaps the individuals making
the interpretations can explore their differing
perceptions.
MANAGEMENT AT WORK
Is Fair Trade a Fair Trade-Off?
Do you know where chocolate comes from? It comes
from cocoa, which is produced by roasting and grind-
ing the almond-sized beans that grow on cacao trees.
More than 40 percent of the world’s cacao-bean supply
comes from small farms scattered throughout the West
African nation of Ivory Coast, which may ship as much
as 47,000 tons per month to the United States.
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 61
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According to reports issued at the end of the 1990s by
the United Nations Children’s Fund and the U.S. State
Department, much of the labor involved in Ivory Coast
cocoa production is performed by children, chiefly
boys ranging in age from 12 to 16. Most of them
have been tricked or sold into forced labor—slavery—
many by destitute parents unable to feed them.
How did enslaving children become business as
usual in the Ivory Coast cocoa industry? Because fully
one-third of the country’s economy is based on cocoa
exports, Ivory Coast is heavily dependent on world
market prices for cocoa. Unfortunately, cocoa is an
extremely unstable commodity—global prices fluctuate
significantly. Profitability in the industry, therefore,
depends on prices over which farmers have no control.
This problem is compounded by unpredictable natural
conditions, such as drought, over which they also have
no control. To improve their chances of making a
profit, they look for ways to cut costs, and the use of
slave labor is the most effective money-saving measure.
This is where the idea of “fair trade” comes in. Fair
trade refers to programs designed to ensure that
export-dependent farmers in developing countries
receive fair prices for their crops. Several such
programs are sponsored by Fairtrade Labelling Organi-
zations International (FLO), a global nonprofit network
of fair-trade groups headquartered in Germany. Here’s
how it works: FLO partners with cooperatives repre-
senting cocoa producers in Africa and Latin America
to establish certain standards, not only for the produ-
cers’ products but also for their operations and socially
relevant policies (such as enforcing anti–child labor
laws and providing education and healthcare services).
In return, FLO guarantees producers a “Fairtrade
Minimum Price” for their products. Since 2007, FLO
has guaranteed cocoa farmers a price of $1,750 per
ton. If the market price falls below that level, FLO guar-
antees the difference. If the market price tops $1,750,
FLO pays producers a premium of $150 per ton.
Where does the money come from? The cost is
borne by the importers, manufacturers, and distribu-
tors who buy and sell cocoa from FLO-certified produ-
cers. These companies are in turn monitored by a
network of FLO-owned organizations called TransFair,
which ensures that FLO criteria are met and that FLO-
certified producers receive the fair prices guaranteed by
FLO.
What incentive encourages importers, manufacturers,
and distributors not only to adopt FLO-TransFair stan-
dards but also to bear the costs of subsidizing overseas
producers? They get the right to promote their chocolate
products not only as “fair-trade” but also, often, as
“organic” products—both of these categories typi-
cally command premium retail prices. In fact,
organic fair-trade chocolate products are priced in
the same range as luxury chocolates, but consumers
appear to be willing to pay the relatively high asking
prices—not only for organic products but also for all
kinds of chocolate products bearing the “Fair Trade
Certified™” label. TransFair USA Chief Executive
Paul Rice explains that when consumers know
they’re supporting programs to empower farmers in
developing countries, sellers and resellers can charge
“dramatically higher prices, often two to three times
higher.” Consumers, he says, “put their money where
their mouth is and pay a little more.”
A 3.5-ounce candy bar labeled “organic fair trade”
may sell for $3 49, compared to about $1 50 for one
that’s not. Why so much? Because the fair-trade
candy bar, says TransFair USA spokesperson Nicole
Chettero, still occupies a niche market. She predicts,
however, that, “as the demand and volume of Fair
Trade–certified products increase, the market will
work itself out… . [R]etailers will naturally start to
drop prices to remain competitive.” Ultimately, she
concludes, “there is no reason why fair-trade [pro-
ducts] should cost astronomically more than tradi-
tional products.”
Some critics of fair-trade practices and prices agree
in principle but contend that consumers don’t need to
be paying such excessive prices even under current
market conditions. They point out that, according to
TransFair’s own data, cocoa farmers get only 3 cents
of the $3 49 that a socially conscious consumer pays
for a Fair Trade–certified candy bar. “Farmers often
receive very little,” reports consumer researcher Lawr-
ence Solomon. “Often fair trade is sold at a premium,”
he charges, “but the entire premium goes to the
middlemen.”
Critics like Solomon suggest that sellers of fair-
trade products are taking advantage of consumers
who are socially but not particularly price conscious.
They point out that if sellers priced that $3 49 candy
bar at $2 49, farmers would still be entitled to 3 cents.
The price, they allege, is inflated to $3 49 simply
because there’s a small segment of the market willing
pay it (while farmers still get only 3 cents). Fair-trade
programs, advises English economist Tim Harford,
“make a promise that the producers will get a good
deal. They do not promise that the consumer will
get a good deal. That’s up to you as a savvy
shopper.”
62 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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Case Questions
1. How does the environment affect fair trade?
2. What are the trade-offs in the fair-trade process?
Do you think that fair trade promotes fair trade-
offs? Why or why not?
3. Do you pay attention to fair-trade products in
your own purchasing behavior? For what kind of
products might you be willing to pay premium
prices?
4. Under what circumstances might fair trade actu-
ally cause harm? To whom? At what point
would fair-trade trade-offs no longer be
acceptable?
Case References
“Enjoy Those Chocolate Hearts While You Can,”
Bloomberg Businessweek, February 11–February
17, 2013, p. 19; Rodney North, “VDay’s
Dark Side,” Equal Exchange, February 2010,
www.equalexchange.coop, accessed on July 30,
2013; “Cocoa’s Bitter Child Labour Ties,” BBC News,
February 24, 2010, http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk,
accessed on July 30, 2013; Bill Baue, “Abolishing
Child Labor on West African Cocoa Farms,” Social
Funds, April 24, 2008, www.socialfunds.com,
accessed on July 30, 2013; Fairtrade International,
“Our Vision,” “Aims of Fairtrade Standards,”
“Cocoa,” 2010, www.fairtrade.net, accessed on July
30, 2013; TransFair USA, “What Is Fair Trade?”
“Cocoa,” 2010, fairtradeusa.org, accessed on July
30, 2013; Leslie Josephs, “Selling Candy with a Con-
science,” Wall Street Journal, December 24, 2010,
http://online.wsj.com, accessed on July 30, 2013;
and Jennifer Alsever, “Fair Prices for Farmers:
Simple Idea, Complex Reality,” New York Times,
March 19, 2006, www.nytimes.com, accessed on
July 30, 2013.
You Make the Call
Social Entrepreneurship at Its Finest
1. What environmental events and forces have led to
the existence of organizations such as Mercy
Corps?
2. In what ways does Mercy Corps interact with its
environment in order to fulfill its mission?
3. Discuss how the economic, global, and ethical
environments interact with respect to an organiza-
tion like Mercy Corps.
4. If you were asked to critique Mercy Corps in terms
of effectiveness, what factors would you focus on?
ENDNOTES
1 Mercy Corps, “What We’re Doing in Haiti,” January 23, 2010,
www.mercycorps.org accessed on July 30, 2013; Mercy Corps,
“Our History,” 2012, www.mercycorps.org accessed on July 30,
2013; Roger Burks, “Change Brewing in the Tea Lands,” Mercy
Corps, April 9, 2008, www.mercycorps.org accessed on July 30,
2013; Mercy Corps, “Sudan,” 2012, www.mercycorps.org
accessed on July 30, 2013; Mercy Corps Indonesia, 2012, http://
www.mercycorps.org/indonesia accessed on July 30, 2013; Roger
Burks, “Responding to Niger’s Latest Hunger Crisis,” Mercy
Corps, July 23, 2010, www.mercycorps.org accessed on July 30,
2013; USAID, “USAID Helps Drought-Affected Niger with First
Award under the Emergency Food Security Program,” press
release, June 17, 2010, www.usaid.gov accessed on July 30, 2013;
Wahyu Nugroho, “Farmers in Timor-Leste Store Up for a Better
Future,” Mercy Corps, March 22, 2011, www.mercycorps.org
accessed on July 30, 2013.
2 See Jay B. Barney and William G. Ouchi, eds., Organizational
Economics (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986), for a detailed
analysis of linkages between economics and organizations.
3 See, for example, “Political Pendulum Swings toward Stricter
Regulation,” Wall Street Journal, March 24, 2008, pp. A1, A11; see
also “Changing Safety Rules Perplex and Polarize,” USA Today,
February 5, 2009, pp. 1B, 2B; and Nina Easton and Telis Demos, “The
Business Guide to Congress,” Fortune, May 11, 2009, pp. 72–75.
4 For example, see Susanne G. Scott and Vicki R. Lane,
“A Stakeholder Approach to Organizational Identity,” Academy
of Management Review, 2000, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 43–62.
5 Richard N. Osborn and John Hagedoorn, “The Institutionaliza-
tion and Evolutionary Dynamics of Interorganizational Alliances
and Networks,” Academy of Management Journal, April 1997,
pp. 261–278. See also “More Companies Cut Risk by Collaborat-
ing with Their ‘Enemies,’” Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2000,
pp. A1, A10.
6 “GM, Ford Team to Develop 10-Speed Transmission,” USA
Today, April 16, 2013, p. 2B.
7 The Best & Worst Boards,” BusinessWeek, October 7, 2002,
pp. 104–114. See also Amy Hillman and Thomas Dalziel, “Boards
Chapter 2: The Environments of Organizations and Managers 63
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of Directors and Firm Performance: Integrating Agency and
Resource Dependence Perspectives,” Academy of Management
Review, 2003, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 383–396.
8 “The Wild New Workforce,” BusinessWeek, December 6, 1999,
pp. 38–44.
9 “Temporary Workers Getting Short Shrift,” USA Today, April 11,
1997, pp. 1B, 2B.
10 “Curves Ahead,” Wall Street Journal, March 10, 1999, pp. B1,
B10.
11 See Norman Barry, Business Ethics (West Lafayette, IN: Purdue
University Press, 1999).
12 Thomas Donaldson and Thomas W. Dunfee, “Toward a Unified
Conception of Business Ethics: An Integrative Social Contracts
Theory,” Academy of Management Review, Vol. 19, No. 2, 1994,
pp. 252–284.
13 “Chains’ Ties Run Deep on Pharmacy Boards,” USA Today,
December 31, 2008, pp. 1B, 2B.
14 “Diamond Foods Restating Profits after an Audit,” Bloomberg
Businessweek, February 13–19, 2012, p. 28.
15 “U.S. Probes Hilton over Theft Claims,” Wall Street Journal,
April 22, 2009, pp. B1, B4.
16 “The Lies We Tell at Work,” Bloomberg Businessweek, February
4–February 10, 2013, pp. 71–73.
17 William Dill, “Beyond Codes and Courses,” Selections, Fall 2002,
pp. 21–23.
18 “How to Fix Corporate Governance,” BusinessWeek, May 6,
2002, pp. 68–78. See also Catherine Daily, Dan Dalton, and
Albert Cannella, “Corporate Governance: Decades of Dialogue
and Data,” Academy of Management Review, 2003, Vol. 28, No. 3,
pp. 371–382.
19 “Is It Rainforest Crunch Time?” BusinessWeek, July 15, 1996,
pp. 70–71; and “Yo, Ben! Yo, Jerry! It’s Just Ice Cream,” Fortune,
April 28, 1997, p. 374.
20 Andrew Singer, “Can a Company Be Too Ethical?” Across the
Board, April 1993, pp. 17–22.
21 “Legal but Lousy,” Fortune, September 2, 2002, p. 192.
22 Lynn Sharp Paine, “Managing for Organizational Integrity,”
Harvard Business Review, March–April 1994, pp. 106–115.
23 “To Give, or Not to Give,” Time, May 11, 2009, p. 10.
24 “Battling ‘Donor Dropsy,’” Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2002,
pp. B1, B4.
25 “A New Way of Giving,” Time, July 24, 2000, pp. 48–51. See also
Michael Porter and Mark Kramwe, “The Competitive Advantage
of Corporate Philanthropy,” Harvard Business Review, December
2002, pp. 57–66.
26 David M. Messick and Max H. Bazerman, “Ethical Leadership
and the Psychology of Decision Making,” Sloan Management
Review, Winter 1996, pp. 9–22.
27 “Ethics in Action: Getting It Right,” Selections, Fall 2002,
pp. 24–27.
28 “Walmart’s Discounted Ethics,” Time, May 7, 2012, p. 19.
29 For a recent review of the literature on whistle-blowing, see Janet
P. Near and Marcia P. Miceli, “Whistle-Blowing: Myth and
Reality,” Journal of Management, 1996, Vol. 22, No. 3,
pp. 507–526. See also Michael Gundlach, Scott Douglas, and
Mark Martinko, “The Decision to Blow the Whistle: A Social
Information Processing Framework,” Academy of Management
Review, 2003, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 107–123.
30 For instance, see “The Complex Goals and Unseen Costs of Whistle-
Blowing,” Wall Street Journal, November 25, 2002, pp. A1, A10.
31 “He Blew a Whistle for 9 Years,” USA Today, February 13, 2009,
pp. 1B, 2B.
32 “SEC Announces a Whistle-Blower Overhaul Plan,” USA Today,
March 6, 2009, p. 1B.
33 “IRS Pays UBS Whistle-Blower $104 Million,” USA Today,
September 12, 2012, p. 2B.
34 “The Fortune Global 500—World’s Largest Corporations,”
Fortune, June 20, 2013, pp. 74–120.
35 “The Fortune Global 500 Ranked within Industries,” Fortune,
June 23, 2013, pp. 74–80.
36 Hoover’s Handbook of American Business 2013, pp. 119–120,
322–323.
37 “Our Films Are Poppin’ With Overseas Audiences,” USA Today,
April 15, 2013, p. 1D.
38 See “Spanning the Globe,” USA Today, April 30, 2002, pp. 1C, 2C.
39 “Creating a Worldwide Yen for Japanese Beer,” Financial Times,
October 7, 1994, p. 20.
40 Kenichi Ohmae, “The Global Logic of Strategic Alliances,”
Harvard Business Review, March–April 1989, pp. 143–154.
41 “PepsiCo Prepares for a Snack War in Russia,” Bloomberg
Businessweek, March 4–March 10, 2013, pp. 21–22.
42 “What If There Weren’t Any Clocks to Watch?” Newsweek, June
30, 1997, p. 14.
43 “Main Street, H.K.—Disney Localizes Mickey to Boost Its Hong Kong
Theme Park,” Wall Street Journal, January 23, 2008, pp. B1, B2.
44 For an excellent discussion of the effects of NAFTA, see “In the
Wake of NAFTA, a Family Firm Sees Business Go South,” Wall
Street Journal, February 23, 1999, pp. A1, A10.
45 Terrence E. Deal and Allan A. Kennedy, Corporate Cultures: The
Rights and Rituals of Corporate Life (Reading, MA: Addison-
Wesley, 1982).
46 Jay B. Barney, “Organizational Culture: Can It Be a Source of
Sustained Competitive Advantage?” Academy of Management
Review, July 1986, pp. 656–665.
47 For example, see Carol J. Loomis, “Sam Would Be Proud,”
Fortune, April 17, 2000, pp. 131–144.
48 Hoover’s Handbook of American Business 2013 (Austin, TX:
Hoover’s Business Press, 2013), pp. 268–269.
49 “Marriage at 30,000 Feet,” Bloomberg Businessweek, February 6–12,
2012, pp. 58–63.
64 Part 1: An Introduction to Management
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C H A P T E R 3
Planning and Strategic
Management
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Summarize the planning process and describe organizational goals.
2 Discuss the components of strategy and the types of strategic alternatives.
3 Describe how to use SWOT analysis in formulating strategy.
4 Identify and describe various alternative approaches to business-level strategy formulation.
5 Identify and describe various alternative approaches to corporate-level strategy formulation.
6 Discuss how tactical plans are developed and implemented.
7 Describe the basic types of operational plans used by organizations.
Management in Action
Google’s Strategy for Dominance
“We don’t talk about our strategy … because it’s strategic. I would rather
have people think we’re confused than let our competitors know what we’re
going to do.”
—Larry Page, Google Co-founder
Sergey Brin and Larry Page met at Stanford University in 1995 when both
were graduate students in computer science. At the time, Page was working
on a software-development project designed to create an index of websites
by scouring sites for key words and other linkages. Brin joined him on the
project, and when they were satisfied that they’d developed something with
commercial value, they tried to license the technology to other search
companies. As luck would have it, they couldn’t find a buyer and settled
instead for procuring enough investment capital to keep refining and testing
their product.
In 2000, Brin and Page ran across a discussion of a business model based
on the concept of selling advertising in the form of sponsored links and
search-specific ads. They adapted it to their own concept and went into
business for themselves. They named their new venture Google and, as you
probably know, it has grown to become the world’s largest search engine.
Google generally processes more than 11,300 million searches a month by a
user base of 380 million people in 181 different countries and using 146
Sergii Tsololo/Photos.com
65
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languages. Following an IPO in 2004, the company’s market capitalization rose
steadily; it stood at more than $243 65 billion by 2012, when Google controlled
66.7 percent of the U.S. search market (compared to Yahoo!’s 12.1 percent and
Microsoft’s 16.3 percent).
Google, however, is much more than a mere search engine. Services include
searches for news, shopping, local businesses, interactive maps, and discussion
groups, as well as blogs, web-based e-mail and voice mail, and a digital photo-
management system. You can access the results of any Google search from the
Google website, from your own user’s toolbar, from your Windows taskbar, and
from wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets. Amazingly, Google
estimates that 15 percent of searches conducted each day are new—never
having been searched before.
How did two young computer scientists build this astoundingly successful
company, and where will they take it in the future? Brin and Page remain in
the forefront of Google’s search for technological innovations. They believe in
the power of mathematics and have developed unique algorithms for just
about every form of activity in the firm. One of the most successful is an
algorithm for auctioning advertising placements that ensures the highest
possible prices. Brin and Page have also been remarkably successful in
attracting talented and creative employees and providing them with a work
environment and culture that foster the kind of productivity and innovation for
which they were hired.
Finally, although the founders avoid formal strategic planning, they’ve
managed to diversify extensively through acquisitions and key alliances.
Typically, Google absorbs an acquired firm and then improves on its technology,
R
o
b
K
im
/L
a
n
d
o
v
Sergey Brin and Larry Page, founders of Google, spend much of their time planning and
developing new strategies. When they bought YouTube, they made the announcement in a
YouTube video.
66 Part 2: Planning
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thereby adding variety to its own online offerings. Recent acquisitions include
YouTube, a leader in online video sharing, Postini, a leader in communications-
security products, and Double Click, a leader in online advertising services.
Strategic alliances include those with foreign online service providers that offer
Google searches on their sites.
For the immediate future, at least, Google plans on following its basic proven
recipe for success, competing head to head with financial-service providers for
stock information and with iTunes for music and videos. Also committed to the
in-house development of new features and services, Google spent $2 8 billion on
R&D in 2012 (up from $1 2 billion in 2006) and another $1 billion to acquire new IT
assets. Innovations in the works include an automated universal language
translator for translating documents in any language into any other language
and personalized home pages that will allow users to design automatic searches
and display the results in personal “newspapers.”
Nobody knows for sure what else is on the drawing board. In fact, outsiders—
notably potential investors—often criticize Google for being a “black box” when
they want a few more details on Google’s long-range strategy. “We don’t talk
about our strategy,” explains Page, “… because it’s strategic. I would rather
have people think we’re confused than let our competitors know what we’re
going to do.”1
Strategic thinking is at the heart of effective management in any business, including old-
line industrial giants like Ford and General Electric to newer web-based businesses such
as Google and Yahoo!. This chapter discusses how organizations manage strategy and
how managers engage in strategic planning. As we note in Chapter 1, planning and deci-
sion making comprise the first managerial functions that organizations must address.
This chapter is the first of three that explore planning and decision making.
PLANNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
The planning process itself can best be thought of as a generic activity. All organizations
engage in planning activities, but no two organizations plan in exactly the same fashion.
Figure 3.1 is a general representation of the planning process that many organizations
attempt to follow. But although most firms follow this general framework, each also has
its own nuances and variations.2
As Figure 3.1 shows, all planning occurs within an environmental context. If
managers do not understand this context, they are unable to develop effective plans.
Thus, understanding the environment is essentially the first step in planning. Chapter 2
covered many of the basic environmental issues that affect organizations and how they
plan. With this understanding as a foundation, managers must then establish the organi-
zation’s mission. The mission outlines the organization’s purpose, premises, values, and
directions. Flowing from the mission are parallel streams of goals and plans. Directly
following the mission are strategic goals. These goals and the mission help determine
strategic plans. Strategic goals and plans are primary inputs for developing tactical
goals. Tactical goals and the original strategic plans help shape tactical plans. Tactical
plans, in turn, combine with the tactical goals to shape operational goals. These goals
and the appropriate tactical plans determine operational plans. Finally, goals and plans
at each level can also be used as inputs for future activities at all levels.
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 67
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Organizational Goals
Goals are critical to organizational effectiveness, and they serve a number of purposes. Orga-
nizations can also have several different kinds of goals, all of which must be appropriately
managed. And a number of different kinds of managers must be involved in setting goals.
Purposes of Goals Goals serve four important purposes.3 First, they provide guid-
ance and a unified direction for people in the organization. Goals can help everyone
understand where the organization is going and why getting there is important.4 Mark
Pincus, founder and CEO of the social-gaming company Zynga, recently noted that
“it’s important to know what your goal is, because if you don’t know what your goal is,
you will … never achieve it.”5 IBM announced a goal to achieve earnings per share of
$20 (up from $11 52 in 2010) by 2015. The company also plans to reach $100 billion
in cash flow and return 70 percent to shareholders by that same year.6 Top managers
at General Electric (GE) have a long-standing goal that every business owned by the
firm will be either number one or number two in its industry. This goal helps set the
tone for decisions made by GE managers as it competes with other firms such as
Whirlpool and Electrolux.7
Second, goal-setting practices strongly affect other aspects of planning. Effective goal
setting promotes good planning, and good planning facilitates future goal setting. For
example, IBM’s financial goals demonstrate how setting goals and developing plans to
reach them should be seen as complementary activities. Specifically, the firm will need
to work aggressively to boost both profits and cash flow to meet its goals.
Third, goals can serve as a source of motivation for an organization’s employees.
Goals that are specific and moderately difficult can motivate people to work harder,
Strategic goals Strategic plans
Tactical goals
Operational goals Operational plans
The Organization‘s Mission
The Environmental Context
• Purpose • Premises • Values • Directions
Tactical plans
©
C
e
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a
g
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in
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FIGURE 3.1
The Planning Process
The planning process takes place within an environmental context. Managers must
develop a complete and thorough understanding of this context to determine the
organization’s mission and to develop its strategic, tactical, and operational goals
and plans.
68 Part 2: Planning
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especially if attaining the goal is likely to result in rewards.8 The Italian furniture manu-
facturer Industrie Natuzzi SpA uses goals to motivate its workers. Each craftsperson has
a goal for how long it should take to perform his or her job, such as sewing leather
sheets together to make a sofa cushion or building wooden frames for chair arms. At
the completion of assigned tasks, workers enter their ID numbers and job numbers into
the firm’s computer system. If they get a job done faster than their goal, a bonus is auto-
matically added to their paycheck.9
Finally, goals provide an effective mechanism for evaluation and control. This means
that performance can be assessed in the future in terms of how successfully today’s goals
are accomplished. For example, suppose that officials of the United Way of America set
a goal of collecting $250,000 from a particular small community. If, midway through the
campaign, they have raised only $50,000, they know that they need to change or inten-
sify their efforts. If they raise only $100,000 by the end of their drive, they will carefully
study why they did not reach their goal and what they need to do differently next year.
On the other hand, if they succeed in raising $250,000 or more, evaluations of their
efforts will take on an entirely different character.
Kinds of Goals Goals are set for and by different levels within an organization. An
organization’s mission is a statement of its “fundamental, unique purpose that sets a busi-
ness apart from other firms of its type and identifies the scope of the business’s operations
in product and market terms.”10 For instance, Starbucks’ mission statement is to be “the
premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising
principles while we grow.” The principles to which the mission refers help managers at
Starbucks make decisions and direct resources in clear and specific ways.
Strategic goals are set by and for an organization’s top management. They focus on
broad, general issues. For example, Starbucks has a strategic goal of increasing the prof-
itability of each of its coffee stores by 25 percent over the next five years. Tactical goals
are set by and for middle managers. Their focus is on how to operationalize actions nec-
essary to achieve the strategic goals. To achieve Starbucks’ goal of increasing its per-store
profitability, managers are working on tactical goals related to company-owned versus
licensed stores and the global distribution of stores in different countries. Operational
goals are set by and for lower-level managers. Their concern is with shorter-term issues
associated with the tactical goals. An operational goal for Starbucks might be to boost the
profitability of a certain number of stores in each of the next five years. (Some managers
use the words objective and goal interchangeably. When they are differentiated, however,
the term objective is usually used instead of operational goal.)
Kinds of Organizational Plans
Organizations establish many different kinds of plans. At a general level, these include
strategic, tactical, and operational plans.
Strategic Plans Strategic plans are developed to achieve strategic goals. More pre-
cisely, a strategic plan is a general plan outlining decisions about resource allocation,
priorities, and action steps necessary to reach strategic goals. These plans are set by the
board of directors and top management, generally have an extended time horizon, and
address questions of scope, resource deployment, competitive advantage, and synergy.
We discuss strategic planning further in the next major section of this chapter.
Tactical Plans A tactical plan, aimed at achieving tactical goals, is developed to
implement specific parts of a strategic plan. Tactical plans typically involve upper and
middle management and, compared with strategic plans, have a somewhat shorter time
horizon and a more specific and concrete focus. Thus, tactical plans are concerned more
strategic goal
A goal set by and for
an organization’s top
management
tactical goal
A goal set by and for
an organization’s
middle managers
operational goal
A goal set by and for
an organization’s
lower-level
managers
mission
A statement of an
organization’s
fundamental
purpose
strategic plan
A general plan
outlining decisions
about the resource
allocation, priorities,
and action steps
necessary to reach
strategic goals
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 69
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with actually getting things done than with deciding what to do. Tactical planning is
covered in detail later in this chapter.
Operational Plans An operational plan focuses on carrying out tactical plans to
achieve operational goals. Developed by middle- and lower-level managers, operational
plans have a short-term focus and are relatively narrow in scope. Each one deals with a fairly
small set of activities. We also cover operational planning in more detail later in this chapter.
LEADING THE WAY
Setting a New Direction for General Motors
General Motors is over a hundred years old, and for
much of that time was the world’s dominant automo-
bile manufacturer. But rising employee health care
costs, an onslaught of new foreign competitors,
and high wage contracts with its major unions
severely weakened GM in the early years of the
twenty-first century, Perhaps it is no surprise, then,
that GM was knocked to the mat when the global
economy plunged into recession a few years ago.
The auto giant lost $38 billion in 2007, another
$32 billion in 2008, and was forced to declare Chapter
11 bankruptcy. Using Chapter 11 protection, GM
cancelled several joint ventures, renegotiated some of
its labor contracts, shed brands like Pontiac and Saturn,
lowered its operating costs, and reduced its debt. And
when it emerged from bankruptcy in 2010, the firm was
ready to compete in new and different ways.
To the surprise of many observers, Daniel
Akerson was appointed CEO of the new GM and
charged with leading the company back to profitabil-
ity. His appointment was unexpected because he
had no automobile industry experience—he is an
electrical engineer by training, spent several years
as a Naval officer, and had worked in the telecommu-
nications, technology, and private investments indus-
tries. To the naysayers, he “wasn’t a car guy.” And to
some, that doomed him to failure.
One thing he did have, though, was a long history of
effective leadership. Akerson had been successful at
every stop along the way, and was consistently hailed
as both a strong leader and an astute manager. In his
words, a CEO’s role is “to articulate [the] vision, and a
strategy, what you want to accomplish.” And virtually
everyone who ever worked for Akerson agreed that he
played that role with integrity and effectiveness.
While his detractors expected him to fail, those
who knew him expected just the opposite. And
as things developed, they were right. Following
Akerson’s appointment and GM’s emergence from
Chapter 11 in 2010, the firm has been on a consis-
tent upward trajectory, regaining lost market share,
launching successful new products, and posting
record profits—$25 billion in 2012. His supporters
attributed his success to a consistent message of
product quality, innovation, and openness to change
(traits apparently not found at GM for a long time).
Akerson also spent a lot of time out in GM factories
talking to the people who build the cars and in GM
dealerships talking to the people who buy cars.
What happened next was even more amazing. In
late 2013, Akerson was just starting to think about
his replacement when his wife was diagnosed with
cancer and he decided to step down sooner than
anticipated. Akerson informed the board that he
thought the best candidate to replace him was
Mary Barra, the firm’s executive vice president of
global product development, purchasing, and supply
chain. The board quickly decided that Akerson was
right and appointed Barra to the position of CEO in
January 2014. This marked the first time a woman
has ever led a major U.S. auto company. So, what
does the future hold for Barra and GM? On the one
hand, she will likely have to deal with sexism from
some quarters and still faces stiff competition from
both domestic and foreign rivals. A major product
recall and allegations about a cover-up of defects
leading to that recall will also pose challenges. But
others believe that GM has been successfully trans-
formed from a staid, old car company into an innova-
tive and flexible company that will remain
competitive for a long time.
References: “GM CEO: ‘Good Enough’ Isn’t,” USA Today,
August 5, 2013, p. 1B; Hoover’s Handbook of American Busi-
ness2013 (Austin: Mergent, 2013), pp. 381–383; “Mary Barra
Named GM CEO, Automaker’s First Female Chief,” Forbes,
December 10, 2013, pp. 23–24; “GM CEO Mary Barra
Admired by Fellow Auto Executives, Competitors,” http://
www.mlive.com/auto/, accessed on February 16, 2014.
operational plan
A plan that focuses
on carrying out
tactical plans to
achieve operational
goals
70 Part 2: Planning
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THE NATURE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
A strategy is a comprehensive plan for accomplishing an organization’s goals. Strategic
management, in turn, is a way of approaching business opportunities and challenges—it
is a comprehensive and ongoing management process aimed at formulating and imple-
menting effective strategies. Finally, effective strategies are those that promote a superior
alignment between the organization and its environment and the achievement of strate-
gic goals.11
The Components of Strategy
In general, a well-conceived strategy addresses three areas: distinctive competence,
scope, and resource deployment. A distinctive competence is something the organiza-
tion does exceptionally well. A distinctive competence of Abercrombie & Fitch is its
speed in moving inventory. It tracks consumer preferences daily with point-of-sale
computers, electronically transmits orders to suppliers in Hong Kong, charters 747
cargo planes to fly new products to the United States, and has those products in stores
48 hours later. Because other retailers take weeks or sometimes months to accomplish
the same things, Abercrombie & Fitch uses this distinctive competence to remain
competitive.12
The scope of a strategy specifies the range of markets in which an organization will
compete. Hershey Foods has essentially restricted its scope to the confectionery business,
d
p
a
p
ic
tu
re
a
ll
ia
n
ce
/A
la
m
y
Resource deployment is an important part of strategic management. General Electric, for example,
has often used profits from its U.S. operations to invest in new business opportunities abroad. In
2013, for example, the firm broke ground on a new energy business in Berlin. Much of the start-up
costs for the new business were funded from other GE operations.
effective strategy
A strategy that
promotes a superior
alignment between
the organization and
its environment and
the achievement of
strategic goals
strategy
A comprehensive plan
for accomplishing
an organization’s
goals
strategic
management
A comprehensive
and ongoing
management
process aimed at
formulating and
implementing
effective strategies; a
way of approaching
business
opportunities and
challenges
distinctive
competence
An organizational
strength possessed
by only a small
number of
competing firms
scope
When applied to
strategy, it specifies
the range of markets
in which an
organization will
compete
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 71
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with a few related activities in other food-processing areas. In contrast, its biggest com-
petitor, Mars, has adopted a broader scope by competing in the pet food business and
the electronics industry, among others. Some organizations, called conglomerates, com-
pete in dozens or even hundreds of markets.
A strategy should also include an outline of the organization’s projected resource
deployment—how it will distribute its resources across the areas in which it competes.
General Electric, for example, has been using profits from its highly successful U.S.
operations to invest heavily in new businesses in Europe and Asia. Alternatively, the
firm might have chosen to invest in different industries in its domestic market or to
invest more heavily in Latin America. The choices it makes as to where and how much
to invest reflect issues of resource deployment.
Types of Strategic Alternatives
Most businesses today develop strategies at two distinct levels: the business level and cor-
porate level. These levels provide a rich combination of strategic alternatives for organi-
zations. Business-level strategy is the set of strategic alternatives from which an
organization chooses as it conducts business in a particular industry or market. Such
alternatives help the organization focus its competitive efforts for each industry or mar-
ket in a targeted and focused manner.
Corporate-level strategy is the set of strategic alternatives from which an organiza-
tion chooses as it manages its operations simultaneously across several industries and
several markets. As we discuss later in this chapter, most large companies today compete
in various industries and markets. Thus, although they develop business-level strategies
for each industry or market, they also develop an overall strategy that helps define the
mix of industries and markets that are of interest to the firm.
Drawing a distinction between strategy formulation and strategy implementation is
also instructive. Strategy formulation is the set of processes involved in creating or
determining the organization’s strategies, whereas strategy implementation is the
methods by which those strategies are operationalized or executed. The primary dis-
tinction is along the lines of content versus process: The formulation stage determines
what the strategy is, and the implementation stage focuses on how the strategy is
achieved.
USING SWOT ANALYSIS TO
FORMULATE STRATEGY
The starting point in formulating strategy is usually SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats) analysis. As shown in Figure 3.2, SWOT analysis is a
careful evaluation of an organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses as well as
its environmental opportunities and threats. In SWOT analysis, the best strategies
accomplish an organization’s mission by (1) exploiting an organization’s opportu-
nities and strengths while (2) neutralizing its threats and (3) avoiding (or correcting)
its weaknesses.
Evaluating an Organization’s Strengths
Organizational strengths are skills and capabilities that enable an organization to create
and implement its strategies. Strengths may include things like a deep pool of managerial
talent, surplus capital, a unique reputation and/or brand name, and well-established
resource
deployment
How an organization
distributes its
resources across the
areas in which it
competes
business-level
strategy
The set of strategic
alternatives from
which an
organization chooses
as it conducts
business in a
particular industry or
market
corporate-level
strategy
The set of strategic
alternatives from
which an
organization chooses
as it manages its
operations
simultaneously
across several
industries and
several markets
strategy
formulation
The set of processes
involved in creating
or determining an
organization’s
strategies; it focuses
on the content of
strategies
strategy
implementation
The methods by
which strategies are
operationalized or
executed within the
organization; it
focuses on the
processes through
which strategies are
achieved
72 Part 2: Planning
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distribution channels.13 Sears, for example, has a nationwide network of trained service
employees who repair its appliances. Jane Thompson, a Sears executive, created a plan to
consolidate repair and home improvement services nationwide under the well-known
Sears brand name and to promote them as a general repair operation for all appliances,
not just those purchased from Sears. Thus, the firm capitalized on existing capabilities
and the strength of its name to launch a new operation.
A distinctive competence, introduced earlier in this chapter, is a strength possessed by
only a small number of competing firms. Distinctive competencies are rare among a set
of competitors. When George Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), for exam-
ple, the new venture brought the cinematic art of special effects to new heights. Some of
ILM’s special effects can be produced by no other organization; these rare special effects
are thus ILM’s distinctive competencies. Indeed, ILM (now owned by Disney) had no
real competitor until Peter Jackson formed Weta Digital Effects to help bring The Lord
of the Rings to the screen. But even so, although ILM and Weta have some of the same
competences, each also has proprietary technology that gives it certain unique advan-
tages. Organizations that exploit their distinctive competencies often obtain a competi-
tive advantage and attain above-normal economic performance.14 Indeed, a main
Mission
An organization’s fundamental purpose
Good Strategies
SWOT Analysis
To formulate strategies that support the mission
Those that support the mission and
• exploit opportunities and strengths
• neutralize threats
• avoid weaknesses
Internal Analysis
Strengths
(distinctive
competencies)
Weaknesses Threats
External Analysis
Opportunities
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 3.2
SWOT Analysis
SWOT analysis is one of the most important steps in formulating strategy. Using the
organization’s mission as a context, managers assess internal strengths (distinctive
competencies) and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats. The
goal is then to develop good strategies that exploit opportunities and strengths,
neutralize threats, and avoid weaknesses.
SWOT
An acronym that
stands for strengths,
weaknesses,
opportunities, and
threats
organizational
strength
A skill or capability
that enables an
organization to
create and
implement its
strategies
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 73
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purpose of SWOT analysis is to discover an organization’s distinctive competencies so
that the organization can choose and implement strategies that exploit its unique organi-
zational strengths.
Evaluating an Organization’s Weaknesses
Organizational weaknesses are skills and capabilities that do not enable an organization
to choose and implement strategies that support its mission. An organization has essen-
tially two ways of addressing weaknesses. First, it may need to make investments to
obtain the strengths required to implement strategies that support its mission. Second,
it may need to modify its mission so that it can be accomplished with the skills and
capabilities that the organization already possesses.
In practice, organizations have a difficult time focusing on weaknesses, in part because
organization members are often reluctant to admit that they do not possess all the skills
and capabilities needed. Evaluating weaknesses also calls into question the judgment of
managers who chose the organization’s mission in the first place and who failed to invest
in the skills and capabilities needed to accomplish it.
American Airlines sought bankruptcy protection in 2012–13 in order to restructure
itself. Poor labor relations, a reputation for indifferent customer service, insufficient
cash reserves, and an aging jet fleet were all organizational weaknesses that led to the
firm’s problems.
Evaluating an Organization’s Opportunities and Threats
Whereas evaluating strengths and weaknesses focuses attention on the internal workings
of an organization, evaluating opportunities and threats requires analyzing an organiza-
tion’s environment. Organizational opportunities are areas that may generate higher
performance. Organizational threats are areas that increase the difficulty of an organi-
zation performing at a high level.
FORMULATING BUSINESS-LEVEL STRATEGIES
A number of frameworks have been developed for identifying the major strategic alter-
natives that organizations should consider when choosing their business-level strategies.
Two of the most important ones are Porter’s generic strategies and strategies based on
the product life cycle.
Porter’s Generic Strategies
According to Michael Porter, organizations may pursue a differentiation, overall
cost leadership, or focus strategy at the business level.15 An organization that pursues a
differentiation strategy seeks to distinguish itself from competitors through the quality
(broadly defined) of its products or services. Firms that successfully implement a differ-
entiation strategy are able to charge more than competitors because customers are will-
ing to pay more to obtain the extra value they perceive.16 Rolex pursues a differentiation
strategy. Rolex watches are handmade of stainless steel and precious metals such as gold
or platinum, and they are subjected to strenuous tests of quality and reliability. The
firm’s reputation enables it to charge thousands of dollars for its watches. Coca-Cola
and Pepsi compete in the market for bottled water on the basis of differentiation. Coke
touts its Dasani brand on the basis of its fresh taste, whereas Pepsi promotes its Aquafina
brand on the basis of its purity.17 Other firms that use differentiation strategies are
Lexus, Godiva, Nikon, Mont Blanc, Apple, and Ralph Lauren. During the recent
organizational
weakness
A skill or capability
that does not enable
an organization to
choose and
implement strategies
that support its
mission
organizational
opportunity
An area in the
environment that, if
exploited, may
generate higher
performance
organizational
threat
An area that
increases the
difficulty of an
organization
performing at a
high level
differentiation
strategy
A strategy in which
an organization
seeks to distinguish
itself from
competitors through
the quality of its
products or services
74 Part 2: Planning
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economic recession, most youth-oriented retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters,
Quiksilver, and Aéropostale slashed prices to generate sales. But Abercrombie & Fitch
decided to hold firm to standard pricing in an attempt to maintain a differentiated
image for its products.18 Similarly, other firms tried to provide strong differentiation on
the basis of outstanding customer service.19
An organization implementing an overall cost leadership strategy attempts to gain a
competitive advantage by reducing its costs below the costs of competing firms. By
keeping costs low, the organization is able to sell its products at low prices and still
make a profit. Timex uses an overall cost leadership strategy. For decades, this firm
has specialized in manufacturing relatively simple, low-cost watches for the mass mar-
ket. The price of Timex watches, starting around $39 95, is low because of the com-
pany’s efficient high-volume manufacturing capacity. Poland Springs and Crystal
Geyser bottled waters are promoted on the basis of their low cost. Other firms that
implement overall cost leadership strategies are Hyundai, BIC, Old Navy, and Hershey.
When the 2008 economic recession hit, Hershey actually experienced a jump in sales—
during hard times, consumers started cutting back on high-end chocolate products
from Godiva but weren’t willing to forgo chocolate altogether.20 Likewise, other low-
cost producers also benefited as consumers avoided higher-priced brand-name
products (i.e., those with a differentiation strategy) in favor of lower-priced goods.
For instance, both P&G and Colgate saw sales of products such as Tide, Pampers,
and Colgate toothpaste decline, whereas sales of lower-priced private-label products
jumped.21
A firm pursuing a focus strategy concentrates on a specific regional market, prod-
uct line, or group of buyers. This strategy may have either a differentiation focus,
whereby the firm differentiates its products in the focus market, or an overall cost
leadership focus, whereby the firm manufactures and sells its products at low cost
in the focus market. In the watch industry, Tag Heuer follows a focus differentiation
strategy by selling only rugged waterproof watches to active consumers. Tata Motors
follows a focus cost leadership strategy by selling its inexpensive automobiles only in
India. Alfa Romeo uses focus differentiation to sell its high-performance cars only in
markets where customers can pay over a hundred thousand dollars for a car. Fisher-
Price uses focus differentiation to sell electronic calculators with large, brightly
colored buttons to the parents of preschoolers; stockbroker Edward Jones focuses on
small-town settings. General Mills focuses one part of its new-product development
on consumers who eat meals while driving—its
watchword is “Can we make it ‘one-handed’?” so
that drivers can safely eat or drink it. Two investors
realized that most Las Vegas casinos were targeting
either high-end big spenders or the young hip mar-
ket. So, they bought the venerable old Tropicana
casino, renovated it, and began marketing it to so-
called Middle America—middle-aged or older gam-
blers who aren’t into big dollar wagering. Their occu-
pancy rates have soared, as have their profits.22
Strategies Based on the Product Life Cycle
The product life cycle is a model that shows how sales
volume changes over the life of products. Understand-
ing the four stages in the product life cycle helps
managers recognize that strategies need to evolve
©
iS
to
ck
p
h
o
to
.c
o
m
/e
ve
m
il
la
Hershey uses an overall cost leadership strategy to promote
its candy bars. By keeping its costs as low as possible, the
firm can provide good-quality snacks at competitive prices.
This strategy benefited the firm during the recent recession
as customers cut back on higher-priced candy, allowing
Hershey to gain new market share.
overall cost
leadership strategy
A strategy in which
an organization
attempts to gain a
competitive
advantage by
reducing its costs
below the costs of
competing firms
focus strategy
A strategy in which
an organization
concentrates on a
specific regional
market, product line,
or group of buyers
product life cycle
A model that
portrays how sales
volume for products
changes over the life
of products
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 75
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over time. As Figure 3.3 shows, the cycle begins when a new product or technology is
first introduced. In this introduction stage, demand may be very high and sometimes
outpaces the firm’s ability to supply the product. At this stage, managers need to
focus their efforts on “getting product out the door” without sacrificing quality. Man-
aging growth by hiring new employees and managing inventories and cash flow are
also concerns during this stage.
During the growth stage, more firms begin producing the product, and sales continue
to grow. Important management issues include ensuring quality and delivery and begin-
ning to differentiate an organization’s product from competitors’ products. Entry into
the industry during the growth stage may threaten an organization’s competitive advan-
tage; thus, strategies to slow the entry of competitors are important.
After a period of growth, products enter a third phase. During this maturity stage,
overall demand growth for a product begins to slow down, and the number of new
firms producing the product begins to decline. The number of established firms
producing the product may also begin to decline. This period of maturity is essential
if an organization is going to survive in the long run. Product differentiation concerns
are still important during this stage, but keeping costs low and beginning the search for
new products or services are also important strategic considerations.
In the decline stage, demand for the product or technology decreases, the number of
organizations producing the product drops, and total sales drop. Demand often
declines because all those who were interested in purchasing a particular product
have already done so. Organizations that fail to anticipate the decline stage in earlier
stages of the life cycle may go out of business. Those that differentiate their product,
keep their costs low, or develop new products or services may do well during this
stage.
S
a
le
s
v
o
lu
m
e
Introduction
Time
Stages
Growth Maturity Decline
High
Low
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 3.3
The Product Life Cycle
Managers can use the framework of the product life cycle—introduction, growth, maturity,
and decline—to plot strategy. For example, management may decide on a differentiation
strategy for a product in the introduction stage and a prospector approach for a product in
the growth stage. By understanding this cycle and where a particular product falls within
it, managers can develop more effective strategies for extending product life.
76 Part 2: Planning
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FORMULATING CORPORATE-LEVEL STRATEGIES
Most large organizations are engaged in several businesses, industries, and markets.
Each business or set of businesses within such an organization is frequently referred
to as a strategic business unit (SBU). An organization such as GE operates hundreds
of different businesses, making and selling products as diverse as jet engines, nuclear
power plants, and lightbulbs. GE organizes these businesses into approximately
20 SBUs. Even organizations that sell only one product may operate in several distinct
markets.
Decisions about which businesses, industries, and markets an organization will
enter, and how to manage these different businesses, are based on an organization’s
corporate strategy. The most important strategic issue at the corporate level concerns
the extent and nature of organizational diversification. Diversification describes the
number of different businesses that an organization is engaged in and the extent to
which these businesses are related to one another. There are three types of diversifi-
cation strategies: single-product strategy, related diversification, and unrelated
diversification.23
Single-Product Strategy
An organization that pursues a single-product strategy manufactures just one product or
service and sells it in a single geographic market. The WD-40 Company, for example, basi-
cally manufactures one product, WD-40 spray lubricant, and for years sold it just in North
America. WD-40 has started selling its lubricant in Europe and Asia, but it continues to
center all manufacturing, sales, and marketing efforts on one product. Similarly, Michelin
has remained faithful to the cause of strictly manufacturing quality tires.
The single-product strategy has one major strength and one major weakness. By con-
centrating its efforts so completely on one product and market, a firm is likely to be very
successful in manufacturing and marketing the product. Because it has staked its survival
on a single product, the organization works very hard to make sure that the product is a
success. Of course, if the product is not accepted by the market or is replaced by a new
one, the firm will suffer. This happened to slide-rule manufacturers when electronic
calculators became widely available and to companies that manufactured only black-
and-white televisions when low-priced color televisions were first mass-marketed.
Similarly, Wrigley long practiced what amounted to a single-product strategy with its
line of chewing gums. But, because younger consumers are buying less gum than earlier
generations, Wrigley experienced declining revenues and lower profits. As a result, the
Wrigley family eventually sold their business to Mars.24
Related Diversification
Given the disadvantage of the single-product strategy, most large businesses today oper-
ate in several different businesses, industries, or markets.25 If the businesses are somehow
linked, that organization is implementing a strategy of related diversification. Virtually
all larger businesses in the United States use related diversification.
Pursuing a strategy of related diversification has three primary advantages. First, it
reduces an organization’s dependence on any one of its business activities and thus
reduces economic risk. Even if one or two of a firm’s businesses lose money, the organi-
zation as a whole may still survive because the healthy businesses will generate enough
cash to support the others.26 At Disney, a decline in theme park attendance may be
offset by an increase in box office and DVD sales of Disney movies and vice versa.
When the firm lost millions on the poorly conceived movies John Carter in 2012 and
diversification
The number of
different businesses
that an organization
is engaged in and the
extent to which these
businesses are
related to one
another
single-product
strategy
A strategy in which
an organization
manufactures just
one product or
service and sells it in
a single geographic
market
related
diversification
A strategy in which
an organization
operates in several
businesses that are
somehow linked with
one another
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 77
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The Lone Ranger in 2013, Disney was still profitable due to strong theme park revenues
and other hit movies like The Avengers in 2012 and Iron Man 3, Monsters University,
and Frozen in 2013.
Second, by managing several businesses at the same time, an organization can reduce
the overhead costs associated with managing any one business. In other words, if the
normal administrative costs required to operate any business, such as legal services and
accounting, can be spread over a large number of businesses, then the overhead costs per
business will be lower than they would be if each business had to absorb all costs itself.
Thus the overhead costs of businesses in a firm that pursues related diversification are
usually lower than those of similar businesses that are not part of a larger corporation.27
Third, related diversification allows an organization to exploit its strengths and capa-
bilities in more than one business. When organizations do this successfully, they capital-
ize on synergies, which are complementary effects that exist among their businesses.
Synergy exists among a set of businesses when the businesses’ economic value together
is greater than their economic value separately. McDonald’s is using synergy as it diver-
sifies into other restaurant and food businesses. For example, both its McCafe premium
coffee stands in some McDonald’s restaurants and its investments in Pret A Manger, a
European chain of sandwich shops, allow the firm to create new revenue opportunities
while using the firm’s existing strengths in food-product purchasing and distribution.
“Tough Times, Tough Choices” discusses how diversification can also occasionally create
ethical challenges.
Unrelated Diversification
Firms that implement a strategy of unrelated diversification operate multiple businesses
that are not logically associated with one another. At one time, for example, Quaker Oats
owned clothing chains, toy companies, and a restaurant business. Unrelated
A
P
Im
a
g
e
s/
D
is
n
e
y-
P
ix
a
r
Disney has successfully used related diversification strategies for years. For instance, an annual
slate of both animated and live-action movies complements its attractions at theme parks and retail
outlets and then feeds directly into DVD and streaming video operations. Recent smash hits
Monsters University (shown here), Frozen, and Iron Man 3, for instance, will help fuel Disney profits
for years.
unrelated
diversification
A strategy in which
an organization
operates multiple
businesses that are
not logically
associated with one
another
78 Part 2: Planning
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diversification was a very popular strategy several years ago. During that time, several
conglomerates such as ITT and Transamerica grew by acquiring literally hundreds of
other organizations and then running these numerous businesses as independent entities.
Even if there are important potential synergies among their different businesses, organi-
zations implementing a strategy of unrelated diversification do not attempt to exploit
them.
In theory, unrelated diversification has two advantages. First, a business that uses this
strategy should be able to achieve stable performance over time. During any given
period, some businesses owned by the organization are in a cycle of decline, whereas
others may be in a cycle of growth. Second, unrelated diversification is also thought to
have resource allocation advantages. Every year, when a corporation allocates capital,
people, and other resources among its various businesses, it must evaluate information
about the future of those businesses so that it can place its resources where they have
the highest potential for return. Given that it owns the businesses in question and thus
has full access to information about the future of those businesses, a firm implementing
unrelated diversification should be able to allocate capital to maximize corporate
performance.
Despite these presumed advantages, research suggests that unrelated diversification
usually does not lead to high performance. First, corporate-level managers in such a
company usually do not know enough about the unrelated businesses to provide helpful
strategic guidance or to allocate capital appropriately. To make strategic decisions, man-
agers must have complete and subtle understanding of a business and its environment.
Because corporate managers often have difficulty fully evaluating the economic impor-
tance of investments for all the businesses under their wing, they tend to concentrate
only on a business’s current performance. This narrow attention at the expense of
broader planning eventually hobbles the entire organization.
Second, because organizations that implement unrelated diversification fail to exploit
important synergies, they are at a competitive disadvantage compared to organizations
that use related diversification. Universal Studios has been at a competitive disadvantage
relative to Disney because its theme parks, movie studios, and licensing divisions are less
integrated and therefore achieve less synergy.
For these reasons, almost all organizations have abandoned unrelated diversification
as a corporate-level strategy. Transamerica, for instance, sold off numerous unrelated
businesses and now concentrates on a core set of related businesses and markets.
Large corporations that have not concentrated on a core set of businesses have eventu-
ally been acquired by other companies and then broken up. Research suggests that
these organizations are actually worth more when broken up into smaller pieces than
when joined.28
Managing Diversification However an organization implements diversification—
whether through internal development, vertical integration, or mergers and acquisitions—
it must monitor and manage its strategy. Portfolio management techniques are methods
that diversified organizations use to determine in which businesses to engage and how to
manage these businesses to maximize corporate performance. Two important portfolio
management techniques are the BCG matrix and the GE Business Screen.
BCG Matrix The BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix provides a framework for
evaluating the relative performance of businesses in which a diversified organization oper-
ates. It also prescribes the preferred distribution of cash and other resources among these
businesses.29 The BCG matrix uses two factors to evaluate an organization’s set of busi-
nesses: the growth rate of a particular market and the organization’s share of that market.
portfolio
management
techniques
Methods that
diversified
organizations use to
determine in which
businesses to
engage and how to
manage these
businesses to
maximize corporate
performance
BCG (Boston
Consulting Group)
matrix
A framework for
evaluating
businesses relative
to the growth rate of
their market and the
organization’s share
of the market
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 79
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The matrix suggests that fast-growing markets in which an organization has the highest
market share are more attractive business opportunities than slow-growing markets in
which an organization has small market share. Dividing market growth and market share
into two categories (low and high) creates the simple matrix shown in Figure 3.4.
TOUGH TIMES, TOUGH CHOICES
The Little-White-Lie Strategy
It may surprise you to learn that The Coca-Cola
Company does not make Coca-Cola. Coke and the
other beverage brands owned by The Coca-Cola Com-
pany are actually manufactured by what the company
calls bottling partners—more than 300 franchises
worldwide that both make and distribute final Coke
products to grocery stores, restaurants, and other
places where consumers can purchase them. Up
until 2010, the largest of these franchises had been
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), which held the franchise
for most of North America and much of Europe.
According to Coke CEO Muhtar Kent, “the fran-
chise model is the best way to win in the market-
place,” and in November 2009, he extolled the
Coke franchise system for fostering a “magnificent
fusion of scalable, global brands.” Three months
later, however, Coke announced plans to purchase
CCE’s North American operations in a “substantially
cashless” deal that would make CCE a European-
oriented bottler and give Coke 90 percent control of
its own bottling operations in North America. The
deal was finalized in February 2010.
Coke admitted that negotiations with CCE had
been in the works for about 18 months and that a
confidentiality agreement between the two firms
had been in effect since November 2008, long
before Kent and other Coke executives had gone
on record to support the company’s franchise-
bottling system. Had they been saying one thing in
public while doing another behind boardroom doors?
“There’s no question,” says Wall Street analyst Phil
Gorham, that the CCE deal “flies in the face of what
they’ve done in the past. This acquisition is abso-
lutely an about-face.” Does Gorham believe that
Kent and other Coke leaders damaged the com-
pany’s credibility? “I think so,” he says. “I think
investors will think twice from now on when they’re
told something from Coke.”
Many corporate governance experts, however,
observe that Kent was not legally obligated to explain
the fine distinction between his simultaneous
support of Coke’s franchise system and his intention
to take over its largest franchise. Legally speaking,
executives cannot deny outright that they’re
engaged in negotiations, but they’re also barred
from mentioning negotiations in public: Such state-
ments would amount to leaking inside information
and might affect stock prices—in which case, inves-
tors who lost money when the market reacted to an
executive’s statement could sue the company.
“Part of this is the artful use of words,” suggests
Paul Lapides, director of the Corporate Governance
Center at Kennesaw State University, who does not
feel that Coke CEO Kent was misleading his inves-
tors. “Shareholders would really like to know every-
thing that management is thinking about,” says
Lapides, “but that’s just bad business.” In this
case, for example, hints of an imminent deal could
have driven up the price that Coke ultimately paid
for CCE. According to John Sicher, a former corpo-
rate lawyer who’s now editor of Beverage Digest,
Kent had skillfully walked a thin legal and ethical
line. “He couldn’t say too little or too much. His
‘committed to the franchise system’ message was
accurate and an appropriate communication.”
On the point that Kent saved money for Coke
investors, even Gorham tends to agree: “If it
involves telling a little white lie for a few months
while negotiations are going on,” he admits, “that’s
probably the best way to go about it.”
References: Michael J. de la Merced, “Coke Confirms
Purchase of a Bottling Unit,” New York Times, February 26,
2010, www.nytimes.com, accessed on September 1, 2013;
Jeremiah McWilliams, “Coca-Cola’s Mixed Message Draws
Critics,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 13, 2010, www
.ajc.com, accessed on September 1, 2013; The Coca-Cola
Co., “The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Enterprises
Strategically Advance and Strengthen Their Partnership,”
press release, February 25, 2010, www.coca-colacompany
.com, accessed on September 1, 2013; and “Coca-Cola
Acquires CCE North America Business, Closes Sale of Nor-
way and Swedish Bottling Operations to CCE,” DBR, Octo-
ber 2, 2010, http://soft drinks.drinks-business-review.com,
accessed on September 1, 2013.
80 Part 2: Planning
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The matrix classifies the types of businesses in which a diversified organization can
engage as dogs, cash cows, question marks, and stars. Dogs are businesses that have
a very small share of a market that is not expected to grow. Because these businesses
do not hold much economic promise, the BCG matrix suggests that organizations
either should not invest in them or should consider selling them as soon as possible.
Cash cows are businesses that have a large share of a market that is not expected to
grow substantially. These businesses characteristically generate high profits that the
organization should use to support question marks and stars. (Cash cows are “milked”
for cash to support businesses in markets that have greater growth potential.) Question
marks are businesses that have only a small share of a quickly growing market. The
future performance of these businesses is uncertain. A question mark that is able to
capture increasing amounts of this growing market may be very profitable. On the
other hand, a question mark unable to keep up with market growth is likely to have
low profits. The BCG matrix suggests that organizations should invest carefully in
question marks. If their performance does not live up to expectations, question marks
should be reclassified as dogs and divested. Stars are businesses that have the largest
share of a rapidly growing market. Cash generated by cash cows should be invested
in stars to ensure their preeminent position. For example, BMW bought Rover a few
years ago, thinking that its products would help the German automaker reach new
consumers. But the company was not able to capitalize on this opportunity, so it
ended up selling Rover’s car business to a British firm and Land Rover to Ford. Ford
couldn’t get leverage out of Rover either and ended up selling it (along with Jaguar) to
India’s Tata Motors.
Relative market share
M
ar
ke
t
g
ro
w
th
ra
te
Cash cows Dogs
High
Low
High Low
Question
marks
Stars
FIGURE 3.4
The BCG Matrix
The BCG matrix helps managers develop a better understanding of how different
strategic business units contribute to the overall organization. By assessing each
SBU on the basis of its market growth rate and relative market share, managers
can make decisions about whether to commit further financial resources to the
SBU or to sell or liquidate it.
Source: Perspectives, No. 66, “The Product Portfolio.” Adapted by permission from The Boston
Consulting Group, Inc., 1970.
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 81
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GE Business Screen
Because the BCG matrix is relatively narrow and overly simplistic, GE developed the
GE Business Screen, a more sophisticated approach to managing diversified business
units. The GE Business Screen is a portfolio management technique that can also be
represented in the form of a matrix. Rather than focusing solely on market growth and
market share, however, the GE Business Screen considers industry attractiveness and
competitive position. These two factors are divided into three categories to make the
nine-cell matrix shown in Figure 3.5.30 These cells, in turn, classify business units as win-
ners, losers, question marks, average businesses, or profit producers.
As Figure 3.5 shows, both market growth and market share appear in a broad list of
factors that determine the overall attractiveness of an industry and the overall quality
of a firm’s competitive position. Other determinants of an industry’s attractiveness
(in addition to market growth) include market size, capital requirements, and compet-
itive intensity. In general, the greater the market growth, the larger the market, the
Competitive position
In
d
u
st
ry
a
tt
ra
ct
iv
en
es
s
Low
Winner
Medium
High
Good
Competitive position
1. Market share
2. Technological know-how
3. Product quality
4. Service network
5. Price competitiveness
6. Operating costs
Industry attractiveness
1. Market growth
2. Market size
3. Capital requirements
4. Competitive intensity
PoorMedium
Winner
Profit
producer
Winner
Average
business
Loser
Question
mark
Loser
Loser
FIGURE 3.5
The GE Business Screen
The GE Business Screen is a more sophisticated approach to portfolio management
than the BCG matrix. As shown here, several factors combine to determine a
business’s competitive position and the attractiveness of its industry. These two
dimensions, in turn, can be used to classify businesses as winners, question marks,
average businesses, losers, or profit producers. Such a classification enables
managers to allocate the organization’s resources more effectively across various
business opportunities.
Source: From Strategy Formulation: Analytical Concepts, 1st edition, by Charles W. Hofer and
Dan Schendel. Copyright © 1978. Reprinted with permission of South-Western, a division of
Thomson Learning: www.cengagelearning.com.
GE Business Screen
A method of
evaluating
businesses along
two dimensions:
(1) industry
attractiveness and
(2) competitive
position; in general,
the more attractive
the industry and the
more competitive the
position, the more an
organization should
invest in a business
82 Part 2: Planning
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smaller the capital requirements, and the less the competitive intensity, the more
attractive an industry will be. Other determinants of an organization’s competitive
position in an industry (besides market share) include technological know-how, prod-
uct quality, service network, price competitiveness, and operating costs. In general,
businesses with large market share, technological know-how, high product quality, a
quality service network, competitive prices, and low operating costs are in a favorable
competitive position.
Think of the GE Business Screen as a way of applying SWOT analysis to the imple-
mentation and management of a diversification strategy. The determinants of industry
attractiveness are similar to the environmental opportunities and threats in SWOT anal-
ysis, and the determinants of competitive position are similar to organizational strengths
and weaknesses. By conducting this type of SWOT analysis across several businesses, a
diversified organization can decide how to invest its resources to maximize corporate
performance. In general, organizations should invest in winners and question marks
(where industry attractiveness and competitive position are both favorable), should
maintain the market position of average businesses and profit producers (where industry
attractiveness and competitive position are average), and should sell losers. For example,
Unilever recently assessed its business portfolio using a similar framework and, as a
result, decided to sell off several specialty chemical units that were not contributing to
the firm’s profitability as much as other businesses. The firm then used the revenues
from these divestitures and bought more related businesses such as Ben & Jerry’s Home-
made and Slim-Fast.31 During the recent economic recession, many diversified busi-
nesses took an especially aggressive approach to selling or closing underperforming
businesses. For instance, Japan’s Pioneer electronics business sold its television business,
Home Depot shut down its Expo home-design stores, and Textron closed a business unit
that financed real estate deals.32
TACTICAL PLANNING
As we noted earlier, tactical plans are developed to implement specific parts of a strategic
plan. You have probably heard the saying about winning the battle but losing the war.
Tactical plans are to battles what strategy is to a war: an organized sequence of steps
designed to execute strategic plans. Strategy focuses on resources, environment, and mis-
sion, whereas tactics focus primarily on people and action.33
Developing Tactical Plans
Although effective tactical planning depends on many factors, which vary from one situa-
tion to another, we can identify some basic guidelines. First, the manager needs to recog-
nize that tactical planning must address a number of tactical goals derived from a broader
strategic goal.34 An occasional situation may call for a stand-alone tactical plan, but most
of the time tactical plans flow from and must be consistent with a strategic plan.
For example, top managers at Coca-Cola developed a strategic plan for cementing the
firm’s dominance of the soft-drink industry. As part of developing the plan, they identi-
fied a critical environmental threat—considerable unrest and uncertainty among the
independent bottlers that packaged and distributed Coca-Cola’s products. To simulta-
neously counter this threat and strengthen the company’s position, Coca-Cola bought
several large independent bottlers and combined them into one new organization called
Coca-Cola Enterprises. Selling half of the new company’s stock reaped millions in profits
while effectively keeping control of the enterprise in Coca-Cola’s hands. Thus, the
tactical plans
A plan aimed at
achieving tactical
goals and developed
to implement parts of
a strategic plan; an
organized sequence
of steps designed to
execute strategic
plans
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creation of the new business was a tactical plan developed to contribute to the achievement
of an overarching strategic goal.35 More recently, as discussed earlier in this chapter in
“Tough Times, Tough Choices,” the firm eventually reacquired its largest franchised bottling
operation.
Second, although strategies are often stated in general terms, tactics must specify
resources and time frames. A strategy can call for being number one in a particular mar-
ket or industry, but a tactical plan must specify precisely what activities will be under-
taken to achieve that goal. Consider the Coca-Cola example again. Another element of
its strategic plan involves increased worldwide market share. To facilitate additional
sales in Europe, managers developed tactical plans for building a new plant in the
south of France to make soft-drink concentrate and for building another canning plant
in Dunkirk. The firm has also invested heavily in India.36 Building these plants repre-
sents a concrete action involving measurable resources (funds to build the plants) and a
clear time horizon (a target date for completion).
Finally, tactical planning requires the use of human resources. Managers involved
in tactical planning spend a great deal of time working with other people. They must
be in a position to receive information from others within and outside the organiza-
tion, process that information most effectively, and then pass it on to others who
might use it. Coca-Cola executives have been intensively involved in planning the
new plants, setting up the new bottling venture noted earlier in this chapter, and
exploring a joint venture with Cadbury Schweppes in the United Kingdom.
Each activity has required considerable time and effort from dozens of managers.
One manager, for example, crossed the Atlantic 12 times while negotiating the
Cadbury deal.
Executing Tactical Plans
Regardless of how well a tactical plan is formulated, its ultimate success depends on the
way it is carried out. Successful implementation, in turn, depends on the astute use of
resources, effective decision making, and insightful steps to ensure that the right things
are done at the right times and in the right ways. A manager can see an absolutely bril-
liant idea fail because of improper execution.
Proper execution depends on a number of important factors. First, the manager needs
to evaluate every possible course of action in light of the goal it is intended to reach.
Next, he or she needs to make sure that each decision maker has the information and
resources necessary to get the job done. Vertical and horizontal communication and
integration of activities must be present to minimize conflict and inconsistent activities.
And, finally, the manager must monitor ongoing activities derived from the plan to make
sure they are achieving the desired results. This monitoring typically takes place within
the context of the organization’s ongoing control systems.
OPERATIONAL PLANNING
Another critical element in effective organizational planning is the development and
implementation of operational plans. Operational plans are derived from tactical plans
and are aimed at achieving operational goals. Thus, operational plans tend to be nar-
rowly focused, have relatively short time horizons, and involve lower-level managers.
The two most basic forms of operational plans and specific types of each are summarized
in Table 3.1.
84 Part 2: Planning
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Organizations develop various operational plans to help achieve operational goals. In
general, there are two types of single-use plans and three types of standing plans.
Single-Use Plans
A single-use plan is developed to carry out a course of action that is not likely to be
repeated in the future. As Disney planned its newest theme park in Hong Kong, it devel-
oped numerous single-use plans for individual rides, attractions, and hotels. The two
most common forms of single-use plans are programs and projects.
Programs A program is a single-use plan for a large set of activities. It might consist
of identifying procedures for introducing a new product line, opening a new facility, or
changing the organization’s mission. When United and Continental Airlines merged, a
program was needed to integrate every facet of the two firms’ operations. The overall
program required the integration of 1,400 technology systems (600 at Continental and
800 at United) and took three years to complete.37
Projects A project is similar to a program but is generally of less scope and complexity.
A project may be a part of a broader program, or it may be a self-contained single-use plan.
During the United–Continental merger, one project that was handled by the beverage com-
mittee involved deciding what coffee to use on the new airline. What might seem like a simple
decision required thousands of taste tests and changes in both coffee suppliers and coffee-
making equipment, and took over a year. Projects are also used to introduce a new product
within an existing product line or to add a new benefit option to an existing salary package.
Standing Plans
Whereas single-use plans are developed for nonrecurring situations, a standing plan is used
for activities that recur regularly over a period of time. Standing plans can greatly enhance
efficiency by making decision making routine. Policies, standard operating procedures
(SOPs), and rules and regulations are three kinds of standing plans.
Table 3.1 Types of Operational Plans
Plan Description
Single-use plan Developed to carry out a course of action not likely to
be repeated in the future
Program Single-use plan for a large set of activities
Project Single-use plan of less scope and complexity than a
program
Standing plan Developed for activities that recur regularly over a
period of time
Policy Standing plan specifying the organization’s general
response to a designated problem or situation
Standard operating
procedure
Standing plan outlining steps to be followed in
particular circumstances
Rules and regulations Standing plans describing exactly how specific
activities are to be carried out
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single-use plan
Developed to carry
out a course of action
that is not likely to be
repeated in the future
program
A single-use plan for
a large set of
activities
project
A single-use plan of
less scope and
complexity than a
program
standing plan
Developed for
activities that recur
regularly over a
period of time
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 85
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Policies As a general guide for action, a policy is the most general form of standing
plan that specifies the organization’s general response to a designated problem or situa-
tion. For example, McDonald’s has a policy that it will not grant a franchise to an indi-
vidual who already owns another fast-food restaurant. Similarly, Starbucks has a policy
that it will not franchise to individuals at all, instead retaining ownership of all Starbucks
coffee shops. Likewise, a university admissions office might establish a policy that admis-
sion will be granted only to applicants with a minimum SAT score of 1,200 and a rank-
ing in the top quarter of their high school class. Admissions officers may routinely deny
admission to applicants who fail to reach these minimums. A policy is also likely to
describe how exceptions are to be handled. The university’s policy statement, for exam-
ple, might create an admissions appeals committee to evaluate applicants who do not
meet minimum requirements but may warrant special consideration.
Standard Operating Procedures Another type of standing plan is the SOP. An SOP
is more specific than a policy, in that it outlines the steps to be followed in particular cir-
cumstances. The admissions clerk at the university, for example, might be told that, when
an application is received, he or she should (1) set up an electronic file for the applicant;
(2) merge test score records, transcripts, and letters of reference to the electronic file as
they are received; and (3) forward the electronic file to the appropriate admissions director
when it is complete. Gallo Vineyards in California has a 300-page manual of SOPs. This
planning manual is credited with making Gallo one of the most efficient wine-making
operations in the United States. McDonald’s has SOPs explaining exactly how Big Macs
are to be cooked, how long they can stay in the warming rack, and so forth.
Rules and Regulations The narrowest of the standing plans, rules and regulations
describe exactly how specific activities are to be carried out. Rather than guiding decision
making, rules and regulations actually take the place of decision making in various situa-
tions. Each McDonald’s restaurant has a rule prohibiting customers from using its tele-
phones, for example. The university admissions office might have a rule stipulating that
if an applicant’s file is not complete two months before the beginning of a semester, the
student cannot be admitted until the next semester. Of course, in most organizations a
manager at a higher level can suspend or bend the rules. If the high school transcript of
the child of a prominent university alumnus and donor arrives a few days late, the direc-
tor of admissions might waive the two-month rule. Indeed, rules and regulations can
become problematic if they are excessive or enforced too rigidly.
Rules and regulations and SOPs are similar in many ways. They are both relatively
narrow in scope, and each can serve as a substitute for decision making. An SOP typi-
cally describes a sequence of activities, whereas rules and regulations focus on one activ-
ity. Recall our examples: The admissions SOP consisted of three activities, whereas the
two-month rule related to only one activity. In an industrial setting, the SOP for orient-
ing a new employee could involve enrolling the person in various benefit options, intro-
ducing him or her to coworkers and supervisors, and providing a tour of the facilities. A
pertinent rule for the new employee might involve when to come to work each day.
Contingency Planning and Crisis Management
Another important type of planning is contingency planning, or the determination of alter-
native courses of action to be taken if an intended plan of action is unexpectedly disrupted or
rendered inappropriate.38 Crisis management, a related concept, is the set of procedures the
organization uses in the event of a disaster or other unexpected calamity. Some elements of
crisis management may be orderly and systematic, whereas others may be more ad hoc and
develop as events unfold.
policy
A standing plan that
specifies the
organization’s
general response to
a designated
problem or situation
SOP
A standard plan that
outlines the steps to
be followed in
particular
circumstances
rules and
regulations
Describe exactly how
specific activities are
to be carried out
contingency
planning
The determination of
alternative courses
of action to be taken
if an intended plan is
unexpectedly
disrupted or
rendered
inappropriate
crisis management
The set of
procedures the
organization uses in
the event of a
disaster or other
unexpected calamity
86 Part 2: Planning
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A classic example of widespread contingency planning occurred during the late 1990s
in anticipation of what was popularly known as the Y2K bug. Concerns about the impact
of technical glitches in computers stemming from their internal clocks’ changing from
1999 to 2000 resulted in contingency planning for most organizations. Many banks and
hospitals, for example, had extra staff available; some organizations created backup
computer systems; and some even stockpiled inventory in case they could not purchase
new products or materials.39
The devastating hurricanes—Katrina and Rita—that hit the Gulf Coast in 2005
dramatically underscored the importance of effective crisis management. For example,
inadequate and ineffective responses by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) illustrated to many people that organization’s weaknesses in coping with crisis
situations. On the other hand, some organizations responded much more effectively.
Walmart began ramping up its emergency preparedness on the same day Katrina was
upgraded from a tropical depression to a tropical storm. In the days before the storm
struck, Walmart stores in the region were supplied with powerful generators and large
supplies of dry ice so they could reopen as quickly as possible after the storm had passed.
In neighboring states, the firm also had scores of trucks standing by crammed with both
emergency-related inventory for its stores and emergency supplies it was prepared to
donate—bottled water, medical supplies, and so forth. And Walmart often beat FEMA
by several days in getting those supplies delivered.40
Seeing the consequences of poor crisis management after the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, and the 2005 hurricanes, many firms today are actively working to
create new and better crisis management plans and procedures. For example, both
D
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o
to
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it
Rules and regulations are standing plans describing how activities are to be carried out. This
workplace, for example, has posted a set of safety rules to be followed by all employees near the
time clock where they register their hours of work.
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 87
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Reliant Energy and Duke Energy rely on computer trading centers where trading man-
agers actively buy and sell energy-related commodities. If a terrorist attack or a natural
disaster such as a hurricane were to strike their trading centers, they would essentially be
out of business. Prior to September 11, each firm had relatively vague and superficial cri-
sis plans. But now they and most other companies have much more detailed and com-
prehensive plans in the event of another crisis. Both Reliant and Duke, for example, have
created secondary trading centers at other locations. In the event of a shutdown at their
main trading centers, these firms can quickly transfer virtually all their core trading
activities to their secondary centers within 30 minutes or less.41 More recently, many
businesses have developed contingency plans for dealing with a potential pandemic
such as the H1N1 virus.
Unfortunately, however, because it is impossible to forecast the future precisely, no
organization can ever be perfectly prepared for all crises. For example, due to 2011’s
disastrous earthquake and tsunami in Japan, many U.S. companies faced shortages of
goods and materials imported from that country. General Motors was the first auto-
maker forced to temporarily shut down one of its truck plants because it could not get
enough Japanese-made parts. Two months after the disaster, Toyota’s facilities in the
United States were operating at less than 30 percent of capacity and did not return to
full production until several months later.42
The mechanics of contingency planning are shown in Figure 3.6. In relation to an
organization’s other plans, contingency planning comes into play at four action points.
At action point 1, management develops the organization’s basic plans. These may
include strategic, tactical, and operational plans. As part of this development process,
managers usually consider various contingency events. Some management groups even
assign someone the role of devil’s advocate, who asks, “But what if … ?” about each
course of action. A variety of contingencies is usually considered.
At action point 2, the plan that management chooses is put into effect. The most
important contingency events are also defined. Only the events that are likely to occur
and whose effects will have a substantial impact on the organization are used in the
contingency-planning process. Next, at action point 3, the company specifies certain
Ongoing planning process
Action point 1 Action point 2 Action point 3 Action point 4
Develop plan,
considering
contingency events
Implement plan and
formally identify
contingency events
Specify indicators
for the contingency
events and develop
contingency plans for
each possible event
Successfully complete
plan or contingency
plan
Monitor contingency event indicators and
implement contingency plan if necessary
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FIGURE 3.6
Contingency Planning
Most organizations develop contingency plans. These plans specify alternative courses of action to be taken
if an intended plan is unexpectedly disrupted or rendered inappropriate.
88 Part 2: Planning
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indicators or signs that suggest a contingency event is about to take place. A bank might
decide that a 2 percent drop in interest rates should be considered a contingency event.
An indicator might be two consecutive months with a drop of 0.5 percent in each
month. As indicators of contingency events are being defined, the contingency plans
themselves should also be developed. Examples of contingency plans for various situa-
tions are delaying plant construction, developing a new manufacturing process, and cut-
ting prices.
After this stage, the organization’s managers monitor the indicators identified at
action point 3. If the situation dictates, a contingency plan is implemented. Otherwise,
the primary plan of action continues in force. Finally, action point 4 marks the successful
completion of either the original or a contingency plan.
Contingency planning is becoming increasingly important for most organizations,
especially for those operating in particularly complex or dynamic environments. Few
managers have such an accurate view of the future that they can anticipate and plan
for everything. Contingency planning is a useful technique for helping managers cope
with uncertainty and change. However, crisis management, by its very nature, is more
difficult to anticipate. But organizations that have a strong culture, strong leadership,
and a capacity to deal with the unexpected stand a better chance of successfully weather-
ing a crisis than other organizations.43
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AND KEY POINTS
1. Summarize the planning process, and describe
organizational goals.
• The planning process includes understanding
the environment, formulating a mission, and
creating goals and plans.
• Goals serve four basic purposes: They provide
guidance and direction, facilitate planning, inspire
motivation and commitment, and promote eval-
uation and control.
• With an understanding of the environmental
context, managers develop a number of differ-
ent types of goals and plans, including strategic,
tactical, and operational plans.
2. Discuss the components of strategy and types of
strategic alternatives.
• A strategy is a comprehensive plan for accom-
plishing the organization’s goals.
• Effective strategies address three organizational
issues: distinctive competence, scope, and
resource deployment.
3. Describe how to use SWOT analysis in formulat-
ing strategy.
• SWOT analysis considers an organization’s
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats.
• Using SWOT analysis, an organization chooses
strategies that support its mission, exploit its
opportunities and strengths, neutralize its
threats, and avoid its weaknesses.
4. Identify and describe various alternative
approaches to business-level strategy formulation.
• A business-level strategy is the plan an organi-
zation uses to conduct business in a particular
industry or market.
• Porter suggests that businesses may formulate a
differentiation strategy, an overall cost leader-
ship strategy, or a focus strategy.
• Business-level strategies may also take into
account the stages in its products’ life cycles.
5. Identify and describe various alternative
approaches to corporate-level strategy
formulation.
• A corporate-level strategy is the plan an orga-
nization uses to manage its operations across
several businesses.
• A firm that does not diversify is implementing
a single-product strategy.
• An organization pursues a strategy of related
diversification when it operates a set of busi-
nesses that are somehow linked.
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 89
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• An organization pursues a strategy of unrelated
diversification when it operates a set of busi-
nesses that are not logically associated with one
another.
• Organizations manage diversification through
the organization structure that they adopt and
through portfolio management techniques. The
BCG matrix classifies an organization’s diver-
sified businesses as dogs, cash cows, question
marks, or stars according to market share and
market growth rate. The GE Business Screen
classifies businesses as winners, losers, question
marks, average businesses, or profit producers
according to industry attractiveness and com-
petitive position.
6. Discuss how tactical plans are developed and
executed.
• Tactical plans are at the middle of the organi-
zation, have an intermediate time horizon, and
are moderate in scope.
• Tactical plans are developed to implement
specific parts of a strategic plan.
• Tactical plans must flow from strategy, specify
resource and time issues, and commit human
resources.
7. Describe the basic types of operational plans used
by organizations.
• Operational plans are at the lower level of the
organization, have a shorter time horizon, and
are narrower in scope. They are derived from a
tactical plan and are aimed at achieving one or
more operational goals.
• Two major types of operational plans are
single-use and standing plans. Single-use plans
are designed to carry out a course of action that
is not likely to be repeated in the future. Pro-
grams and projects are examples of single-use
plans. Standing plans are designed to carry out
a course of action that is likely to be repeated
several times. Policies, SOPs, and rules and
regulations are all standing plans.
• Contingency planning and crisis management
are also emerging as very important forms of
operational planning.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Questions for Review
1. Describe the nature of organizational goals. Be cer-
tain to include both the purposes and the kinds of
goals.
2. Identify and describe Porter’s generic strategies.
3. What are the basic differences among a single-
product strategy, a strategy based on related diversi-
fication, and one based on unrelated diversification?
4. What is tactical planning? What is operational
planning? What are the similarities and differences
between them?
5. What is contingency planning? How is it similar to
and different from crisis management?
Questions for Analysis
1. Managers are sometimes criticized for focusing too
much attention on the achievement of short-term
goals. In your opinion, how much attention should
be given to long-term versus short-term goals? In the
event of a conflict, which should be given priority?
Explain your answers.
2. Which strategy—business or corporate level—
should a firm develop first? Describe the relation-
ship between a firm’s business- and corporate-level
strategies.
3. Volkswagen sold its original Beetle automobile in
the United States until the 1970s. The original
Beetle was made of inexpensive materials, was
built using an efficient mass-production technol-
ogy, and offered few options. Then, in the 1990s,
Volkswagen introduced its new Beetle, which has a
distinctive style, provides more optional features,
and is priced for upscale buyers. What was Volks-
wagen’s strategy with the original Beetle—product
differentiation, low cost, or focus? Which strategy
did Volkswagen implement with its new Beetle?
Explain your answers.
4. What kind of plan—tactical or operational—
should be developed first? Why? Does the order
really matter? Why or why not?
5. Cite examples of operational plans that you use or
encounter (now or in the past) at work, at school,
or in your personal life.
90 Part 2: Planning
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BUILDING EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Decision-making skills refer to the ability to recognize
and define problems and opportunities correctly and
then to select an appropriate course of action for solv-
ing problems or capitalizing on opportunities. As we
noted in this chapter, many organizations use SWOT
analysis as part of the strategy formulation process.
This exercise will help you better understand both
how managers obtain the information they need to per-
form such an analysis and how they use it as a frame-
work for making decisions.
Exercise Background
The idea behind SWOT is that a good strategy exploits an
organization’s opportunities and strengths while neutral-
izing threats and avoiding or correcting weaknesses.
You’ve just been hired to run a medium-sized com-
pany that manufactures electric motors, circuit break-
ers, and similar electronic components for industrial
use. In recent years, the firm’s financial performance
has gradually eroded, and your job is to turn things
around.
At one time, the firm was successful in part because
it was able to charge premium prices for top-quality
products. In recent years, however, management has
tried cutting costs as a means of bringing prices in
line with those of new competitors in the market.
Unfortunately, the strategy hasn’t worked very well,
with the effect of cost cutting being primarily a fall-
off in product quality. Convinced that a new strategy
is called for, you’ve decided to begin with a SWOT
analysis.
Exercise Task
Reviewing the situation, you take the following steps:
1. List the sources that you’ll use to gather informa-
tion about the firm’s strengths, weaknesses, oppor-
tunities, and threats.
2. Then ask yourself: For what types of information
are data readily available on the Internet? What
categories of data are difficult or impossible to
find on the Internet? (Note: When using the Inter-
net, be sure to provide specific websites or URLs.)
3. Next, rate each source that you consult in terms of
probable reliability.
4. Finally, ask yourself how confident you would be
in basing decisions on the information that you’ve
obtained.
BUILDING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Interpersonal skills refer to the manager’s ability to
communicate with, understand, and motivate indivi-
duals and groups. Communication skills are used
both to convey information to others effectively and
to receive ideas and information effectively from
others. Communicating and interacting effectively
with many different types of individuals are essential
planning skills. This exercise allows you to think
through communication and interaction issues as they
relate to an actual planning situation.
Exercise Background
Larger and more complex organizations require greater
planning complexity to achieve their goals. NASA is
responsible for the very complex task of managing
U.S. space exploration and therefore has very complex
planning needs.
In April 1970, NASA launched the Apollo 13
manned space mission, which was charged with explo-
ration of the lunar surface. On its way to the moon, the
ship developed a malfunction that could have resulted
in the death of all the crew members. The crew mem-
bers worked with scientists in Houston to develop a
solution to the problem. The capsule was successful
in returning to Earth, and no lives were lost.
Exercise Task
1. Watch and listen to the short clip from Apollo 13.
(This movie was made by Universal Studios in
1995 and was directed by Ron Howard. The script
was based on a memoir by astronaut and Apollo
13 Mission Captain Jim Lovell.) Describe the vari-
ous types of planning and decision-making activi-
ties taking place at NASA during the unfolding of
the disaster.
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2. The biggest obstacles to effective planning in the
first few minutes of this crisis were the rapid and
unexpected changes occurring in a dynamic and
complex environment. List elements of the
situation that contributed to dynamism (elements
that were rapidly changing). List elements that
contributed to complexity. What kinds of actions
did NASA’s planning staff take to overcome the
obstacles presented by the dynamic and complex
environment? Suggest any other useful actions the
staff could have taken.
3. NASA managers and astronauts did not use a formal
planning process in their approach to this situation.
Why not? Is there any part of the formal planning
process that could have been helpful? What does this
example suggest to you about the advantages and
limitations of the formal planning process?
SKILLS SELF-ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT
Goal-Setting Questionnaire
This exercise will help you understand how to conceptual-
ize the elements of goal setting and your own goal-setting
tendencies.
Instructions: Indicate your concepts of your goal-
setting behaviors and feelings by circling the appropri-
ate number on the scale for each statement.
Statements
Strongly
Agree
Slightly
Agree
Not
Sure
Slightly
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
1. Rewards should be allocated based on goal
achievement.
5 4 3 2 1
2. I set goals for all key results areas. 5 4 3 2 1
3. Goals should have clear deadlines. 5 4 3 2 1
4. I work hard to give others feedback on how
they’re doing.
5 4 3 2 1
5. I tend to set goals that I can’t quite achieve
to force me to try harder.
1 2 3 4 5
6. Sometimes when I think maybe I’m not
doing so well, I don’t want feedback from
others.
1 2 3 4 5
7. My goals are always clearly stated. 1 2 3 4 5
8. My goals are stated in quantifiable terms. 5 4 3 2 1
9. Achieving goals is the way to promotion
and success.
5 4 3 2 1
10. My boss (parent, etc.) will not get on my
case if I don’t achieve my goals.
1 2 3 4 5
11. My boss (parent, etc.) usually sets my
goals.
1 2 3 4 5
12. I don’t always know what the key result
areas are.
1 2 3 4 5
13. I work better without specific deadlines. 1 2 3 4 5
14. Others allow me to take part in setting my
goals.
5 4 3 2 1
15. The more challenging my goals, the better I
work.
5 4 3 2 1
16. If I’m not on target to achieve my goals,
my boss (parent, etc.) should get on my
case.
5 4 3 2 1
(continued)
92 Part 2: Planning
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Statements
Strongly
Agree
Slightly
Agree
Not
Sure
Slightly
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
17. When I’m working on my goals, my boss
(parent, etc.) doesn’t always give me the
support I need.
1 2 3 4 5
18. Specific goals make me nervous, so I prefer
general goals.
1 2 3 4 5
19. My goals state exactly what results I plan
to achieve.
5 4 3 2 1
20. I challenge myself by setting goals that are
just out of my reach.
1 2 3 4 5
Scoring: Sum all of your responses on the question-
naire and place your total score here:
Scores can range from 20 to 100. The higher your
score, the closer you are to effective goal-setting
behaviors.
Source: From Burton, Exercises in Management, 3E. © 1990 Cengage
Learning.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE
The SWOT Analysis
Purpose: The SWOT analysis provides the manager
with a cognitive model of the organization and its envi-
ronmental forces. By developing the ability to conduct
such an analysis, the manager builds both process
knowledge and a conceptual skill. This skill builder
focuses on the administrative management model. It
will help you develop the coordinator role of the
administrative management model. One of the skills
of the coordinator is the ability to plan.
Introduction: This exercise helps you understand the
complex interrelationships between environmental
opportunities and threats and organizational strengths
and weaknesses. Strategy formulation is facilitated by a
SWOT analysis. First, the organization should study its
internal operations to identify its strengths and weak-
nesses. Next, the organization should scan the environ-
ment to identify existing and future opportunities and
threats. Then, the organization should identify the rela-
tionships that exist among these strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. Finally, major business strate-
gies usually result from matching an organization’s
strengths with appropriate opportunities or from match-
ing the threats it faces with weaknesses that have been
identified.
Instructions: First, read the short narrative of the
Trek Bicycle Corporation’s external and internal envir-
onments, found next in this chapter.
Second, divide into small groups and conduct a
SWOT analysis for Trek based on the short narrative.
You may also use your general knowledge and any
information you have about Trek or the bicycle-
manufacturing industry. Then prepare a group
response to the discussion questions.
Third, as a class, discuss both the SWOT analysis
and the groups’ responses to the discussion questions.
Discussion Questions
1. What was the most difficult part of the SWOT
analysis?
2. Why do most firms not develop major strategies
for matches between threats and strengths?
3. Under what conditions might a firm develop a major
strategy around a match between an opportunity and
a weakness?
Trek’s External and Internal
Environments
Today in the United States, inflation, cost of materials,
and unemployment are all relatively stable. Emerging
economies are growing more rapidly than the U.S.
economy in general. Foreign trade is relatively open,
so manufacturers face intense international and local
competition, with pressure to keep prices low and
opportunities to utilize low-cost labor and raw materi-
als from around the world. New manufacturing
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 93
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technologies, futuristic materials, and e-commerce are
becoming more prevalent and affordable. The political–
legal climate is favorable to business in the United
States and most developing nations, whereas regulation
is higher in the European Union. The standard of living
is stable, the population is aging, and ethnic diversity is
increasing.
Today in the bicycle-manufacturing industry, manu-
facturers must invest very heavily in research and devel-
opment (R&D) to compete effectively on a global scale.
Domestically, the bicycle-manufacturing industry is
fragmented, with the largest firm, Trek, controlling just
24 percent of sales. The industry’s customers are primar-
ily local, independent bike retailers, a very fragmented
group. The Internet, and eBay in particular, provides
alternate channels for new and used bike sales. Bike
riders, the ultimate purchasers, are interested in style,
comfort, and high-tech features, as well as environmen-
tal and health issues. Suppliers of many bike compo-
nents are small, local manufacturers located in
developing countries. However, a few suppliers are
more powerful, such as Shimano, an internationally
known maker of bicycle components and cycling gear.
Regulators are not a significant force for bicycle manu-
facturers, but Trek and others have numerous joint ven-
tures. In one example, Trek teamed with AMD, Nike,
and other companies to produce the high-performance
cycle used by Lance Armstrong and other leading
cyclists in the Tour de France and other races.
Trek has excellent R&D capability and effectively
utilizes low-cost manufacturers in producing the more
affordable products in its broad line of bikes. However,
its Wisconsin factory produces its high-end lines and
can customize a bike to a customer’s exact specifica-
tions. Trek is beginning to push to improve the cus-
tomer bike-buying experience. The company will limit
the number of retailers it uses and require retailers to
stock a higher percentage of Trek products. In return, it
will provide training and funds to improve in-store
marketing and increase customer loyalty.
MANAGEMENT AT WORK
Acting on a Strategic Vision
Established as Amazin’ Software in 1982 by an ex-Apple
marketing executive named Trip Hawkins, Electronic
Arts (EA) was a pioneer in the home computer game
industry. From the outset, EA published games cre-
ated by outside developers—a strategy that offered
higher profit margins and forced the new company
to stay in close contact with its market. By 1984,
having built the largest sales force in the industry,
EA had generated revenue of $18 million. Crediting
its developers as “software artists,” EA regularly gave
game creators photo credits on packaging and adver-
tising spreads and, what’s more important, developed
a generous profit-sharing policy that helped it to
attract some of the industry’s best development
talent.
By 1986, the company had become the country’s
largest supplier of entertainment software. It went
public in 1989, and net revenue took off in the early
1990s, climbing from $113 million in 1991 to $298
million in 1993. In the next 13 years, the company
continued to grow by developing two key strategies:
• Acquiring independent game makers (at the rate of
1.2 studios per year between 1995 and 2006)
• Rolling out products in series, such as John Madden
Football, Harry Potter, and Need for Speed
Activision’s path to success in the industry wasn’t
quite as smooth as EA’s. Activision was founded in
1979 as a haven for game developers unhappy with
prevailing industry policy. At the time, systems provi-
ders like Atari hired developers to create games only
for their own systems; in-house developers were paid
straight salaries and denied credit for individual con-
tributions, and there was no channel at all for would-be
independents. Positioning itself as the industry’s first
third-party developer, Activision began promoting
creators as well as games. The company went public
in 1983 and successfully rode the crest of a booming
market until the mid-1980s. Between 1986 and 1990,
however, Activision’s growth strategies—acquisitions
and commitment to a broader product line—fizzled,
and it had become, as Forbes magazine put it, “a com-
pany with a sorry balance sheet but a storied history.”
Enter Robert Kotick, a serial entrepreneur with no
particular passion for video games, who bought one-
fourth of the firm in December 1990 and became
CEO two months later. Kotick looked immediately to
Electronic Arts for a survey of best practices in the
industry. What he discovered was a company whose
culture was disrupted by internal conflict—namely,
between managers motivated by productivity and profit
and developers driven by independence and imagina-
tion. It seems that EA’s strategy for acquiring and
94 Part 2: Planning
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managing a burgeoning portfolio of studios had slipped
into a counterproductive pattern: Identify an extremely
popular game, buy the developer, delegate the original
creative team to churn out sequels until either the team
burned out or the franchise fizzled, and then close
down or absorb what was left.
On the other hand, EA still sold a lot of video
games, and to Kotick, the basic tension in EA culture
wasn’t entirely surprising: Clearly the business of mak-
ing and marketing video games succeeded when the
creative side of the enterprise was supported by financ-
ing and distribution muscle, but it was equally true that
a steady stream of successful games came from the
company’s creative people. The key to getting Activi-
sion back in the game, Kotick decided, was managing
this complex of essential resources better than his com-
petition did.
So the next year Kotick moved the company to Los
Angeles and began to recruit the people who could fur-
nish the resources that he needed most—creative
expertise and a connection with the passion that its
customers brought to the video-game industry. Activi-
sion, he promised prospective developers, would not
manage its human resources the way that EA did:
EA, he argued, “has commoditized development. We
won’t absorb you into a big Death Star culture.”
Between 1997 and 2003, Kotick proceeded to buy no
fewer than nine studios, but his concept of a video-
game studio system was quite different from that of
EA, which was determined to make production more
efficient by centralizing groups of designers and pro-
grammers into regional offices. Kotick allows his stu-
dios to keep their own names, often lets them stay
where they are, and further encourages autonomy by
providing seed money for Activision alumni who want
to launch out on their own. Each studio draws up its
own financial statements and draws on its own bonus
pool, and the paychecks of studio heads reflect compa-
nywide profits and losses.
The strategy paid off big time. For calendar year
2007, the company, now known as Activision Blizzard,
estimated compiled revenues of $3 8 billion—just
enough to squeeze past EA’s $3 7 billion and sneak
into the top spot as the bestselling video game pub-
lisher in the world not affiliated with a maker of
game consoles (such as Nintendo and Microsoft).
Revenues for calendar year 2012 were $4 6 billion, up
more than 22 percent over 2009, making Activision
Blizzard the number one video game publisher in
North America and Europe. Today, its market capitali-
zation of $14 5 billion is twice that of EA.
Kotick attributes the firm’s success to a “focus on
a select number of proven franchises and genres
where we have proven development expertise….
We look for ways to broaden the footprints of our
franchises, and where appropriate, we develop inno-
vative business models like subscription-based online
gaming.”
Case Questions
1. How might a SWOT analysis have helped Elec-
tronic Arts assess its slippage in the video game
market?
2. How might Porter’s generic strategies theory help
to explain why Electronic Arts lost its leadership in
the video game market to Activision Blizzard?
3. Is the concept of product life cycle relevant to the
video game market? Why or why not?
4. If you ran a small video game start-up, what would
be your strategy for competing with EA and Acti-
vision Blizzard?
5. If you’re a video game player, what aspects of
Activision’s strategy have led to your playing more
(or fewer) of its games? If you’re not a video game
player, what aspects of Activision Blizzard’s strategy
might induce you to try a few of its games?
Case References
Eric-Jon Rossel Waugh, “A Short History of Electronic
Arts,” BusinessWeek, www.businessweek.com, on
September 1, 2013; Peter C. Beller, “Activision’s
Unlikely Hero,” Forbes, www.forbes.com, accessed on
September 1, 2013; “Activision Beats EA as Top Third
Party Publisher in U.S.,” Gamasutra, www.gamasu tra.
com, accessed on September 1, 2013; “Activision Posts
92% Revenue Increase in Record Year,” Gamasutra,
www.gamasutra.com, accessed on September 1, 2013;
and “Activision Blizzard Reports December Quarter
and Calendar Year 2011 Financial Results,” PRNews-
wire, http://investor.activision.com, accessed on
September 1, 2013.
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 95
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You Make the Call
Google’s Strategy for Dominance
1. Explain how each of its strategic components—
distinctive competence, scope, and resource deploy-
ment—plays a role in Google’s success.
2. In what ways is Google prepared to respond to
both organizational opportunities and organiza-
tional threats in the U.S. market?
3. How can Porter’s generic strategies approach help
to explain Google’s U.S. strategy?
4. Identify situations in which Google might use tac-
tical, operational, and contingency planning.
ENDNOTES
1 Google, “Corporate Information,” April 11, 2013, at http://www
.google.com, accessed on September 1, 2013; “The Secret to
Google’s Success,” BusinessWeek, March 6, 2008, http://www
.businessweek.com, accessed on September 1, 2013; “In Search of
the Real Google,” Time, February 20, 2007, http://time.com/,
accessed on September 1, 2013; www.google.com, accessed on
September 1, 2013.
2 See Peter J. Brews and Michelle R. Hunt, “Learning to Plan and
Planning to Learn: Resolving the Planning School/Learning
School Debate,” Strategic Management Journal, 1999, Vol. 20,
pp. 889–913.
3 Max D. Richards, Setting Strategic Goals and Objectives, 2nd ed.
(St. Paul, MN: West, 1986).
4 Jim Collins, “Turning Goals into Results: The Power of Catalytic
Mechanisms,” Harvard Business Review, July–August 1999,
pp. 71–81.
5 “Set a Goal First, Says CEO of Zynga,” USA Today, April 23,
2012, pp. 1B, 2B.
6 “IBM Execs Tout Success of Roadmap, Reiterate 2015 Targets,”
Wall Street Journal, March 8, 2011.
7 Hoover’s Handbook of American Business 2013 (Austin, TX:
Mergent, 2013), pp. 232–233; and “GE, No. 2 in Appliances, Is
Agitating to Grab Share from Whirlpool,” Wall Street Journal,
July 2, 1997, pp. A1, A6. See also “A Talk with Jeff Immelt,”
BusinessWeek, January 28, 2002, pp. 102–104.
8 Kenneth R. Thompson, Wayne A. Hochwarter, and Nicholas J.
Mathys, “Stretch Targets: What Makes Them Effective?”
Academy of Management Executive, August 1997, pp. 48–58.
9 “A Methodical Man,” Forbes, August 11, 1997, pp. 70–72.
10 John A. Pearce II and Fred David, “Corporate Mission
Statements: The Bottom Line,” Academy of Management
Executive, May 1987, p. 109.
11 For early discussions of strategic management, see Kenneth
Andrews, The Concept of Corporate Strategy, rev. ed. (Home-
wood, IL: Dow Jones–Irwin, 1980); and Igor Ansoff, Corporate
Strategy (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1965). For more recent
perspectives, see Michael E. Porter, “What Is Strategy?” Harvard
Business Review, November–December 1996, pp. 61–78;
Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, “Strategy as Strategic Decision Making,”
Sloan Management Review, Spring 1999, pp. 65–74; and Sarah
Kaplan and Eric Beinhocker, “The Real Value of Strategic
Planning,” Sloan Management Review, Winter 2003, pp. 71–80.
12 Hoover’s Handbook of American Business 2013, pp. 28–29.
13 T. R. Holcomb, R. M. Holmes Jr., and B. L. Connelly, “Making
the Most of What You Have: Managerial Ability as a Source of
Resource Value Creation,” Strategic Management Journal, 2009,
Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 457–486.
14 Jay Barney, “Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive
Advantage,” Journal of Management, June 1991, pp. 99–120.
See also T. Russell Crook, David J. Ketchen Jr., James G. Combs,
and Samuel Y. Todd, “Strategic Resources and Performance: A
Meta-Analysis,” Strategic Management Journal, 2008, Vol. 29,
pp. 1141–1154.
15 Michael Porter, Competitive Strategy (New York: Free Press,
1980). See also Colin Campbell-Hunt, “What Have We Learned
about Generic Competitive Strategy? A Meta-Analysis,” Strategic
Management Journal, 2000, Vol. 21, pp. 127–154. See also
Michael E. Porter, “The Five Competitive Forces That Shape
Strategy,” Harvard Business Review, January 2008, pp. 79–90, for
a recent update.
16 Ian C. MacMillan and Rita Gunther McGrath, “Discovering New
Points of Differentiation,” Harvard Business Review, July–August
1997, pp. 133–136.
17 “In a Water Fight, Coke and Pepsi Try Opposite Tacks,” Wall
Street Journal, April 18, 2002, pp. A1, A8.
18 “Abercrombie Fights Discount Tide,” Wall Street Journal,
December 8, 2008, p. B1.
19 “When Service Means Survival,” BusinessWeek, March 2, 2009,
pp. 26–40.
20 “Recession Puts Hershey in Sweet Spot,” Wall Street Journal,
January 28, 2009, p. B1.
21 “P&G, Colgate Hit by Consumer Thrift,” Wall Street Journal,
May 1, 2009, pp. B1, B8.
22 “It Ain’t the Bellagio …” BusinessWeek, June 20–26, 2011,
pp. 84–85.
23 Alfred Chandler, Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the
American Industrial Enterprise (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1962);
Richard Rumelt, Strategy, Structure, and Economic Performance
(Cambridge, MA: Division of Research, Graduate School of Business
Administration, Harvard University, 1974); and Oliver Williamson,
Markets and Hierarchies (New York: Free Press, 1975).
24 “Mars’s Takeover of Wrigley Creates a Global Powerhouse,” Wall
Street Journal, April 29, 2009, p. 1A.
96 Part 2: Planning
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25 K. L. Stimpert and Irene M. Duhaime, “Seeing the Big Picture:
The Influence of Industry, Diversification, and Business Strategy
on Performance,” Academy of Management Journal, 1997,
Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 560–583.
26 See Chandler, Strategy and Structure; and Yakov Amihud and Baruch
Lev, “Risk Reduction as a Managerial Motive for Conglomerate
Mergers,” Bell Journal of Economics, 1981, pp. 605–617.
27 Chandler, Strategy and Structure; and Williamson, Markets and
Hierarchies.
28 For a discussion of the limitations of unrelated diversification,
see Jay Barney and William G. Ouchi, Organizational Economics
(San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986).
29 See Barry Hedley, “A Fundamental Approach to Strategy Develop-
ment,” Long Range Planning, December 1976, pp. 2–11; and Bruce
Henderson, “The Experience Curve-Reviewed: IV. The Growth Share
Matrix of theProduct Portfolio,” Perspectives, 1973,No. 135, pp. 1–18.
30 Michael G. Allen, “Diagramming G.E.’s Planning for What’s
WATT,” in Robert J. Allio and Malcolm W. Pennington (eds.),
Corporate Planning: Techniques and Applications (New York:
AMACOM, 1979). Limits of this approach are discussed in R. A.
Bettis and W. K. Hall, “The Business Portfolio Approach: Where
It Falls Down in Practice,” Long Range Planning, March 1983,
pp. 95–105.
31 “Unilever to Sell Specialty-Chemical Unit to ICI of the U.K. for
About $8 Billion,” Wall Street Journal, May 7, 1997, pp. A3, A12;
and “For Unilever, It’s Sweetness and Light,” Wall Street Journal,
April 13, 2000, pp. B1, B4.
32 “Unprofitable Businesses Getting Axed More Often,” Wall Street
Journal, February 17, 2009, pp. B1, B2.
33 James Brian Quinn, Henry Mintzberg, and Robert M. James, The
Strategy Process (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988).
34 Vasudevan Ramanujam and N. Venkatraman, “Planning System
Characteristics and Planning Effectiveness,” Strategic Manage-
ment Journal, 1987, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 453–468.
35 “Coca-Cola May Need to Slash Its Growth Targets,” Wall Street
Journal, January 28, 2000, p. B2. See also “Pepsi and Coke Roll
Out Flavors to Boost Sales,” Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2002,
pp. B1, B4.
36 “Finally, Coke Gets It Right,” BusinessWeek, February 10, 2003, p. 47.
37 “Marriage at 30,000 Feet,” Bloomberg BusinessWeek, February
6–12, 2012, pp. 58–64.
38 K. A. Froot, D. S. Scharfstein, and J. C. Stein, “A Framework for
Risk Management,” Harvard Business Review, November–
December 1994, pp. 91–102.
39 “How the Fixers Fended Off Big Disasters,” Wall Street Journal,
December 23, 1999, pp. B1, B4.
40 “At Wal-Mart, Emergence Plan Has Big Payoff,” Wall Street
Journal, September 12, 2005, pp. B1, B3.
41 “Next Time,” USA Today, October 4, 2005, pp. 1B, 2B. See also
Judith A. Clair and Ronald L. Dufresne, “How Companies Can
Experience Positive Transformation from a Crisis,” Organiza-
tional Dynamics, 2007, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 63–77.
42 “Lacking Parts, G. M. Will Close Plant,” New York Times, March
17, 2011.
43 Michael Watkins and Max Bazerman, “Predictable Surprises: The
Disasters You Should Have Seen Coming,” Harvard Business
Review, March 2003, pp. 72–81.
Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management 97
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C H A P T E R 4
Managing Decision
Making
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Define decision making and discuss types of decisions and decision-making conditions.
2 Discuss rational perspectives on decision making, including the steps involved.
3 Describe the behavioral aspects of decision making.
4 Discuss group and team decision making, including its advantages and disadvantages and how it can
be more effectively managed.
Management in Action
The Embargo Grinds On
“I’m not going to risk everything I’ve worked for [for]
over 30 years by violating U.S. law.”
—Paul Katzeff, founder of Thanksgiving Coffee Co.
Because they love certain types of coffee, some American
coffee enthusiasts only buy coffee that’s labeled “Cuban.”
As it turns out, though, such brands as Nescafé Café con
Leche and Pilon Café Cubano aren’t actually made from
Cuban coffee beans: Because of a U.S. embargo against
Cuban products, the so-called “Cuban coffee” available in
this country comes from beans grown in such countries as
Nicaragua, Mexico, or Guatemala, basically anywhere but
Cuba. Indeed, Americans cannot legally buy any products
from Cuba—coffee, cigars, alcohol, or anything else. So
coffee distributors in the United States are limited in the
products they can offer and must be careful in how they
promote those coffees they do sell. In short, they face
risk and uncertainty in every decision they make.
Consider the Canadian firm Merchants of Green Coffee.
Its mission “is to deliver the best-tasting coffee experience
to discerning consumers through a supply chain with
integrity and a unique commitment to quality.” The
company buys only the finest beans from small growers
in Africa, Latin America, and Cuba and stocks premium
J
a
n
e
t
J
a
rm
a
n
/C
o
rb
is
Paul Katzeff is the founder of Thanksgiving Coffee
Co. Katzeff would like to see the U.S. government
drop its decades-long embargo on Cuban coffee,
arguing that it has not been effective and that it hurts
the Cuban people more than the Cuban
government.
Sergii Tsololo/Photos.com
98
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products like Cuba Turquino. This premium coffee is made from beans grown
under shade-tree canopies at elevations above 3,000 feet. As the name indicates,
Cuba Turquino is made from Cuban coffee beans, and for that reason, again,
American coffee connoisseurs can’t buy it.
Now, coffee beans from other Latin American nations are also of high quality,
and they’re often certified organic. They’re just not Cuban coffee beans, and to
some people in the coffee business, it’s the principle that matters. Paul Katzeff,
founder of Thanksgiving Coffee Co., a California producer of specialty coffees,
regards the U.S. embargo as impractical (on the grounds that it hasn’t achieved
its goals) and immoral (on the grounds that it punishes the Cuban people rather
than their government). These two reasons are why his company has been
marketing a line of beans called “End the Embargo Coffee” for over a decade. The
coffee actually comes from Nicaragua, but the packaging, emblazoned with the
image of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, gets the point across. Katzeff hastens
to point out that he’s not going “to risk everything I’ve worked for [for] over 30
years” by violating U.S. law, but in addition to selling distinctive, high-quality
coffee, he’s determined “to bring awareness to U.S. consumers on Cuba issues.”
Explains Johanna Schulz, director of Thanksgiving’s social and environmental
policy: “Since we can’t import Cuban coffee directly, we’re using [End the
Embargo] as an awareness tool to educate customers about the embargo on
Cuba.” For the past eight years, Thanksgiving has also donated 15 cents from
every package sold to the U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association, a nonprofit that
works to establish relationships between similar-sized cities in the two countries.
The U.S. embargo, which was first imposed in 1962 in response to the
revolutionary communist government’s appropriation of American land holdings
in the country, prevents “U.S. persons” and entities “owned or controlled” by
“U.S. persons” from engaging in any transactions in which Cuba has an
“interest of any nature whatsoever, direct or indirect.” Cuba, therefore, has no
access to the American market, does without U.S. imports, and amasses
substantial debts to other trading partners. But, says a Canadian businessman
with investments in Cuba, “anyone who thinks there will be a ‘for sale’ sign [put]
up by a bankrupt Cuban government is wrong.” Why? Basically because the
embargo doesn’t really have much effect on Cuba or its people.
Cubans now buy ice cream and soft drinks from Swiss-based Nestlé, soap and
shampoo from Anglo-Dutch Unilever, and cigarettes from Brazil’s Souza Cruz. The
fact that the United States is the world’s largest market for rum did not deter
French-owned Pernod-Ricard from building a new distillery in Cuba, and Britain’s
Imperial Tobacco expects to double sales when Americans can once again
purchase premium hand-rolled Cuban cigars. Most of the directors of Canada’s
Sherritt International are barred from the United States by provisions of the
embargo, but they apparently regard the ban as a small price to pay for future
returns on a $1 5 billion investment in Cuba’s nickel and oil and gas industries.
Cuba has also lifted restrictions on many products once unavailable to Cuban
consumers, such as computers, DVDs, and smartphones, and sales of all these
products will be a boon to Telecom Italia, which holds a 27 percent stake in the
country’s state-owned telecom operations.
Katzeff is thinking the same thing that a lot of American businesspeople are
undoubtedly thinking: “When the embargo is over,” he says, “I want to be
there.” As he sees it, Cuban coffee has a promising post-embargo future: Its
potential, he points out, “is phenomenal. The climate hasn’t changed. The soil
hasn’t changed.” And while Katzeff’s geopolitics may rankle some people, his
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 99
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business sense seems sound. At present, of course, he can’t actually do business
with Cuban coffee growers, but he has figured out a way to lay the groundwork.
He has already established working relationships with coffee cooperatives, groups
of individual growers who pool their crops to enter the export market and secure
higher prices, in Latin America and Africa. “Right now,” he says, “my objective is
to show those cooperatives that I’m willing to risk something on their behalf,” but
a longer-term goal is to invest the same capital and acquired know-how in
relationships with Cuban growers.
The director of Thanksgiving’s Cuba project, Nick Hoskins, has already
developed contacts in Cuba’s coffee-growing regions, and Katzeff hopes to
establish a twinning agreement, an exchange of people-to-people programs, with
cooperatives in the coffee-growing province of Santiago de Cuba. “We’re trying
to create models that other companies can use and benefit from,” explains
Katzeff, who is meanwhile willing to settle for a public relations program of
transactions—monetary and otherwise—with American coffee drinkers.1
Managers make decisions every day. Some have immediate consequences. Others, like
those made in the context of the Cuban embargo, are much more long-term in nature.
Making effective decisions, as well as recognizing when a bad decision has been made
and quickly responding to it, is a key ingredient in organizational effectiveness. Indeed,
some experts believe that decision making is the most basic and fundamental of all man-
agerial activities.2 Thus, we discuss it here, in the context of the first management func-
tion, planning. Keep in mind, however, that although decision making is perhaps most
closely linked to the planning function, it is also part of organizing, leading, and
controlling.
We begin our discussion by exploring the nature of decision making. We then
describe rational perspectives on decision making. Behavioral aspects of decision making
are then introduced and described. We conclude with a discussion of group and team
decision making.
THE NATURE OF DECISION MAKING
Managers at Disney recently made the decision to buy all of George Lucas’s properties,
including the characters and stories in the Star Wars mythology. At about the same time,
the general manager of the Ford dealership in Bryan, Texas, made a decision to sponsor
a local youth soccer team for $200. Each of these examples reflects a decision, but the
decisions differ in many ways. Thus, as a starting point in understanding decision mak-
ing, we must first explore the meaning of decision making as well as types of decisions
and the conditions under which decisions are made.3
Decision Making Defined
Decision making can refer to either a specific act or a general process. Decision making
is the act of choosing one alternative from among a set of alternatives. The decision-
making process, however, is much more than this. One step of the process, for example,
is that the person making the decision must both recognize that a decision is necessary
and identify the set of feasible alternatives before selecting one. Hence, the decision-
making process includes recognizing and defining the nature of a decision situation,
identifying alternatives, choosing the “best” alternative, and putting it into practice.4
decision making
The act of choosing
one alternative from
among a set of
alternatives
decision-making
process
Recognizing and
defining the nature of
a decision situation,
identifying
alternatives,
choosing the best
alternative, and
putting it into
practice
100 Part 2: Planning
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The word best, of course, implies effectiveness. Effec-
tive decision making requires that the decision maker
understands the situation driving the decision. Most
people would consider an effective decision to be one
that optimizes some set of factors, such as profits, sales,
employee welfare, and market share. In some situations,
though, an effective decision may be one that minimizes
loss, expense, or employee turnover. It may even mean
selecting the best method for going out of business, lay-
ing off employees, or terminating a strategic alliance.
We should also note that managers make decisions
about both problems and opportunities. For example,
making decisions about how to cut costs by 10 percent
reflects a problem—an undesirable situation that
requires a solution. But decisions are also necessary in
situations of opportunity. Learning that the firm is
earning higher-than-projected profits, for example,
requires a subsequent decision. Should the extra funds
be used to increase shareholder dividends, reinvest in
current operations, or expand into new markets?5
Of course, it may take a long time before a manager can
know if the right decision was made. For example, in late
2008 and early 2009, government leaders made the deci-
sion to invest billions of dollars in failing financial institu-
tions and other businesses. It will be years—or perhaps
decades—before economists and other experts will know
if those were sound decisions or if the United States would
have been better off by allowing those businesses to fail.
Types of Decisions
Managers must make many different types of decisions.
In general, however, most decisions fall into one of two
categories: programmed and nonprogrammed.6
Programmed decisions are relatively structured or
recur with some frequency (or both). Starbucks uses pro-
grammed decisions to purchase new supplies of coffee
beans, cups, and napkins, and its employees are trained in exact procedures for brewing
coffee. Likewise, the Bryan Ford dealer made a decision that he will sponsor a youth soccer
team each year. Thus, when the soccer club president calls, the dealer already knows what
he will do. Many decisions regarding basic operating systems and procedures and standard
organizational transactions are of this variety and can therefore be programmed.7
Nonprogrammed decisions, on the other hand, are relatively unstructured and occur
much less often than programmed decisions. Disney’s decision to buy George Lucas’s
assets was a nonprogrammed decision. Managers faced with such decisions must treat
each one as unique, investing enormous amounts of time, energy, and resources into
exploring the situation from all perspectives. Intuition and experience are major factors
in nonprogrammed decisions. Most of the decisions made by top managers involving
strategy (including mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers) and organization design are
nonprogrammed. So are decisions about new facilities, new products, labor contracts,
and legal issues.
J
im
W
e
st
/A
la
m
y
Decision making plays a major role in all organizations,
both public and private. For example, poor decision
making at major financial institutions led to the financial
crisis that swept the United States in 2008 and 2009. And
then the U.S. government made several controversial
decisions to help pull the economy out of recession.
These protesters were among the critics who thought
decisions to support the bailouts were inappropriate.
programmed
decision
A decision that is
relatively structured
or recurs with some
frequency (or both)
nonprogrammed
decision
A decision that is
relatively
unstructured and
occurs much less
often than a
programmeddecision
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 101
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Decision-Making Conditions
Just as there are different kinds of decisions, there are also different conditions under
which decisions are made. Managers sometimes have an almost perfect understanding
of the conditions surrounding a decision, but at other times they have few clues about
those conditions. In general, as shown in Figure 4.1, the circumstances that exist for the
decision maker are conditions of certainty, risk, or uncertainty.8
Decision Making Under Certainty When the decision maker knows with reason-
able certainty what the alternatives are and what conditions are associated with each
alternative, a state of certainty exists. Suppose, for example, that managers at Singapore
Airlines make a decision to buy five new jumbo jets. Their next decision would be from
whom to buy them. Because only two companies in the world make jumbo jets, Boeing
and Airbus, Singapore Airlines knows its options exactly. Each has proven products and
will guarantee prices and delivery dates. The airline thus knows the alternative condi-
tions associated with each. There is little ambiguity and relatively little chance of making
a bad decision.
Few organizational decisions, however, are made under conditions of true certainty.
The complexity and turbulence of the contemporary business world make such situations
rare. Even the airplane purchase decision we just considered has less certainty than it
appears. The aircraft companies may not be able to really guarantee delivery dates, so
they may write cost increase or inflation clauses into contracts. Thus, the airline may
be only partially certain of the conditions surrounding each alternative.
Decision Making Under Risk A more common decision-making condition is a
state of risk. Under a state of risk, the availability of each alternative and its potential
payoffs and costs are all associated with probability estimates.9 Suppose, for example,
that a labor contract negotiator for a company receives a “final” offer from the union
right before a strike deadline. The negotiator will have two alternatives: to accept or to
reject the offer. The risk centers on whether the union representatives are bluffing. If the
Level of ambiguity and chances of making a bad decision
Lower HigherModerate
Certainty UncertaintyRisk
The decision
maker faces
conditions of . . .
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FIGURE 4.1
Decision-Making Conditions
Most major organizational decisions today are made under a state of uncertainty.
Managers making decisions in these circumstances must be sure to learn as much
as possible about the situation and approach the decision from a logical and rational
perspective.
state of certainty
A condition in which
the decision maker
knows with
reasonable certainty
what the alternatives
are and what
conditions are
associated with each
alternative
state of risk
A condition in which
the availability of
each alternative and
its potential payoffs
and costs are all
associated with
probability estimates
102 Part 2: Planning
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company negotiator accepts the offer, she avoids a strike but commits to a relatively
costly labor contract. If she rejects the contract, she may get a more favorable contract
if the union is bluffing, but she may provoke a strike if it is not.
On the basis of past experiences, relevant information, the advice of others, and her
own judgment, she may conclude that there is about a 75 percent chance that union
representatives are bluffing and about a 25 percent chance that they will back up their
threats. Thus, she can base a calculated decision on the two alternatives (accept or reject
the contract demands) and the probable consequences of each. When making decisions
under a state of risk, managers must reasonably estimate the probabilities associated with
each alternative. For example, if the union negotiators are committed to a strike if their
demands are not met, and the company negotiator rejects their demands because she
guesses they will not strike, her miscalculation will prove costly.
As indicated in Figure 4.1, decision making under conditions of risk is accompanied
by moderate ambiguity and the chances of a bad decision. Managers at Ford Motor
Company often face risky decisions. For instance, like many other automobile compa-
nies, Ford laid off thousands of workers during 2008. But shortly thereafter, Ford execu-
tives noted that as fuel prices were dropping, demand for its new F-150 pickup was
increasing in spite of the recession. So, the firm rehired 1,000 of its former workers to
help build more pickups. The risk was that if gas prices had surged unexpectedly and/
or demand for the F-150 had cooled, Ford would have been in the embarrassing position
of recalling workers and then once again terminating them. But the upside was that
Ford’s assessment that it would generate new revenues and more profits was correct.10
More recently, Ford launched the newest version of the F-150 in early 2014. The risk?
Truck makers have historically used steel for most of their product’s exterior sheet metal,
but the new F-150 uses aluminum. Aluminum construction reduces the weight of the
trucks by several hundred pounds, promising much better fuel economy. If pickup
buyers accept aluminum construction and embrace better fuel economy, Ford will have
gained a competitive advantage. But if buyers resist the idea of aluminum, then the F-150
may see a drop in market share. The “Tough Times, Tough Choices” box explores risk
managers face due to increased globalization.
Decision Making Under Uncertainty Most of the major decision making in con-
temporary organizations is done under a state of uncertainty, where the decision maker
does not know all the alternatives, the risks associated with each, or the likely conse-
quences of each alternative. This uncertainty stems from the complexity and dynamism
of contemporary organizations and their environments. For example, airlines continually
face uncertainty stemming from fluctuations in fuel costs. In large part to reduce this
uncertainty, Delta Air Lines recently took the unusual step of buying its own oil refin-
ery.11 The emergence of new technology and social media as significant forces in today’s
competitive environment has served to increase both revenue potential and uncertainty
for most managers.
To make effective decisions in these circumstances, managers must acquire as
much relevant information as possible and approach the situation from a logical
and rational perspective. Intuition, judgment, and experience always play major
roles in the decision-making process under conditions of uncertainty. Even so, uncer-
tainty is the most ambiguous condition for managers and the one in which they are
most prone to error.12 Indeed, many of the problems associated with the downfall of
Arthur Andersen resulted from the firm’s apparent difficulties in responding to
ambiguous and uncertain decision parameters regarding the firm’s moral, ethical,
and legal responsibilities.13
state of uncertainty
A condition in which
the decision maker
does not know all the
alternatives, the risks
associated with each,
or the likely
consequences of
each alternative
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 103
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RATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
ON DECISION MAKING
Most managers like to think of themselves as rational decision makers. And, indeed,
many experts argue that managers should try to be as rational as possible in making
decisions.14 This section highlights the fundamental and rational perspectives on decision
making.
The Classical Model of Decision Making
The classical decision model is a prescriptive approach that tells managers how
they should make decisions. It rests on the assumptions that managers are logical
and rational and that they make decisions that are in the organization’s best
interests. Figure 4.2 shows how the classical model views the decision-making
process:
1. Decision makers have complete information about the decision situation and possi-
ble alternatives.
2. They can effectively eliminate uncertainty to achieve a decision condition of
certainty.
3. They evaluate all aspects of the decision situation logically and rationally.
As we see later, these conditions rarely, if ever, actually exist.
TOUGH TIMES, TOUGH CHOICES
The Wide World of Risk
Decision making under a condition of risk is becom-
ing an increasingly common challenge for all man-
agers today. One reason for the increased risk is
the fact that globalization has become such a factor
in everyday business life. The general impact of the
global economy and the expanded reach and power
of multinational companies are the basic causes of
increased risk stemming from globalization. Many
large corporations have actually become engines for
innovation as well as growth, adapting to new mar-
kets and new economic circumstances. In a highly
interconnected world, however, it’s often hard to fig-
ure out the complex ownership and organizational
structures of many global corporations. Sometimes,
for example, their branding strategies and manage-
ment structures lead people to think that they’re
local companies when, in fact, the real source of cor-
porate power may lie thousands of miles away on
another continent. For example, there are several
hundred Aldi supermarkets in the United States, but
Aldi itself is a German firm. One thing’s for sure, if
you’re going to be dealing with a company overseas,
you’d better have a good idea of where and how
decisions are made, and who has the real power to
make them.
Remember, too, that different cultures have dif-
ferent attitudes when it comes to risk, especially as
it relates to entrepreneurship. In some countries and
cultures, like that of the United States, there’s a lively
entrepreneurial spirit. Businesspeople are open to
taking risks, and if they fail, they tend to pick them-
selves up and move on to something else. In some
Asian countries, though, the entrepreneurial spirit is
often tempered by the need for consensus and get-
ting everyone on board. This approach requires a lot
of patience and the ability to compromise. Knowing
the economic cultural forces that shape both a busi-
ness organization and people’s attitudes toward risk,
success, and failure is an increasingly important com-
ponent of the manager’s job today.
classical decision
model
A prescriptive
approach to decision
making that tells
managers how they
should make
decisions; it assumes
that managers are
logical and rational
and that their
decisions will be in
the organization’s
best interests
104 Part 2: Planning
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Steps in Rational Decision Making
A manager who really wants to approach a decision rationally and logically should try to
follow the steps in rational decision making listed in Table 4.1. These steps in rational
decision making help keep the decision maker focused on facts and logic and help guard
against inappropriate assumptions and pitfalls.
Although the presumptions of the classical decision model rarely exist, managers can
still approach decision making with rationality. By following the steps of rational
decision making, managers ensure that they are learning as much as possible about the
decision situation and its alternatives.
Recognizing and Defining the Decision Situation The first step in rational
decision making is recognizing that a decision is necessary—that is, there must be some
stimulus or spark to initiate the process. For many decisions and problem situations, the
stimulus may occur without any prior warning. When equipment malfunctions, the
manager must decide whether to repair or replace it. Or, when a major crisis erupts, as
described in Chapter 3, the manager must quickly decide how to deal with it. As we
already noted, the stimulus for a decision may be either positive or negative. A manager
who must decide how to invest surplus funds, for example, faces a positive decision
situation. A negative financial stimulus could involve having to trim budgets because of
cost overruns.
Inherent in problem recognition is the need to define precisely what the problem
is. The manager must develop a complete understanding of the problem, its causes,
and its relationship to other factors. This understanding comes from careful analysis
and thoughtful consideration of the situation. Consider the situation currently being
faced in the international air travel industry. Because of the growth of international
travel related to business, education, and tourism, global carriers such as Singapore
Airlines, KLM, JAL, British Airways, and American Airlines need to increase their
capacity for international travel. Because most major international airports are
already operating at or near capacity, adding a significant number of new flights to
existing schedules is not feasible. As a result, the most logical alternative is to
increase capacity on existing flights. Thus, Boeing and Airbus, the world’s only man-
ufacturers of large commercial aircraft, recognized an important opportunity and
defined their decision situation as how to best respond to the need for increased
global travel capacity.15
Identifying Alternatives Once the decision situation has been recognized
and defined, the second step is to identify alternative courses of effective action.
Developing both obvious, standard alternatives and creative, innovative alternatives
is generally useful.16 In general, the more important the decision, the more attention
is directed to developing alternatives.17 If the decision involves a multimillion-dollar
relocation, a great deal of time and expertise will be devoted to identifying the best
When faced with a
decision situation,
managers should . . .
. . . and end up with
a decision that best
serves the interests
of the organization.
• obtain complete
and perfect information
• eliminate uncertainty
• evaluate everything
rationally and logically
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FIGURE 4.2 The Classical Model of Decision Making
steps in rational
decision making
Recognize and define
the decision
situation; identify
appropriate
alternatives; evaluate
each alternative in
terms of its
feasibility,
satisfactoriness, and
consequences; select
the best alternative;
implement the
chosen alternative;
and follow up and
evaluate the results
of the chosen
alternative
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 105
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locations. AT&T spent over a year searching before selecting the Dallas–Fort Worth
area for its new corporate headquarters. If the problem is to choose a color
for the company softball team’s uniforms, less time and expertise will be brought to
bear.
Although managers should seek creative solutions, they must also recognize that vari-
ous constraints often limit their alternatives. Common constraints include legal restric-
tions, moral and ethical norms, authority constraints, available technology, economic
considerations, and unofficial social norms. Boeing and Airbus identified three different
alternatives to address the decision situation of increasing international airline travel
capacity: They could independently develop new large planes, they could collaborate in
Table 4.1 Steps in the Rational Decision-Making Process
Step Detail Example
1. Recognizing
and defining
the decision
situation
Some stimulus indicates that
a decision must be made.
The stimulus may be positive
or negative.
A plant manager sees that
employee turnover has
increased by 5 percent.
2. Identifying
alternatives
Both obvious and creative
alternatives are desired. In
general, the more important
the decision, the more
alternatives should be
generated.
The plant manager can
increase wages, increase
benefits, or change hiring
standards.
3. Evaluating
alternatives
Each alternative is evaluated
to determine its feasibility, its
satisfactoriness, and its
consequences.
Increasing benefits may
not be feasible. Increasing
wages and changing hiring
standards may satisfy all
conditions.
4. Selecting
the best
alternative
Consider all situational
factors, and choose the
alternative that best fits the
manager’s situation.
Changing hiring standards
will take an extended
period of time to cut
turnover, so increase
wages.
5. Implementing
the chosen
alternative
The chosen alternative is
implemented into the
organizational system.
The plant manager may
need permission from
corporate headquarters.
The human resources
department establishes a
new wage structure.
6. Following up
and evaluating
the results
At some time in the future,
the manager should
ascertain the extent to which
the alternative chosen in Step
4 and implemented in Step 5
has worked.
The plant manager notes
that, six months later,
turnover dropped to its
previous level.
Although the
presumptions of the
classical decision
model rarely exist,
managers can still
approach decision
making with ratio-
nality. By following
the steps of rational
decision making,
managers ensure
that they are learning
as much as possible
about the decision
situation and its
alternatives.
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106 Part 2: Planning
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a joint venture to create a single new large plane, or they could modify their largest exist-
ing planes to increase their capacity.
Evaluating Alternatives The third step in the decision-making process is evaluat-
ing each of the alternatives. Figure 4.3 presents a decision tree that can be used to
judge different alternatives. The figure suggests that each alternative be evaluated in
terms of its feasibility, satisfactoriness, and consequences. The first question to ask is
whether an alternative is feasible. Is it within the realm of probability and practicality?
For a small, struggling firm, an alternative requiring a huge financial outlay is probably
out of the question. Other alternatives may not be feasible because of legal barriers.
And limited human, material, and information resources may make other alternatives
impractical.
When an alternative has passed the test of feasibility, it must next be examined to
see how well it satisfies the conditions of the decision situation. For example, a
manager searching for ways to double production capacity might initially consider pur-
chasing an existing plant from another company. If more detailed analysis reveals that
the new plant would increase production capacity by only 35 percent, this alternative
may not be satisfactory. Finally, when an alternative has proven both feasible and sat-
isfactory, its probable consequences must still be assessed. To what extent will a partic-
ular alternative influence other parts of the organization? What financial and
nonfinancial costs will be associated with such influences? For example, a plan to
boost sales by cutting prices may disrupt cash flows, require a new advertising pro-
gram, and alter the behavior of sales representatives because it requires a different
commission structure. The manager, then, must put “price tags” on the consequences
of each alternative. Even an alternative that is both feasible and satisfactory must be
eliminated if its consequences are too expensive for the total system. Airbus felt it
would be at a disadvantage if it tried to simply enlarge its existing planes because the
Boeing 747 was already the largest aircraft being made and could readily be expanded
to remain the largest. Boeing, meanwhile, was seriously concerned about the risk inher-
ent in building a new and even larger plane, even if it shared the risk with Airbus as a
joint venture.
Is the alternative
feasible?
Eliminate from
consideration.
Is the alternative
satisfactory?
Are the alternative’s
consequences
affordable?
Retain for further
consideration.
Yes Yes Yes
Eliminate from
consideration.
Eliminate from
consideration.
No No No
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FIGURE 4.3
Evaluating Alternatives in the Decision-Making Process
Managers must thoroughly evaluate all the alternatives; this increases the chances that the alternative that is
finally chosen will be successful. Failure to evaluate an alternative’s feasibility, satisfactoriness, and
consequences can lead to a wrong decision.
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 107
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Selecting the Best Alternative Even though many alternatives fail to pass the triple
tests of feasibility, satisfactoriness, and affordable consequences, two or more alternatives
may remain. Choosing the best of these is the real crux of decision making. One
approach is to choose the alternative with the optimal combination of feasibility, satisfac-
toriness, and affordable consequences. Even though most situations do not lend them-
selves to objective, mathematical analysis, the manager can often develop subjective
estimates and weights for choosing an alternative.
Optimization is also a frequent goal. Because a decision is likely to affect several
individuals or units, any feasible alternative will probably not maximize all of the
relevant goals. Suppose that the manager of the Kansas City Royals needs to select a
new outfielder for the upcoming baseball season. Bill hits .350 but sometimes has
difficulty catching fly balls, Joe hits only .225 but is outstanding in the field, and Sam hits
.290 and is a solid but not outstanding fielder. The manager would probably select Sam
because of the optimal balance of hitting and fielding. Decision makers should also
remember that finding multiple acceptable alternatives may be possible; selecting just
one alternative and rejecting all the others might not be necessary. For example, the
Royals’ manager might decide that Sam will start each game, Bill will be retained as a
pinch hitter, and Joe will be retained as a defensive substitute. In many hiring decisions,
the candidates remaining after evaluation are ranked. If the top candidate rejects the
offer, it may be automatically extended to the number-two candidate and, if necessary,
to the remaining candidates in order. For the reasons noted earlier, Airbus proposed a
joint venture with Boeing. Boeing, meanwhile, decided that its best course of action was
to modify its existing 747 to increase its capacity. As a result, Airbus then decided to
proceed on its own to develop and manufacture a new jumbo jet. Boeing, however, also
decided that in addition to modifying its 747, it would develop a new plane to offer as an
alternative, albeit one not as large as the 747 or the proposed Airbus plane.
Implementing the Chosen Alternative After an alternative has been selected, the
manager must put it into effect. In some decision situations, implementation is fairly
easy; in others, it is more difficult. In the case of an acquisition, for example, man-
agers must decide how to integrate all of the new business’s activities, including pur-
chasing, human resource practices, and distribution, into an ongoing organizational
framework. For example, when Hewlett-Packard made the decision to buy Compaq
Computer, managers estimated that it would take at least a year to integrate the
two firms into a single one. Similarly, the decision made by executives at American
Airlines and US Airways to merge into a single airline will take two or three years to
implement. Operational plans, which we discussed in Chapter 3, are useful in imple-
menting alternatives.
Managers must also consider people’s resistance to change when implementing deci-
sions. The reasons for such resistance include insecurity, inconvenience, and fear of the
unknown. Managers should anticipate potential resistance at various stages of the imple-
mentation process. (Resistance to change is covered in Chapter 7.) Managers should also
recognize that even when all alternatives have been evaluated as precisely as possible and
the consequences of each alternative weighed, unanticipated consequences are still likely.
Any number of factors—such as unexpected cost increases, a less-than-perfect fit with
existing organizational subsystems, or unpredicted effects on cash flow or operating
expenses—could develop after implementation has begun. Boeing set its engineers to
work expanding the capacity of its 747 from 416 passengers to as many as 520 passengers
by adding 30 feet to the plane’s body. The company has also been developing its new plane
intended for international travel, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Airbus engineers, meanwhile,
spent years developing and constructing its new jumbo jet, the A380; it is equipped with
108 Part 2: Planning
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escalators and elevators, and capable of carrying 655 passengers. Airbus’s development
costs alone are estimated to be more than $12 billion.
Following Up and Evaluating the Results The final step in the decision-making
process requires that managers evaluate the effectiveness of their decision—that is, they
should make sure that the chosen alternative has served its original purpose. If an imple-
mented alternative appears not to be working, the manager can respond in several ways.
Another previously identified alternative (the original second or third choice, for
instance) could be adopted. Or the manager might recognize that the situation was not
correctly defined to begin with and start the process all over again. Finally, the manager
might decide that the original alternative is in fact appropriate but has not yet had time
to work or should be implemented in a different way.18
-/
A
FP
/G
e
tt
y
Im
a
g
e
s/
N
e
w
sc
o
m
Boeing and Airbus used rational perspectives to arrive at different decisions about major
investments in developing new airplanes. Airbus decided to build the A380, the world’s largest
passenger plane. Boeing, meanwhile, chose to develop a smaller but much more fuel efficient
plane named the 787 Dreamliner.
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 109
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Failure to evaluate decision effectiveness may have serious consequences. The Penta-
gon once spent $1 8 billion and eight years developing the Sergeant York antiaircraft
gun. From the beginning, tests revealed major problems with the weapon system, but
not until it was in its final stages, when it was demonstrated to be completely ineffective,
was the project scrapped.
At this point, both Boeing and Airbus are still learning about the consequences of
their decisions. Airbus’s A380 has been placed in commercial service. However, the
plane has suffered numerous mechanical problems. Moreover, because the weakened
economy has dealt a blow to large international airlines, some of them—such as Qantas
Airways and Emirates Airlines—deferred or cancelled orders for the plane. Airbus esti-
mated that it needs to sell 420 A380s before it starts making a profit. Current projections
suggest that sales of the plane may not hit that target until at least 2020.19 Meanwhile, it
appeared for a while that Boeing’s commitment to the new 787 might prove to be the
best decision of all. A key element of the new plane is that it is much more fuel efficient
than other international airplanes. Given the dramatic surge in fuel costs in recent years,
a fuel-efficient option like the 787 is likely to be an enormous success. However, the 787
has suffered from numerous manufacturing problems and was not available for passen-
ger service until 2012 (over 3 years late). The plane also experienced problems in 2013
and was grounded for several weeks. New problems surfaced in early 2014 as well. So, its
real impact will not be known for a few more years.20
Evidence-Based Management
Rational perspectives on decision making have recently been reformulated under the con-
cept of evidence-based management. Stanford University professors Jeffrey Pfeffer and Bob
Sutton, authors of Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense, have put out a
call for a renewed reliance on rationality in managerial decision making—an approach that
they call evidence-based management (EBM). “Management decisions,” they argue,
“[should] be based on the best evidence, managers [should] systematically learn from expe-
rience, and organizational practices [should] reflect sound principles of thought and
analysis.” They define evidence-based management as “a commitment to finding and
using the best theory and data available at the time to make decisions,” but their “Five
Principles of Evidence-Based Management” make it clear that EBM means more than
just sifting through data and crunching numbers. Here’s what they recommend:
1. Face the hard facts and build a culture in which people are encouraged to tell the
truth, even if it’s unpleasant.
2. Be committed to “fact-based” decision making—which means being committed to
getting the best evidence and using it to guide actions.
3. Treat your organization as an unfinished prototype—encourage experimentation and
learning by doing.
4. Look for the risks and drawbacks in what people recommend (even the best medi-
cine has side effects).
5. Avoid basing decisions on untested but strongly held beliefs, what you have done in
the past, or uncritical “benchmarking” of what winners do.
Pfeffer and Sutton are particularly persuasive when they use EBM to question the
outcomes of decisions based on “untested but strongly held beliefs” or on “uncritical
‘benchmarking.” Take, for instance, the popular policy of paying high performers
significantly more than low performers. Pfeffer and Sutton’s research shows that
pay-for-performance policies get good results when employees work solo or
independently. But it’s another matter altogether when it comes to collaborative
110 Part 2: Planning
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teams—the kind of teams that make so many organizational decisions today. Under
these circumstances, the greater the gap between highest- and lowest-paid executives,
the weaker the firm’s financial performance. Why? According to Pfeffer and Sutton,
wide disparities in pay often weaken both trust among team members and the social
connectivity that contributes to strong team-based decision making.
Or consider another increasingly prevalent policy for evaluating and rewarding talent.
Pioneered at General Electric by the legendary Jack Welch, the practice of “forced ranking”
divides employees into three groups based on performance—the top 20 percent, middle
70 percent, and bottom 10 percent—and terminates those at the bottom. Pfeffer and Sutton
found that, according to many HR managers, forced ranking impaired morale and collabo-
ration and ultimately reduced productivity. They also concluded that automatically firing
the bottom 10 percent resulted too often in the unnecessary disruption of otherwise effective
teamwork. That’s how they found out that 73 percent of the errors committed by commer-
cial airline pilots occur on the first day that reconfigured crews work together.21
BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF DECISION MAKING
If all decision situations were approached as logically as described in the previous section,
more decisions might prove to be successful. Yet decisions are often made with little con-
sideration for logic and rationality. Some experts have estimated that U.S. companies use
rational decision-making techniques less than 20 percent of the time.22 And, even when
organizations try to be logical, they sometimes fail. For example, when Starbucks opened
its first coffee shop in New York, it relied on scientific marketing research, taste tests, and
rational deliberation in making a decision to emphasize drip over espresso coffee. How-
ever, that decision still proved wrong, as New Yorkers strongly preferred the same
espresso-style coffees that were Starbucks mainstays in the West. Hence, the firm had to
hastily reconfigure its stores to better meet customer preferences.
On the other hand, sometimes when a decision is made with little regard for logic, it
can still turn out to be correct.23 An important ingredient in how these forces work is the
behavioral aspect of decision making. The administrative model better reflects these sub-
jective considerations. Other behavioral aspects include political forces, intuition and
escalation of commitment, risk propensity, and ethics.
The Administrative Model
Herbert A. Simon was one of the first experts to recognize that decisions are not always
made with rationality and logic.24 Simon was subsequently awarded the Nobel Prize in
Economics. Rather than prescribing how decisions should be made, his view of decision
making, now called the administrative model, describes how decisions often actually are
made. As illustrated in Figure 4.4, the model holds that decision makers (1) use incom-
plete and imperfect information, (2) are constrained by bounded rationality, and (3) tend
to “satisfice” when making decisions.
Bounded rationality suggests that decision makers are limited by their values and
unconscious reflexes, skills, and habits. They are also limited by less-than-complete
information and knowledge. Bounded rationality partially explains how U.S. auto execu-
tives allowed Japanese automakers to get such a strong foothold in the U.S. domestic
market. For years, executives at GM, Ford, and Chrysler compared their companies’ per-
formance only to one another’s and essentially ignored foreign imports. The foreign
“threat” was not acknowledged until the domestic auto market had been changed for-
ever. If managers had gathered—and acknowledged—complete information from the
beginning, they might have been better able to thwart foreign competitors. Essentially,
administrative
model
A decision-making
model that argues
that decision makers
(1) use incomplete
and imperfect
information, (2) are
constrained by
bounded rationality,
and (3) tend to
“satisfice” when
making decisions
bounded rationality
A concept
suggesting that
decision makers are
limited by their
values and
unconscious
reflexes, skills, and
habits
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 111
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then, the concept of bounded rationality suggests that although people try to be rational
decision makers, their rationality has limits.
Another important part of the administrative model is satisficing, which suggests that
rather than conducting an exhaustive search for the best possible alternative, decision
makers tend to search only until they identify an alternative that meets some minimum
standard of sufficiency. A manager looking for a new plant site, for example, may select
the first site she finds that meets basic requirements for transportation, utilities, and
price, even though further searching might yield a better location. People satisfice for a
variety of reasons. Managers may simply be unwilling to ignore their own motives (such
as reluctance to spend time making a decision) and therefore not be able to continue
searching after a minimally acceptable alternative is identified. The decision maker may
be unable to weigh and evaluate large numbers of alternatives and criteria. Also, subjec-
tive and personal considerations often intervene in decision situations.
Because of the inherent imperfection of information, bounded rationality, and satisfi-
cing, a manager’s decisions may or may not actually be in the organization’s best inter-
ests. A manager may choose a particular location for a new plant because it offers the
lowest price and best availability of utilities and transportation. Or she may choose the
location because it is located in a community where she wants to live.
In summary, then, the classical and administrative models paint quite different pic-
tures of decision making. Which is more correct? Actually, each can be used to better
understand how managers make decisions. The classical model is prescriptive: It explains
how managers can at least attempt to be more rational and logical in their approaches to
decisions. The administrative model can be used by managers to develop a better under-
standing of their inherent biases and limitations.25 In the following sections, we describe
more fully other behavioral forces that can influence decisions.
Political Forces in Decision Making
Political forces are another major element that contributes to the behavioral nature of
decision making. Organizational politics is covered in Chapter 11, but one major element
of politics, coalitions, is especially relevant to decision making. A coalition is an informal
alliance of individuals or groups formed to achieve a common goal. This common goal is
often a preferred decision alternative. For example, coalitions of stockholders frequently
band together to force a board of directors to make a certain decision.
When General Motors (GM) decided to launch Saturn as a new automobile company
several years ago, the idea had the full backing and support of its CEO, Roger Smith.
Saturn was to have its own factories, design teams, and dealer networks and was to com-
pete directly with high-quality foreign imports such as Toyota and Honda. Just as the
When faced with a
decision situation
managers actually . . .
. . . and end up with a
decision that may or may
not serve the interests
of the organization.
• use incomplete and
imperfect information
• are constrained by
bounded rationality
• tend to satisfice
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 4.4
The Administrative Model of Decision Making
The administrative model is based on behavioral processes that affect how managers make decisions.
Rather than prescribing how decisions should be made, it focuses more on describing how they are made.
satisficing
The tendency to
search for
alternatives only
until one is found
that meets some
minimum standard
of sufficiency
coalition
An informal alliance
of individuals or
groups formed to
achieve a common
goal
112 Part 2: Planning
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first Saturn cars were being introduced, however, Smith retired. As it turned out, a coali-
tion of senior GM executives had opposed the Saturn concept but had been unable to do
anything about it because Smith was such a powerful product champion. When Smith
left GM, though, the coalition managed to divert resources intended for Saturn to other
GM brands. As a result, new Saturn products were delayed, the brand received weak
marketing support, and it never lived up to expectations.26
The impact of coalitions can be either positive or negative. They can help astute man-
agers get their organization on a path toward effectiveness and profitability, or they can
strangle well-conceived strategies and decisions. Managers must recognize when to use
coalitions, how to assess whether coalitions are acting in the organization’s best interests,
and how to constrain their dysfunctional effects.27
Intuition and Escalation of Commitment
Two other important decision processes that go beyond logic and rationality are intui-
tion and escalation of commitment to a chosen course of action.
Intuition Intuition is an innate belief about something without conscious consider-
ation. Managers sometimes decide to do something because it “feels right” or they have a
“hunch.” This feeling usually is not arbitrary, however. Rather, it is based on years of
experience and practice in making decisions in similar situations.28 An inner sense may
help managers make an occasional decision without going through a full-blown rational
sequence of steps. For example, Kip Tindell, CEO of The Container Store, emphasizes
the use of intuition throughout his company and urges employees to believe that it is
critical in the workplace. He is quoted as saying, “Intuition is only the sum total of
your life experiences. So why would you want to leave it at home when you come to
work in the morning?”29 Of course, all managers, but especially the inexperienced ones,
should be careful not to rely too heavily on intuition. If rationality and logic are contin-
ually flouted for “what feels right,” the odds are that disaster will strike one day. This
situation is illustrated in the “At Your Service” feature.
Escalation of Commitment Another important behavioral process that influences
decision making is escalation of commitment to a chosen course of action. In particular,
decision makers sometimes make decisions and then become so committed to the
courses of action suggested by those decisions that they stay with them, even when the
decisions appear to have been wrong.30 For example, when people buy stock in a com-
pany, they sometimes refuse to sell it even after repeated drops in price. They choose a
course of action—buying the stock in anticipation of making a profit—and then stay
with it even in the face of increasing losses. Moreover, after the value drops, they ratio-
nalize that they can’t sell now because they will lose money.
For years, Pan American World Airways ruled the skies and used its profits to diver-
sify into real estate and other businesses. But, with the advent of deregulation, Pan Am
began to struggle and lose market share to other carriers. When Pan Am managers
finally realized how ineffective their airline operations had become, experts today point
out that the “rational” decision would have been to sell off the remaining airline opera-
tions and concentrate on the firm’s more profitable businesses. But because they still saw
the company as being first and foremost an airline, they instead began to slowly sell off
the firm’s profitable holdings to keep the airline flying. Eventually, the company was left
with nothing but an ineffective and inefficient airline, and then it had to sell off its more
profitable routes before being taken over by Delta. Had Pan Am managers made the
more rational decision years earlier, chances are the firm could still be a profitable enter-
prise today, albeit one with no involvement in the airline industry.31
intuition
An innate belief
about something,
without conscious
consideration
escalation of
commitment
When a decision
maker stays with a
decision even when
it appears to be
wrong
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 113
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In contrast, a group of investors licensed the use of Hard Rock logos and trademarks
for a large theme park—Hard Rock Park—to be built in South Carolina. After six years
of planning and construction and an investment of over $400 million, the park in Myrtle
Beach opened to dismal reviews and poor attendance. Rather than increasing their
investment and trying to increase attendance, owners decided after only nine months to
shut down the park and sell off its assets.32
Thus, decision makers must walk a fine line. On the one hand, they must guard against
sticking too long with an incorrect decision. To do so can bring about financial decline. On
AT YOUR SERVICE
A Bad Decision at Wesabe
As far as U.S. small business was concerned, the
first quarter of 2010 could have been worse: There
was a net loss of only 96,000 companies with fewer
than 100 employees. As a matter of fact, the first
quarter of 2009 was worse—a lot worse: By the
end of the quarter, there were 400,000 fewer small
businesses than there had been at the beginning.
And service businesses were especially hard hit.
One of the companies that shut down in 2010 was
Wesabe, which had launched in 2006 as an online ser-
vice provider to help people manage their money and
make better financial decisions. It was one of the first
companies to enter the financial sector of what’s often
referred to as Web 2.0—the world of web applications
that allow users to interact and collaborate on content
that they create themselves. The idea was to let cus-
tomers access data from several financial institutions
and then compare their own money management
practices to those of online peers.
Wesabe actually got off to a reasonably good
start. Within the first year, founders Marc Hedlund
and Jason Knight secured venture capital totaling
$4 7 million and attracted 150,000 members. The
first signs of trouble appeared in the second year,
just after a competitor called Mint.com came online.
Nine months after its launch, Mint.com boasted
$17 million in venture capital and 300,000 users. In
2009, Intuit, a creator of financial and tax-preparation
software, purchased Mint.com for $170 million.
Wesabe held on until mid-2010, when Hedlund and
Knight announced that the company could no longer
handle users’ highly sensitive data “with shoestring
operations and security staff.”
So what went wrong? Naturally, there’s no single
reason for Wesabe’s failure, but both Hedlund, who
blogged a postmortem shortly after the shutdown,
and independent observers point to one crucial busi-
ness decision as a key factor. In the early stages of
the startup process, Hedlund and Knight rejected a
partnership with a firm called Yodlee, which had
already developed a system for accessing transac-
tion data from banks. But because the Yodlee pro-
cess worked with users’ passwords, Wesabe
considered it too great a security risk and proceeded
to work on its own process, which, though more
secure, was also more cumbersome.
“Everyone—I mean 90-percent-plus of every-
body,” says Hedlund, “told me that they would
never in a million years use a startup website that
asked them for their bank passwords.” When Mint
came online in 2007, it was using Yodlee technology,
password-access included, and Hedlund acknowl-
edges that he’d made a poor decision by relying on
his own informal market research: “We should have
known,” he admits, “that somebody would go with
Yodlee, and we should have aimed at [Yodlee] as
what we needed to achieve.” By 2008, Wesabe,
too, was accepting users’ passwords in order to sim-
plify the process of pulling bank data into its system.
“We just didn’t build it nearly fast enough,” says
Hedlund of Wesabe’s own data-access system.
“That one mistake—not using or replacing Yodlee
before Mint had a chance to launch on Yodlee—
was probably enough to kill Wesabe alone.”
References: Eilene Zimmerman, “How Six Companies
Failed to Survive 2010,” New York Times, January 5,
2011, www.nytimes.com, accessed on September 5,
2013; Anthony Ha, “Personal Finance Startup Wesabe to
Shut Down,” VentureBeat, June 30, 2010, http://venture
beat.com, accessed on September 5, 2013; Marc Hedlund,
“Why Wesabe Lost to Mint,” Marc Hedlund’s Blog,
October 1, 2010, http://blog.precipice.org, accessed on
September 5, 2013; “Some Lessons Learned from the
Rise and Fall of Wesabe,” Credit Union Journal, December
16, 2010, www.cunatechnologycouncil.org, accessed on
September 5, 2013.
114 Part 2: Planning
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the other hand, they should not bail out of a seemingly incorrect decision too soon, as
Adidas once did. Adidas had dominated the market for professional athletic shoes. It subse-
quently entered the market for amateur sports shoes and did well there also. But managers
interpreted a sales slowdown as a sign that the boom in athletic shoes was over. They
thought that they had made the wrong decision and ordered drastic cutbacks. The market
took off again with Nike at the head of the pack, and Adidas never recovered. Fortunately, a
new management team has changed the way Adidas makes decisions, and the firm is again
on its way to becoming a force in the athletic shoe and apparel markets.
Risk Propensity and Decision Making
The behavioral element of risk propensity is the extent to which a decision maker is will-
ing to gamble when making a decision. Some managers are cautious about every decision
they make. They try to adhere to the rational model and are extremely conservative in
what they do. Such managers are more likely to avoid mistakes, and they infrequently
make decisions that lead to big losses. Other managers are extremely aggressive in making
decisions and are willing to take risks.33 They rely heavily on intuition, reach decisions
quickly, and often risk big investments on their decisions. As in gambling, these managers
are more likely than their conservative counterparts to achieve big successes with their
decisions; they are also more likely to incur greater losses.34 The organization’s culture is
a prime ingredient in fostering different levels of risk propensity.
Ethics and Decision Making
As we introduced in Chapter 2, individual ethics are personal beliefs about right and
wrong behavior. Ethics are clearly related to decision making in a number of ways. For
example, suppose that, after careful analysis, a manager realizes that his company could
save money by closing his department and subcontracting with a supplier for the same
services. But to recommend this course of action would result in the loss of several jobs,
D
e
M
e
e
st
e
r
J
o
h
a
n
/A
rt
e
rr
a
P
ic
tu
re
Li
b
ra
ry
/A
la
m
y
It is both unethical and illegal to make a decision to improperly dump trash and hazardous waste.
Nevertheless, some people make this decision in order to save time and money. Of course, others
incur additional costs in cleaning up dumping sites such as this one.
risk propensity
The extent to which a
decision maker is
willing to gamble
when making a
decision
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 115
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including his own. His own ethical standards will clearly shape how he proceeds.35
Indeed, each component of managerial ethics (relationships of the firm to its employees,
of employees to the firm, and of the firm to other economic agents) involves a wide vari-
ety of decisions, all of which are likely to have an ethical component. Thus, a manager
must remember that, just as behavioral processes such as politics and risk propensity
affect the decisions he makes, so, too, do his ethical beliefs.36
GROUP AND TEAM DECISION MAKING
IN ORGANIZATIONS
In more and more organizations today, important decisions are made by groups
and teams rather than by individuals. Examples include the executive committee of
Abercrombie & Fitch, product design teams at Texas Instruments, and marketing plan-
ning groups at Red Lobster. Managers can typically choose whether to have individuals
or groups and teams make a particular decision. Thus, knowing about forms of group
and team decision making and their advantages and disadvantages is important.37
Forms of Group and Team Decision Making
The most common methods of group and team decision making are interacting groups,
Delphi groups, and nominal groups. Increasingly, these methods of group decision mak-
ing are being conducted online.38
Interacting Groups or Teams Interacting groups or teams are the most common
decision-making group. The format is simple—either an existing or a newly designated group
or team is asked to make a decision. Existing groups or teams might be functional departments,
regular work teams, or standing committees. Newly designated groups or teams can be ad hoc
committees, task forces, or newly constituted work teams. The group or team members talk
among themselves, argue, agree, form internal coalitions, and so forth. Finally, after some
period of deliberation, the group or team makes its decision. An advantage of this method is
that the interaction among people often sparks new ideas and promotes understanding. A
major disadvantage, though, is that political processes can play too big a role.
Delphi Groups A Delphi group is sometimes used to arrive at a consensus of expert
opinion. Developed by the Rand Corporation, the Delphi procedure solicits input from a
panel of experts who contribute individually. Their opinions are combined and, in effect,
averaged. Assume, for example, that the problem is to establish an expected date for a
major technological breakthrough in converting coal into usable energy. The first step
in using the Delphi procedure is to obtain the cooperation of a panel of experts. For
this situation, experts might include various research scientists, university researchers,
and executives in a relevant energy industry. At first, the experts are asked to anony-
mously predict a time frame for the expected breakthrough. The persons coordinating
the Delphi group collect the responses, average them, and ask the experts for another
prediction. In this round, the experts who provided unusual or extreme predictions
may be asked to justify them. These explanations may then be relayed to the other
experts. When the predictions stabilize, the average prediction is taken to represent the
decision of the group of experts. The time, expense, and logistics of the Delphi technique
rule out its use for routine, everyday decisions, but it has been successfully used for fore-
casting technological breakthroughs at Boeing, market potential for new products at
GM, research and development patterns at Eli Lilly, and future economic conditions by
the U.S. government.39 Moreover, although the Delphi method originally relied on
interacting group
or team
A decision-making
group or team in
which members
openly discuss,
argue about, and
agree on the best
alternative
Delphi group
A form of group
decision making in
which a group
arrives at a
consensus of
expert opinion
116 Part 2: Planning
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paper-and-pencil responses obtained and shared through the mail, modern communica-
tion technologies such as e-mail and the Internet have enabled Delphi users to get
answers much more quickly than in the past.
Nominal Groups Another useful group and team decision-making technique that is
occasionally used is the nominal group. Unlike the Delphi method, in which group
members do not see one another, nominal group members are brought together in a
face-to-face setting. The members represent a group in name only, however; they do
not talk to one another freely like the members of interacting groups. Nominal groups
are used most often to generate creative and innovative alternatives or ideas. To begin,
the manager assembles a group of knowledgeable experts and outlines the problem to
them. The group members are then asked to individually write down as many alterna-
tives as they can think of. The members then take turns stating their ideas, which are
recorded on a flip chart or board at the front of the room. Discussion is limited to simple
clarification. After all alternatives have been listed, more open discussion takes place.
Group members then vote, usually by rank, ordering the various alternatives. The
highest-ranking alternative represents the decision of the group. Of course, the manager
in charge may retain the authority to accept or reject the group decision.40
To increase the chances that a group or team decision will be successful, managers
must learn how to manage the process of group and team decision making. Federal
Express and IBM are increasingly using groups and teams for decision making.
Advantages of Group and Team Decision Making
The advantages and disadvantages of group and team decision making relative to indi-
vidual decision making are summarized in Table 4.2. One advantage is simply that more
information is available in a group or team setting—as suggested by the old axiom, “Two
heads are better than one.” A group or team represents a variety of education, experi-
ence, and perspective. Partly as a result of this increased information, groups and teams
typically can identify and evaluate more alternatives than can one person.41 The people
involved in a group or team decision understand the logic and rationale behind it, are
more likely to accept it, and are equipped to communicate the decision to their work
group or department.42 Finally, research evidence suggests that groups may make better
decisions than individuals.43
Table 4.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Group and
Team Decision Making
Advantages Disadvantages
More information and knowledge
are available.
The process takes longer than individual
decision making, so it is costlier.
More alternatives are likely to be
generated.
Compromise decisions resulting from
indecisiveness may emerge.
More acceptance of the final
decision is likely.
One person may dominate the group.
Enhanced communication of the
decision may result.
Groupthink may occur.
Better decisions generally emerge.
To increase the
chances that a group
or team decision will
be successful,
managers must learn
how to manage the
process of group and
team decision
making. Federal
Express and IBM are
increasingly using
groups and teams for
decision making.
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
nominal group
A structured
technique used to
generate creative
and innovative
alternatives or ideas
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 117
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Disadvantages of Group and Team Decision Making
Perhaps the biggest drawback of group and team decision making is the additional
time and hence the greater expense entailed. The increased time stems from interaction
and discussion among group or team members. If a given manager’s time is worth
$50 an hour, and if the manager spends two hours making a decision, the decision
“costs” the organization $100. For the same decision, a group of five managers might
require three hours of time. At the same $50-an-hour rate, the decision “costs” the
organization $750. Assuming the group or team decision is better, the additional
expense may be justified, but the fact remains that group and team decision making
is more costly.
Group or team decisions may also represent undesirable compromises.44 For example,
hiring a compromise top manager may be a bad decision in the long run because he or
she may not be able to respond adequately to various subunits in the organization and
not have everyone’s complete support. Sometimes one individual dominates the group
process to the point where others cannot make a full contribution. This dominance
may stem from a desire for power or from a naturally dominant personality. The prob-
lem is that what appears to emerge as a group decision may actually be the decision of
one person.
Finally, a group or team may succumb to a phenomenon known as groupthink, which
occurs when the desire for consensus and cohesiveness overwhelms the goal of reaching
the best possible decision.45 Under the influence of groupthink, the group may arrive at
decisions that are made not in the best interests of either the group or the organization,
but rather to avoid conflict among group members. One of the most clearly documented
examples of groupthink involved the space shuttle Challenger disaster. As NASA was pre-
paring to launch the shuttle, numerous problems and questions arose. At each step of the
way, however, decision makers argued that there was no reason to delay and that every-
thing would be fine. Shortly after its launch, the shuttle exploded, killing all seven crew
members.
Managing Group and Team Decision-Making Processes
Managers can do several things to help promote the effectiveness of group and team
decision making. One is simply being aware of the pros and cons of having a group
or team make a decision to start with. Time and cost can be managed by setting a
deadline by which the decision must be made final. Dominance can be at least
partially avoided if a special group is formed just to make the decision. An astute
manager, for example, should know who in the organization may try to dominate
and can either avoid putting that person in the group or put several strong-willed
people together.
To avoid groupthink, each member of the group or team should critically evaluate all
alternatives. So that members present divergent viewpoints, the leader should not make
his or her position known too early. At least one member of the group or team might be
assigned the role of devil’s advocate. And, after reaching a preliminary decision, the
group or team should hold a follow-up meeting wherein divergent viewpoints can be
raised again if any group members wish to do so.46 Gould Paper Corporation used
these methods by assigning managers to two different teams. The teams then spent an
entire day in a structured debate presenting the pros and cons of each side of an issue
to ensure the best possible decision.
groupthink
A situation that
occurs when a group
or team’s desire for
consensus and
cohesiveness
overwhelms its
desire to reach the
best possible
decision
118 Part 2: Planning
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SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AND KEY POINTS
1. Define decision making, and discuss types of
decisions and decision-making conditions.
• Decision making is the act of choosing one
alternative from among a set of alternatives.
• The decision-making process includes recog-
nizing and defining the nature of a decision
situation, identifying alternatives, choosing the
“best” alternative, and putting it into practice.
• Two common types of decisions are
programmed and nonprogrammed.
• Decisions may be made under states of
certainty, risk, or uncertainty.
2. Discuss rational perspectives on decision making,
including the steps involved.
• Rational perspectives on decision making rest
on the classical model.
• This model assumes that managers have
complete information and that they will behave
rationally. The primary steps in rational
decision making are the following:
• Recognizing and defining the situation
• Identifying alternatives
• Evaluating alternatives
• Selecting the best alternative
• Implementing the chosen alternative
• Following up and evaluating the effective-
ness of the alternative after it is implemented
3. Describe the behavioral aspects of decision making.
• Behavioral aspects of decision making rely on
the administrative model.
• This model recognizes that managers use
incomplete information and do not always
behave rationally.
• The administrative model also recognizes the
concepts of bounded rationality and satisficing.
• Political activities by coalitions, managerial
intuition, and the tendency to become increas-
ingly committed to a chosen course of action
are all important.
• Risk propensity is also an important behavioral
perspective on decision making.
• Ethics also affect how managers make
decisions.
4. Discuss group and team decision making, includ-
ing its advantages and disadvantages and how it
can be more effectively managed.
• To help enhance decision-making effectiveness,
managers often use interacting, Delphi, or
nominal groups or teams.
• Group and team decision making in general has
several advantages and disadvantages relative to
individual decision making.
• Managers can adopt a number of strategies to
help groups and teams make better decisions.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Questions for Review
1. Describe the difference between programmed
and nonprogrammed decisions. What are the
implications of these differences for decision
makers?
2. What are the different conditions under which
decisions are made?
3. Describe the behavioral nature of decision making.
Be certain to provide some detail about political
forces, risk propensity, ethics, and commitment
in your description.
4. What is meant by the term escalation of
commitment? In your opinion, under what con-
ditions is escalation of commitment likely to
occur?
5. Explain the differences among three common
methods of group decision making—interacting
groups, Delphi groups, and nominal groups.
Questions for Analysis
1. Was your decision about what college or university to
attend a rational decision? Did you go through each
step in rational decision making? If not, why not?
2. Most business decisions are made under condi-
tions of either risk or uncertainty. In your opinion,
is it easier to make a decision under a condition of
risk or a condition of uncertainty? Why?
3. Recall a decision that you recently made that had
ethical implications. Did these implications make
the decision easier or harder?
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 119
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4. In what ways are escalation of commitment and
decision making under conditions of risk related
to one another?
5. Consider the following list of business decisions.
Which decisions would be handled most effec-
tively by group or team decision making? Which
would be handled most effectively by individual
decision making? Explain your answers.
• A decision about switching pencil suppliers
• A decision about hiring a new CEO
• A decision about firing an employee for stealing
• A decision about calling 911 to report a fire in
the warehouse
• A decision about introducing a brand-new
product
BUILDING EFFECTIVE CONCEPTUAL SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Conceptual skills refer to the manager’s ability to think
in the abstract. This exercise will aid you in under-
standing the effects that nonrational biases and risk
propensity can have on decision making.
Exercise Background
Two psychologists, Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman,
conducted much of the research that led to our
knowledge of decision-making biases. Tversky and
Kahneman found that they could understand individuals’
real-life choices by presenting experimental subjects
with simulated decisions in a laboratory setting. They
developed a theory called prospect theory, which uses
behavioral psychology to explain why individuals are
nonrational when making economic decisions. Their
work has contributed a great deal to the developing
discipline of behavioral economics. In fact, Kahneman
won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics for development
of these concepts. (Tversky could not share in the award
because the Nobel Prize cannot be given posthumously.)
Tversky and Kahneman’s most important finding was
that an individual’s perception of gain or loss in a situa-
tion is more important than an objective measure of gain
or loss. Thus, individuals are nonrational—that is, they
do not make decisions based purely on rational criteria.
Related to this conclusion, Tversky and Kahneman
found that humans think differently about gains and
losses. This is called framing. Another finding is that peo-
ple allow their perceptions to be skewed positively or neg-
atively, depending on information they receive. Later,
when new information becomes available, people have a
hard time letting go of their initial perceptions, even if the
new information contradicts their original impressions.
This effect is referred to as anchoring and adjustment.
To answer the following questions, you must be able to
calculate an expected value. To calculate an expected value,
multiply each possible outcome value by the probability of
its occurrence, and then sum all the results. Here is a sim-
ple example: You have a 50 percent chance of earning 80
points on an exam and a 50 percent chance of earning 70
points. The expected value can be calculated as (.5 + 80) +
(.5 × 70), or a .5 chance of 80 points (equal to 40 points)
plus a .5 chance of 70 points (equal to 35 points). There-
fore, the expected value of your exam is 75 points.
Exercise Task
1. Answer the list of brief questions that your profes-
sor provides to you. No answer is correct or incor-
rect; simply choose your most likely response.
Then, when the professor asks, share your answers
with the class.
2. Discuss the answers given by the class. Why do
students’ answers differ?
3. What have you learned about decision-making
biases and risk propensity from these experiments?
BUILDING EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Technical skills are the skills necessary to accomplish or
understand the specific kind of work being done in an
organization. This exercise will enable you to practice
your Internet skills to obtain information for making a
decision.
Exercise Background
Assume that you are a business owner seeking a location
for a new factory. Your company makes products that are
relatively “clean”—that is, they do not pollute the environ-
ment,norwill they produceany dangerous wasteproducts.
Thus, most communities would welcome your plant.
120 Part 2: Planning
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You are seeking a place that has a stable and well-
educated workforce, as well as ample affordable housing,
access to quality health care, and a good educational
system. You have narrowed your choice to the following
towns:
1. Santa Cruz, California
2. Madison, Wisconsin
3. Manhattan, Kansas
4. College Station, Texas
5. Amherst, Massachusetts
6. Athens, Georgia
Exercise Task
With this background information as context, do the
following:
1. Use the Internet to research each of these cities.
2. Rank-order the cities on the basis of the criteria
noted.
3. Select the best city for your new factory.
SKILLS SELF-ASSESSMENT
Decision-Making Styles
Introduction: Decision making is clearly important.
However, individuals differ in their decision-making
style, or the way they approach decisions. The follow-
ing assessment is designed to help you understand your
decision-making style.
Instructions: Respond to the following statements
by indicating the extent to which they describe you.
Circle the response that best represents your self-
evaluation.
1. Overall, I’m to act.
1. quick 2. moderately fast 3. slow
2. I spend amount of time making important
decisions as/than I do making less important ones.
1. about the same 2. a greater 3. a much greater
3. When making decisions, I go with my
first thought.
1. usually 2. occasionally 3. rarely
4. When making decisions, I’m concerned
about making errors.
1. rarely 2. occasionally 3. often
5. When making decisions, I check my
work more than once.
1. rarely 2. occasionally 3. usually
6. When making decisions, I gather
information.
1. little 2. some 3. lots of
7. When making decisions, I consider
alternatives.
1. few 2. some 3. lots of
8. I usually make decisions before the
deadline.
1. way 2. somewhat 3. just
9. After making a decision, I look for other
alternatives, wishing I had waited.
1. rarely 2. occasionally 3. usually
10. I regret having made a decision.
1. rarely 2. occasionally 3. often
Source: Adapted from Robert N. Lussier, Supervision: A Skill-
Building Approach, 2nd ed., 1994, pp. 122–123, © 1994 by Richard
D. Irwin, Inc. Reproduced with permission of The McGraw-Hill
Companies.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE
Decision Making with Journaling
and Affinity Diagrams
Purpose: This exercise gives you practice in using both
journaling and affinity diagrams, both of which are tools
for effective decision making. These techniques can be
used to help expand and improve your decision making
in many areas of your life, both personal and professional.
Introduction: The chemist Linus Pauling, winner of
Nobel Prizes in both Chemistry and Peace, said, “The
best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”
Journaling is one technique to increase the quantity of
ideas generated in response to a decision situation.
Affinity diagrams can be used alone or in conjunction
with journaling or other idea-generating techniques.
Affinity diagrams help you to interpret and organize
a quantity of diverse ideas. The diagrams are particu-
larly useful in decision situations that involve lots of
ideas, where the ideas are very different from each
other and the relationships between the ideas are not
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well understood, and where the underlying questions
seem overwhelming or too complex to analyze
rationally.
Instructions:
1. Have on hand a number of index cards or sticky
notes, at least 50. Or use several sheets of paper cut
into at least 50 smaller slips. Set aside 30 minutes or
so of quiet time. Assume that graduation day is
approaching and you are faced with the decision
about where to live. Assume that your options are
broad and that the decision will be for at least five
years but would not necessarily commit you for the
rest of your life. You could choose to live in an
urban, suburban, or rural community. You could
choose a large or small community, various regions
of the country or world, and many different types of
social and economic settings.
2. Think about the qualities you desire for your future
hometown. Briefly jot down qualities that you
desire, putting one quality on each piece of paper.
Relax and visualize your ideal community, and
then commit the ideas to paper. For example, your
ideas might include “ethnic diversity” or “upscale
suburb.” Or something quite different might be
important to you. Allow the answers to just “come
to” you. Don’t try to force your thinking along any
one path, and don’t edit yourself or criticize your
thoughts at this point in the process. It’s okay to
have some ideas that don’t seem rational, that are
duplicates, or even that seem meaningless.
If you can, work quickly and without interrup-
tion. Try to generate at least 25 ideas. If that number
comes easily to you, generate some more. Stop when
you feel that you’ve exhausted your supply of ideas.
This process is one way to use the technique known
as journaling.
3. Lay out the slips of paper so you can see all of
them, and then read them. Begin to move the
slips of paper into groups of ideas that are similar
to each other. Gradually, as you rearrange the
slips, patterns of ideas will emerge. Again, don’t
try to be critical or rational at this point; simply
consider the relationships among the ideas. Keep
moving the slips into different combinations until
you find a set of groups that “feels right.”
Then assign each of these groups a theme
that identifies the common element. For exam-
ple, you might group the ideas green housing,
good public transportation, and vegetarian res-
taurants into a theme called environmentally
conscious. Or you might group good public
transportation, short commute to work, and
walk to restaurants and stores into a theme
called convenience. The finished project, a
grouping of a diverse set of ideas into related
themes, is called an affinity diagram.
Follow-Up Questions
1. Did the techniques of journaling and affinity
diagramming help you generate more ideas and
better see the connections between ideas? If so,
explain how. If not, what technique(s) would have
worked better?
2. Note that both techniques explicitly encourage
the behavioral aspects of decision making,
especially intuition. Do you think this is appro-
priate when making this type of decision? Or
would a more rational approach be more
effective?
3. How might a manager use these techniques at
work? What situations would not be appropriate
for the use of these techniques?
MANAGEMENT AT WORK
The Verdict on Groupthink
In the 1957 movie Twelve Angry Men, Henry Fonda
plays a mild-mannered architect who’s been selected
to serve on a jury with 11 other white, middle-class,
middle-aged men. Within the confines of the claustro-
phobic jury room, attitudes and preconceptions gradu-
ally begin to harden and the group’s decision seems
increasingly like a foregone conclusion—guilty in a
case of capital murder. Fonda, however, has his doubts
and starts to suggest alternative interpretations of the
case until, by movie’s end, he has steered the group to a
more cogently considered decision. “My favorite part of a
trial,” reports one Texas attorney, “is when the judge …
tells the jurors that deliberations should involve
discussions, the questioning of their beliefs, and a willing-
ness to change their minds. I really want jurors to do
that,” he says, but “I don’t think they do.” Like many
lawyers, he doubts very seriously if the kind of delibera-
tive decision making extolled in Twelve Angry Men goes
on in many real jury rooms.
122 Part 2: Planning
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David A. Mitchell and Daniel Eckstein, authors of
“Jury Dynamics and Decision-Making: A Prescription
for Groupthink,” aren’t so sure either. They characterize
a jury as “a unique variety of an autonomous work
group … one in which group members are chosen,
essentially at random, to perform a function of great
importance for which they generally have no direct
training.” It’s a prescription, they suggest, for “group
dynamics that are not conducive to quality decision
making.” The problem, they argue, is groupthink, and
they agree with Irving Janis, who conducted early stud-
ies on the phenomenon, that it infects groups whose
members let their “strivings for unanimity override
their motivation to realistically appraise alternative
courses of action.”
Mitchell (a clinical psychologist) and Eckstein (a
psychologist and consultant on leadership develop-
ment) focus on Janis’s seven “antecedent conditions”
for group-think—factors that make groupthink more
likely—in order to show how “the conditions under
which juries operate” add up to “a substantial risk of
jury decisions being tainted by groupthink”:
• Cohesiveness. A number of factors combine to
ensure that the jury is a cohesive group. From the
moment that jurors are selected, for example, they’re
“treated as a unit [and] their individual identities
become submerged in the group identity.” They eat
together and often spend a great deal of time
together prior to deliberations, and because they’re
not supposed to discuss the case during the trial
itself, they often talk about such topics as the shared
experience of being on a jury.
• Insulation. Once it’s impaneled, the jury is isolated
from other individuals and groups; jurors are phys-
ically separated from other people in the courthouse
and sometimes even kept under guard to ensure
their isolation.
• Lack of a tradition of impartial leadership. The only
leadership in the group comes from the foreperson,
who typically has an opinion on the case and
therefore can’t really be impartial in relating to other
members.
• Lack of norms requiring methodical procedures.
Juries have no set rules for how to proceed in
arriving at a decision. In fact, the only specific
requirement—to reach a unanimous decision—
increases the likelihood of faulty decision making.
• Homogeneity of social background and ideology.
Juries are rarely valid cross sections of the commu-
nity. Desirable jury members, for example, share
certain qualities that lawyers look for, and because
lawyers try to seat jurors who share qualities favor-
able to their cases, juries often tend toward homo-
geneity on those qualities.
• High stress from external threats and low hope of a
solution better than the leader’s. This factor basically
underscores the fact that stress—and the desire to
avoid it—contribute to groupthink, and it reflects
two hypotheses: (1) Jurors find that having to
choose among unpleasant or complicated alterna-
tives increases stress, especially if the group leader is
authoritarian or tends to promote a particular deci-
sion, and (2) jurors are more likely to agree with the
leader’s decision if they feel that opposing it will
increase stress among group members.
• Temporarily low self-esteem induced by situational
factors. The more difficult it becomes to sort out
alternatives and reach a decision, the lower a juror’s
sense of self-efficacy may become (see Chapter 9); in
other words, as jurors lose their confidence in their
ability to perform the task at hand, they may try to
alleviate the feeling by taking refuge in conformity
and consensus.
Mitchell and Eckstein acknowledge that none of
these seven conditions by itself “is sufficient to cause
… groupthink,” but they hasten to point out that “the
greater the number of these conditions that exist, the
greater the propensity toward” groupthink. They also
admit that any group is susceptible to groupthink, but
they emphasize that “the structure of the jury system
places juries at particularly high risk… . Considering
the regularity with which many of the preceding ante-
cedent conditions occur in juries,” they argue, “the
structure of the jury system may not only be conducive
but often helps create the occurrence of groupthink.”
Finally, they observe that different types of groups
make different types of errors, but caution that group-
think “increases the risk that all types of decision-
making errors will occur.”
Case Questions
1. In your experience, have you found that decision-
making groups tend toward groupthink? If so,
what factors contributed to this tendency? If not,
what factors helped to prevent it?
2. Review the steps in the rational decision-making
model (especially Steps 1–4). This model, of
course, applies to individuals and might be diffi-
cult to apply to group decision-making situa-
tions. If, however, you were a juror, how might
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you apply these steps to your own deliberations?
How might they give you some useful guidance?
What adjustments would you have to make
because of the context (a trial) and situation (a
group process)?
3. In what ways might bounded rationality affect a
juror’s approach to a decision? How about satisfi-
cing? Intuition? Ethics?
4. A recent study found that racially mixed juries
“deliberated longer, raised more facts, and con-
ducted broader and more wide-ranging delibera-
tions” than either all-white or all-black juries.
Why do you think this was so? Do you think
that “mixed” juries are more likely to avoid group-
think than racially homogeneous juries? Explain
your reasoning.
Case References
Twelve Angry Men (United Artists, 1957); David H.
Mitchell and Daniel Eckstein, “Jury Dynamics and
Decision-Making: A Prescription for Group-think,”
International Journal of Academic Research, Vol. 1
(September 2009), www.ijar.lit.az, accessed on May 1,
2012; Irving L. Janis, Groupthink, 2nd ed. (Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1972); Michael P. Maslanka, “The
Dirty Realities of Group-Think,” Texas Lawyer,
December 23, 2009, http://texaslawyer.typepad.com,
accessed on May 1, 2012; and Samuel R. Sommers,
“On Racial Diversity and Group Decision Making:
Identifying Multiple Effects of Racial Composition on
Jury Deliberations,” Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, Vol. 90, No. 4 (2006), http://ase.tufts.edu,
accessed on March 5, 2011.
You Make the Call
The Embargo Grinds On
1. Describe the original decision made by the U.S.
government to impose a trade embargo on Cuba.
What conditions existed at the time, and what
behavioral forces may have come into play?
2. In your opinion, is Thanksgiving Coffee’s Paul
Katzeff doing the right thing in working against
the U.S. embargo? Explain your opinion. If your
answer is yes, can you think of any additional
steps that Katzeff might take?
3. Speculate on behavioral forces that might affect
Katzeff’s decisions.
4. How might U.S. businesses best prepare themselves
for a possible elimination of the embargo? What
kinds of decisions do they need to be making?
ENDNOTES
1 Merchants of Green Coffee, “About the Merchants,” www
.merchantsofgreencoffee.com, accessed on April 5, 2013; “Cuban
Organic Shade-Grown Coffee from Merchants of Green Coffee,”
TreeHugger.com, accessed on May 19, 2005, www.treehugger.com,
accessed on September 5, 2013; Thanksgiving Coffee Co., “End the
Embargo on Cuba,” www.endtheembargo.com, accessed on
September 5, 2013; Larry Luxner, “Coffee with a Cause,” Tea &
Coffee Trade Journal, www.teaandcoffee.net, accessed on Septem-
ber 5, 2013; Carol J. Williams, “Some Cuban Exiles Hope Obama
Can Help,” Los Angeles Times, November 10, 2008, http://articles
.latimes.com, accessed on September 5, 2013; Doug Palmer,
“Business Urges Obama to Loosen Cuba Embargo,” December 4,
2008, Reuters, www.reuters.com, accessed on September 5, 2013;
“Cuba Embargo Benefits European, Canadian Firms,” Reuters,
March 20, 2008, www.reuters.com, accessed on September 5, 2013;
Paul Katzeff, “Cooperatives,” Thanksgiving Coffee Co., www
.thanksgivingcoffee.com, accessed on September 5, 2013.
2 Richard Priem, “Executive Judgment, Organizational Congru-
ence, and Firm Performance,” Organization Science, August
1994, pp. 421–432. See also R. Duane Ireland and C. Chet Miller,
“Decision-Making and Firm Success,” Academy of Management
Executive, 2004, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 8–12.
3 Paul Nutt, “The Formulation Processes and Tactics Used in
Organizational Decision Making,” Organization Science, May
1993, pp. 226–240.
4 For a review of decision making, see E. Frank Harrison, The
Managerial Decision Making Process, 5th ed. (Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1999). See also Elke U. Weber and Eric J. Johnson, “Mindful
Judgment and Decision Making,” in Susan T. Fiske, Daniel L.Schacter,
and Robert Sternberg (eds.), Annual Review of Psychology 2009 (Palo
Alto, CA: Annual Reviews, 2009), pp. 53–86.
5 “Too Much Cash Is a Problem?” USA Today, February 12, 2013,
p. 1B.
6 George P. Huber, Managerial Decision Making (Glenview, IL:
Scott, Foresman, 1980).
7 For an example, see Paul D. Collins, Lori V. Ryan, and Sharon F.
Matusik, “Programmable Automation and the Locus of Decision-
Making Power,” Journal of Management, 1999, Vol. 25, No.1,
pp. 29–53.
124 Part 2: Planning
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8 George P. Huber, Managerial Decision Making (Glenview, IL:
Scott, Foresman, 1980). See also David W. Miller and Martin K.
Starr, The Structure of Human Decisions (Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 1976); and Alvar Elbing, Behavioral Decisions in
Organizations, 2nd ed. (Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman, 1978).
9 Rene M. Stulz, “Six Ways Companies Mismanage Risk,” Harvard
Business Review, March 2009, pp. 86–94; See also Robert Merton,
“Innovation Risk: Make Smarter Decisions,” Harvard Business
Review, April 2013, pp. 48–56.
10 “Ford Lays Bet on New Truck by Rehiring 1,000 Workers,” Wall
Street Journal, October 31, 2008, pp. B1, B2.
11 “Delta Air Lines to Buy Oil Refinery,” USA Today, May 1, 2012,
p. 1B.
12 Gerard P. Hodgkinson, Nicola J. Bown, A. John Maule, Keith W.
Glaister, and Alan D. Pearman, “Breaking the Frame: An
Analysis of Strategic Cognition and Decision Making Under
Uncertainty,” Strategic Management Journal, 1999, Vol. 20,
No. 10, pp. 977–985.
13 “Andersen’s Fall from Grace Is a Tale of Greed and Miscues,”
Wall Street Journal, June 7, 2002, pp. A1, A6.
14 Glen Whyte, “Decision Failures: Why They Occur and How to
Prevent Them,” Academy of Management Executive, August
1991, pp. 23–31. See also Jerry Useem, “Decisions, Decisions,”
Fortune, June 27, 2005, pp. 55–154.
15 Jerry Useem, “Boeing vs. Boeing,” Fortune, October 2, 2000,
pp. 148–160; and “Airbus Prepares to ‘Bet the Company’ as It
Builds a Huge New Jet,” Wall Street Journal, November 3, 1999,
pp. A1, A10.
16 Robert C. Litchfield, “Brainstorming Reconsidered: A Goal-Based
View,” Academy of Management Review, 2008, Vol. 33, No. 3,
pp. 649–668.
17 Paul Nutt, “Expanding the Search for Alternatives During
Strategic Decision-Making,” Academy of Management Executive,
2004, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 13–22.
18 See Paul J. H. Schoemaker and Robert E. Gunther, “The Wisdom
of Deliberate Mistakes,” Harvard Business Review, June 2006,
pp. 108–115.
19 “Airbus Clips Superjumbo Production,” Wall Street Journal, May
7, 2009, p. B1.
20 “Accommodating the A380,” Wall Street Journal, November 29,
2005, p. B1; “Boeing Roars Ahead,” BusinessWeek, November 7,
2005, pp. 44–45; and “Boeing’s New Tailwind,” Newsweek,
December 5, 2005, p. 45; “Flyers Losing Faith in Dreamliner,”
USA Today, January 17, 2013, pp. 1B, 2B; “Dreamliner
Reliability in Doubt After Failures,” USA Today, January 9,
2013, pp. 1A, 5A.
21 Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton, Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-
Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-Based
Management (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press,
2006); Pfeffer and Sutton, “Evidence-Based Management,” 2010,
www.evidence-basedmanagement.com, accessed on September 4,
2013; Donald W. McCormick, “Ethics and the 15 Minute
Evidence-Based Manager,” Organization Management Journal,
Vol. 7 (2010), www.palgrave-journals.com, accessed on
September 4, 2013.
22 “The Wisdom of Solomon,” Newsweek, August 17, 1987,
pp. 62–63.
23 “Making Decisions in Real Time,” Fortune, June 26, 2000,
pp. 332–334. See also Eugene Sadler-Smith and Erella Shefy,
“The Intuitive Executive: Understanding and Applying ‘Gut Feel’
in Decision-Making,” Academy of Management Executive, 2004,
Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 76–91; and Don A. Moore and Francis J.
Flynn, “The Case of Behavioral Decision Research in Organiza-
tional Behavior,” in James P. Walsh and Arthur P. Brief (eds.),
The Academy of Management Annals, Vol. 2 (London: Routledge,
2008), pp. 399–432.
24 Herbert A. Simon, Administrative Behavior (New York: Free
Press, 1945). Simon’s ideas have been refined and updated in
Herbert A. Simon, Administrative Behavior, 3rd ed. (New York:
Free Press, 1976); and Herbert A. Simon, “Making Management
Decisions: The Role of Intuition and Emotion,” Academy of
Management Executive, February 1987, pp. 57–63.
25 Patricia Corner, Angelo Kinicki, and Barbara Keats, “Integrating
Organizational and Individual Information Processing Perspec-
tives on Choice,” Organization Science, August 1994,
pp. 294–302.
26 “Lessons from Saturn’s Fall,” BusinessWeek, March 2, 2009, p. 25.
27 Kimberly D. Elsbach and Greg Elofson, “How the Packaging of
Decision Explanations Affects Perceptions of Trustworthiness,”
Academy of Management Journal, 2000, Vol. 43, No. 1,
pp. 80–89.
28 Kenneth Brousseau, Michael Driver, Gary Hourihan, and Rikard
Larsson, “The Seasoned Executive’s Decision-Making Style,”
Harvard Business Review, February 2006, pp. 111–112. See also
Erik Dane and Michael G. Pratt, “Exploring Intuition and Its
Role in Managerial Decision Making,” Academy of Management
Review, 2007, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 33–54.
29 “Three Good Hires? He’ll Pay More for One Who’s Great,” New
York Times, March 13, 2010.
30 Barry M. Staw and Jerry Ross, “Good Money after Bad,”
Psychology Today, February 1988, pp. 30–33; and D. Ramona
Bobocel and John Meyer, “Escalating Commitment to a Failing
Course of Action: Separating the Roles of Choice and Justifica-
tion,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 1994, Vol. 79, No. 3,
pp. 360–363.
31 Mark Keil and Ramiro Montealegre, “Cutting Your Losses:
Extricating Your Organization When a Big Project Goes Awry,”
Sloan Management Review, Spring 2000, pp. 55–64.
32 “Closing Time for a Rock Theme Park,” Wall Street Journal,
January 7, 2009, p. B1.
33 Gerry McNamara and Philip Bromiley, “Risk and Return in
Organizational Decision Making,” Academy of Management
Journal, 1999, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 330–339.
34 For an example, see Brian O’Reilly, “What It Takes to Start a
Startup,” Fortune, June 7, 1999, pp. 135–140.
35 Martha I. Finney, “The Catbert Dilemma—the Human Side of
Tough Decisions,” HRMagazine, February 1997, pp. 70–78.
36 See Ann E. Tenbrunsel and Kristen Smith-Crowe, “Ethical
Decision Making: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going,”
in J. Walsh and A. P. Brief (eds.), The Academy of Management
Annals, Taylor and Francis, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 2010,
pp. 545–607.
37 Edwin A. Locke, David M. Schweiger, and Gary P. Latham,
“Participation in Decision Making: When Should It Be Used?”
Chapter 4: Managing Decision Making 125
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Organizational Dynamics, Winter 1986, pp. 65–79; and Nicholas
Baloff and Elizabeth M. Doherty, “Potential Pitfalls in Employee
Participation,” Organizational Dynamics, Winter 1989, pp. 51–62.
38 “The Art of Brainstorming,” BusinessWeek, August 26, 2002,
pp. 168–169.
39 Andre L. Delbecq, Andrew H. Van de Ven, and David H.
Gustafson, Group Techniques for Program Planning (Glenview,
IL: Scott, Foresman, 1975); and Michael J. Prietula and Herbert
A. Simon, “The Experts in Your Midst,” Harvard Business
Review, January–February 1989, pp. 120–124.
40 For an extension of the nominal group method, see Kevin P.
Coyne, Patricia Gorman Clifford, and Renee Dye, “Breakthrough
Thinking from Inside the Box,” Harvard Business Review,
December 2007, pp. 71–80.
41 Norman P. R. Maier, “Assets and Liabilities in Group Problem
Solving: The Need for an Integrative Function,” in J. Richard
Hackman, Edward E. Lawler III, and Lyman W. Porter (eds.),
Perspectives on Business in Organizations, 2nd ed. (New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1983), pp. 385–392.
42 Anthony L. Iaquinto and James W. Fredrickson, “Top
Management Team Agreement about the Strategic Decision
Process: A Test of Some of Its Determinants and Conse-
quences,” Strategic Management Journal, 1997, Vol. 18, No. 1,
pp. 63–75.
43 Tony Simons, Lisa Hope Pelled, and Ken A. Smith, “Making Use
of Difference: Diversity, Debate, and Decision Comprehensive-
ness in Top Management Teams,” Academy of Management
Journal, 1999, Vol. 42, No. 6, pp. 662–673.
44 Richard A. Cosier and Charles R. Schwenk, “Agreement and
Thinking Alike: Ingredients for Poor Decisions,” Academy of
Management Executive, February 1990, pp. 69–78.
45 Janis, Groupthink.
46 Janis, Groupthink.
126 Part 2: Planning
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C H A P T E R 5
Entrepreneurship and
New Venture Management
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Discuss the nature of entrepreneurship.
2 Describe the role of entrepreneurship in society.
3 Understand the major issues involved in choosing strategies for small firms and the role of international
management in entrepreneurship.
4 Discuss the structural challenges unique to entrepreneurial firms.
5 Understand the determinants of the performance of small firms.
Management in Action
Putting the Greek into Yogurt
“We had the right product. And we had it in the right place. And I think we
used the right approach, which was making a delicious, nutritious, natural,
and accessible product.”
—Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani yogurt
Hamdi Ulukaya was born and raised in Turkey. He helped work
in the family dairy, and loved eating the thick, tangy yogurt that
his mother prepared from an old family recipe. As he traveled
through Europe as a young man, he found similar kinds of
yogurt all along the way and became a real aficionado. He later
learned that European yogurt has almost always been made
using the so-called Greek process that removes the whey from
the final product (water left after the milk has been cultured)
resulting in a thick, creamy yogurt.
Ulukaya moved to the United States in 1994 to study
English. While he loved his new country, he quickly grew to
detest the yogurt varieties marketed in this country by
Dannon, Yoplait, and other companies. These manufacturers
produced yogurt using a different process that left the
whey in the yogurt—harmless, but resulting in a thinner, less
creamy product. He thought its taste was poor in comparison
to the yogurt he grew up with. Meanwhile, Ulukaya started
a small business called Euphrates that produced feta
M
ic
h
a
e
l
O
ko
n
ie
w
sk
i/
N
e
w
sc
o
m
Hamdi Ulukaya is the founder and CEO of Chobani
yogurt. His entrepreneurial vision has transformed
Chobani into a multibillion-dollar corporation.
Sergii Tsololo/Photos.com
127
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cheese for restaurants. He built it into a successful operation and accumulated
some savings.
One day in 2004, Ulukaya read an article about an old yogurt plant that Kraft
Foods was closing. As he thought about the old yogurt factory being shuttered
and his own disdain for local yogurt products, an idea began to take shape. The
next day, he drove to upstate New York, inspected the plant, and quickly decided
to buy it. He used a combination of personal savings and a loan from the U.S.
Small Business Association to buy the plant at a bargain price (he declined to
disclose the amount). He also hired four of the former Kraft employees who had
worked at the plant plus a skilled yogurt maker he knew by reputation from
Turkey.
Next, he needed to set up equipment and develop a production system. The
old Kraft plant had all of the basic yogurt-making equipment he needed.
However, because he wanted to extract the whey, he also needed some
additional machinery. After a brief search he found a used machine called a
separator in Wisconsin and bought it for $50,000. In addition, he bought a few
other pieces of specialized equipment—mostly used—and was ready to start
testing recipes and production processes.
He also wanted to create some unique packaging for his new line of yogurt.
Ulukaya didn’t feel that he could afford traditional advertising for his start-up
operation but concluded that he could attract consumer attention. He created a
model of his yogurt containers that was squatter and fatter than what other
manufacturers were using. This would both attract attention and make the
containers look a bit larger. In addition, he decided that he wanted the labels to be
shrunken-on plastic sleeves instead of being printed directly on the yogurt
containers—this would result in sharper and brighter colors, attracting further
attention.
But these decisions resulted in some temporary roadblocks for Ulukaya. The
first step in making the yogurt containers would be to create a mold. The lowest
bid he could get from a U.S. supplier for this job was $250,000—half of his
working capital. Eventually, though, he found a company in Colombia that would
do the job for half that amount. So, now he had a plant, equipment, workers, and
packing. But he still needed a product.
Finally, after a couple of years of trying and testing recipes and getting his
business plan finalized, Ulukaya launched his new yogurt in 2007. He named it
Chobani—Turkish for shepherd. To keep control over the product, as well as its
pricing and placement, Ulukaya and his first marketing representative
approached retailers directly rather than going through distributors. It
was important to Ulukaya, for example, that his yogurt be sold with all of the
other yogurts rather than in the organic section. Their first order was for 300
cases for a grocer on Long Island. A week later, the grocer called Ulukaya, told
him the product was flying off the shelf, and ordered another 300 cases.
To say Chobani has been successful would be an understatement. For
example, Ulukaya’s business plan called for achieving a sell rate of 20,000
cases of Chobani a week within 36 months. If the new start-up could not
reach that level, Ulukaya knew he would need to close the operation. As it
turned out, his target was way too low—by a year and a zero. By mid-2009,
200,000 cases a week were going out the door. Now Ulukaya is a billionaire.
Chobani has become a market leader and is also being made and sold in
Europe and Australia.
128 Part 2: Planning
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It is no surprise, of course, that his bigger competitors have taken note of
Ulukaya’s success and attempted to thwart his efforts. Both Dannon and Yoplait
have aggressively introduced their own versions of Greek yogurt and are gaining
market share. But for the time being, at least, Chobani still hasn’t found its ceiling.
Indeed, the firm is now shipping 1.2 million cases a week, and sales are still
growing. Not bad for a Turkish immigrant just looking to learn a foreign
language!1
Just like Hamdi Ulukaya, thousands of people all over the world start new businesses each
year. Some of them succeed and many, unfortunately, fail. Some of the people who fail in a
new business try again, and sometimes it takes two or more failures before a successful
business gets under way. Henry Ford, for example, went bankrupt twice before succeeding
with Ford Motor Company. On the other hand, of course, there are the Hamdi Ulukayas
who succeed once (with Euphrates, in his case), try again, and succeed a second time.
This process of starting a new business or business venture, sometimes failing and
sometimes succeeding, is part of what is called entrepreneurship, the subject of this chapter.
We begin by exploring the nature of entrepreneurship. We then examine the role of entre-
preneurship in the business world and discuss strategies for entrepreneurial organizations.
We then describe the structure and performance of entrepreneurial organizations.
THE NATURE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Entrepreneurship is the process of planning, organizing, operating, and assuming the
risks of a business venture. An entrepreneur, in turn, is someone who engages in entre-
preneurship. Hamdi Ulukaya, who’s featured in our opening story, fits this description.
He put his own resources on the line and took a personal stake in the success or failure
of Chobani.2 Business owners who hire professional managers to run their businesses
and then turn their attention to other interests are not true entrepreneurs. Although
they are assuming the risk of the venture, they are not actively involved in organizing
or operating it. Likewise, professional managers whose job is running someone else’s
business are not entrepreneurs, for they assume less-than-total personal risk for the suc-
cess or failure of the business.
Entrepreneurs start new businesses. We define a small business as one that is pri-
vately owned by one individual or a small group of individuals and has sales and assets
that are not large enough to meaningfully influence its environment. A two-person soft-
ware development company with annual sales of $100,000 would clearly be a small busi-
ness, whereas Microsoft Corporation is just as clearly a large business. But the boundaries
are not always this clear-cut. For example, a regional retail chain with 20 stores and annual
revenues of $30 million may sound large but is really very small when compared to giants
such as Walmart and Macy’s.
THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SOCIETY
The history of entrepreneurship and of the development of new businesses is in many
ways the history of great wealth and of great failure. Some entrepreneurs have been
very successful and have accumulated vast fortunes from their entrepreneurial efforts.
entrepreneurship
The process of
planning, organizing,
operating, and
assuming the risks of
a business venture
entrepreneur
Someone who
engages in
entrepreneurship
small business
A business that is
privately owned by
one individual or a
small group of
individuals and has
sales and assets that
are not large enough
to meaningfully
influence its
environment
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 129
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For example, when Microsoft Corporation first sold its stock to the public in 1986,
Bill Gates, then just 30 years old, received $350 million for his share of Microsoft.3
Today his holdings—valued at over $53 billion—make him the richest person in
the United States and one of the richest in the world.4 Many more entrepreneurs,
however, have lost a great deal of money. Research suggests that the majority
of new businesses fail within the first few years of founding.5 Many that last longer
do so only because the entrepreneurs themselves work long hours for very little
income.
As Figure 5.1 shows, most U.S. businesses employ fewer than 100 people, and
most U.S. workers are employed by small firms. For example, Figure 5.1(a) shows
that approximately 86 percent of all U.S. businesses employ fewer than 20 people; another
11.7 percent employ between 20 and 99 people. In contrast, only about 2.1 percent employ
between 100 and 499 workers, and another 0.2 percent employ 500 or more. Figure 5.1(b)
shows that 24.5 percent of all U.S. workers are employed by firms with fewer than 20
people; another 29.6 percent work in firms that employ between 20 and 99 people. The
vast majority of these companies are owner-operated.6 Figure 5.1(b) also shows that
80
40
20
60
90
50
30
10
70
100
0
80
40
20
60
90
50
30
10
70
100
0
P
e
rc
e
n
ta
g
e
o
f
A
ll
U
.S
.
B
u
s
in
e
s
s
e
s
Under
20
100–499 500
or more
20–99
P
e
rc
e
n
ta
g
e
o
f
A
ll
U
.S
.
W
o
rk
e
rs
Under
20
100–499 500
or more
20–99
Number of Employees
(b)
Number of Employees
(a)
FIGURE 5.1
The Importance of Small Business in the United States
(a) Approximately 86 percent of all U.S. businesses employ fewer than 20 people; another 11.7 percent
employ between 20 and 99 people. In contrast, only about 2.1 percent employ between 100 and 499
workers, and another 0.2 percent employ 500 or more.
(b) 24.5 percent of all U.S. workers are employed by firms with fewer than 20 people; another 29.6 percent
work in firms that employ between 20 and 99 people. 25.5 percent of U.S. workers are employed by firms
with 100–499 employees, and another 20.3 percent work for businesses that employ 500 or more total
employees.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2010 (Washington, DC: Government
Printing Office, 2011).
130 Part 2: Planning
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25.5 percent of U.S. workers are employed by firms with 100 to 499 employees, and another
20.3 percent work for businesses that employ 500 or more total employees.
On the basis of numbers alone, then, small business is a strong presence in the econ-
omy, which is also true in virtually all of the world’s mature economies. In Germany, for
example, companies with fewer than 500 employees produce two-thirds of the nation’s
gross national product, train nine of ten apprentices, and employ four of every five
workers. Small businesses also play major roles in the economies of Italy, France, and
Brazil. In addition, experts agree that small businesses will be quite important in the
emerging economies of countries such as Russia and Vietnam. The contribution of
small business can be measured in terms of its effects on key aspects of an economic
system. In the United States, these aspects include job creation, innovation, and importance
to big business.
Job Creation
In the early 1980s, a widely cited study suggested that small businesses are responsible
for creating eight of every ten new jobs in the United States. This contention touched
off considerable interest in the fostering of small business as a matter of public policy.
As we will see, though, relative job growth among businesses of different sizes is not
easy to determine. But it is clear that small business—especially in certain industries—is
an important source of new (and often well-paid) jobs in the United States. According to
the Small Business Administration (SBA), for example, seven of the ten industries that
added the most new jobs in 2007 were in sectors dominated by small businesses. More-
over, small businesses currently account for over one-third of all jobs in high-technology
sectors of the economy.7
Note that new jobs are also being created by small firms specializing in international
business. For example, Bob Knosp operates a small business in Bellevue, Washington,
that makes computerized sign-making systems. Knosp gets over half his sales from
abroad and has dedicated almost 75 percent of his workforce to handling international
sales. Indeed, according to the SBA, small businesses account for 33.5 percent of all U.S.
exporters.8
It is important to note, though, that tracking job gains and losses is very complicated
and somewhat imprecise. For instance, suppose a business eliminates one full-time job
but later replaces it with two part-time jobs. Some statistics would count this as a loss
of one job followed by a gain of two jobs. Similarly, the jobs within a company can
fluctuate when it acquires or sells a business unit. For instance, a few years ago statistics
showed that Halliburton had cut 53,000 jobs. But in reality, these “losses” actually came
when the firm sold its largest subsidiary, KBR. Only a handful of jobs were actually
eliminated; instead, over 50,000 jobs were simply moved to a new firm.
At least one message is clear: Entrepreneurial business success, more than business
size, accounts for most new job creation. Whereas successful retailers such as Walmart
and Starbucks have been growing and adding thousands of new jobs, struggling chains
such as Kmart have been eliminating thousands. Hence, most firms, especially those in
complex and dynamic environments, go through periods of growth when they add new
jobs but also have periods when they cut jobs.
The reality, then, is that jobs are created by entrepreneurial companies of all sizes, all
of which hire workers and all of which lay them off. Although small firms often hire at a
faster rate than large ones, they are likely to eliminate jobs at a far higher rate. Small
firms are also usually the first to hire in times of economic recovery, whereas large
firms are generally the last. Conversely, however, big companies are also the last to lay
off workers during economic downswings.
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 131
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Innovation
History has shown that major innovations are as likely to come from small businesses
(or individuals) as from big businesses. For example, small firms and individuals
invented the personal computer, the stainless-steel razor blade, the transistor radio, the
photocopying machine, the jet engine, and the self-developing photograph. They also gave
us the helicopter and power steering, automatic transmissions and air conditioning, cello-
phane, and the disposable ballpoint pen. Today, says the SBA, small businesses consistently
supply over half of all “innovations” introduced into the U.S. marketplace each year.9
It is no surprise that history is repeating itself with increasing rapidity in the age of compu-
ters and high-tech communication. For example, much of today’s most innovative software is
being written at relatively new start-up companies. Yahoo! and Netscape brought the Internet
into the average U.S. living room, and online companies such as Amazon.com, eBay, and
Google are using it to redefine our shopping habits. Facebook and Twitter have changed how
we interact with one another.10 Each of these firms started out as a small business.
Of course, not all successful new start-ups are leading-edge dot-com enterprises. Take
Sacha White, for example. He moved to Oregon a few years ago and got a job as a bicycle
JOB LOSSES
–3,000
–4,200
–3,020
–6,000
–8,500
–12,000
–1,600
–8,000
–1,500
+7,000
+6,750
+2,000
+1,200
+3,000
+2,500
+3,500
+1,200
+1,000
JOB GAINS
Kroger
Toys R Us
Caterpillar
AT&T
Amazon.com
Motorola
CarMax
Ford
Nissan
Barclays
Merck & Co.
JP Morgan
Wells Fargo
Bank of America
IBM
Aetna
Eli Lilly
AIG
©
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FIGURE 5.2
Representative Jobs Created and Lost in 2013
All businesses create and eliminate jobs. Because of their size, the magnitude of job
creation and elimination is especially pronounced in bigger businesses. This figure
provides several representative examples of job creation and elimination at several
big U.S. businesses during 2013. For example, while Barclay’s cut 12,000 jobs and
Merck cut 8,500 jobs, Kroger added 7,000 jobs and Toys R Us added 6,750 jobs during
this same period.
132 Part 2: Planning
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messenger. He began to tinker with his bike and eventually built himself a custom
one from scratch. Other riders took note and wanted him to build bikes for them
as well. White eventually started his own business called Vanilla Bicycles. He hand-
crafts each one and has a waiting list of four years. All told, he makes between
40 and 50 bikes per year; about 40 percent of these bikes are sold domestically, the
rest to international customers. The average price of each of his custom bikes is
around $7,000.11 Entrepreneurs have also achieved success in diverse fields such as
specialized dog training, handcrafted musical instruments, and delicate fly-fishing
reels. And the popular television program Duck Dynasty features a family’s successful
business making duck calls.
Importance to Big Business
Most of the products made by big manufacturers are sold to consumers by small
businesses. For example, the majority of dealerships selling Fords, Chevrolets, Toyotas,
and Kias are independently owned and operated. Moreover, small businesses provide
big businesses with many of the services, supplies, and raw materials they need. Likewise,
Microsoft relies heavily on small businesses in the course of its routine business opera-
tions. For example, the software giant outsources much of its routine code-writing
functions to hundreds of sole proprietorships and other small firms. It also outsources
much of its packaging, delivery, and distribution to smaller companies. Dell Computer
uses this same strategy, buying most of the parts and components used in its computers
from small suppliers around the world.
STRATEGY FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL
ORGANIZATIONS
One of the most basic challenges facing an entrepreneurial organization is choosing a
strategy. The three strategic challenges facing small firms, in turn, are choosing an
industry in which to compete, emphasizing distinctive competencies, and writing a busi-
ness plan.12
Choosing an Industry
It also is no surprise that small businesses are more common in some industries than in
others. The major industry groups that include successful new ventures and small busi-
nesses are services, retailing, construction, financial and insurance, wholesaling, transpor-
tation, and manufacturing. Obviously, each group differs in its requirements for
employees, money, materials, and machines. In general, the more resources an industry
requires, the harder it is to start a business and the less likely it is that the industry is
dominated by small firms. Remember, too, that small is a relative term: The criteria
(number of employees and total annual sales) differ from industry to industry and are
often meaningful only when compared with businesses that are truly large. Figure 5.3
shows the distribution of all U.S. businesses employing fewer than 20 people across
industry groups.
Services Primarily because they require few resources, service businesses are the
fastest-growing segment of small-business enterprise. In addition, no other industry
group offers a higher return on time invested. Finally, services appeal to the talent for
innovation typified by many small enterprises. As Figure 5.3 shows, 40.53 percent of all
U.S. businesses with fewer than 20 employees are services.
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 133
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Small-business services range from shoeshine parlors to car rental agencies, from
marriage counseling to computer software, from accounting and management consulting
to professional dog walking. In Dallas, for example, Jani-King has prospered by selling
commercial cleaning services to local companies. In Virginia Beach, Virginia, Jackson
Hewitt Tax Services has found a profitable niche in providing computerized tax preparation
and electronic tax-filing services. Great Clips, Inc., is a fast-growing family-run chain of hair
salons headquartered in Minneapolis.
Retailing A retail business sells directly to consumers products manufactured by other
firms. There are hundreds of different kinds of retailers, ranging from wig shops and
frozen yogurt stands to automobile dealerships and department stores. Usually, however,
people who start small businesses favor specialty shops—for example, big-men’s clothing
or gourmet coffees—which let them focus limited resources on narrow market segments.
Retailing accounts for 11.71 percent of all U.S. businesses with fewer than 20 employees.
John Mackey, for example, launched Whole Foods out of his own frustration at being
unable to find a full range of natural foods at other stores. He soon found, however, that
he had tapped a lucrative market and started an ambitious expansion program. Today,
with 310 outlets in North America and the United Kingdom, Whole Foods is the largest
natural-foods retailer in the United States—three times larger than its biggest competi-
tor.13 Likewise, when Olga Tereshko found it difficult to locate just the right cloth
diapers and breast-feeding supplies for her newborn son, she decided to start selling
them herself. Instead of taking the conventional retailing route, however, Tereshko set
up shop on the Internet. Her business, called Little Koala, has established a customer
base of over 10,000 loyal customers. The “Sustainability Matters” feature highlights
another successful business that has combined retailing and services.
1022275
2071082
598212
599510
214711
265735
145355
193158
Other: 20%
Services: 40.5%
Retailing: 11.7%
Construction: 11.7%
Finance & Insurance: 4.2%
Wholesaling: 5.2%
Transportation: 2.8%
Manufacturing: 3.8%
FIGURE 5.3
Small Businesses (Businesses with Fewer than 20 Employees) by Industry
Small businesses are especially strong in certain industries, such as retailing and
services. On the other hand, there are relatively fewer small businesses in industries
such as transportation and manufacturing. The differences are primarily a result of
factors such as the investment costs necessary to enter markets in these industries.
For example, starting a new airline would require the purchase of large passenger
aircraft and airport gates, and hiring an expensive set of employees.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov/econ/susb/, accessed on March 2014.
134 Part 2: Planning
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SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
A New Model for Going Green
Darin Budwig, a registered nurse in Glendale, Cali-
fornia, wanted to do the green thing by going solar.
Price, however, was a problem: “I wanted to do
the right thing for the environment,” says Budwig,
“but I really had to ask whether it was worth tak-
ing on $30,000 in debt.” According to Lyndon Rive,
CEO of SolarCity, a provider of solar-energy
systems located in Foster City, California, the
average cost is actually closer to $20,000, but he
understands Budwig’s reservations. “Even those
who really want to make an environmental change,”
admits Rive, “can’t part with $20,000…. The solution
is just too costly for them.”
That’s why Rive revamped his business model in
order to make solar panels affordable for a much
broader range of environmentally conscious consu-
mers. He realized that he could put solar panels on
people’s roofs in much the same way that automakers
put more expensive vehicles in their garages: by leas-
ing them rather than selling them outright. So instead
of borrowing $20,000, Darin Budwig only had to put
$1,000 down and agree to lease a SolarCity system
for 15 years. At a cost of $73 a month, Budwig figured
to save about $95 a month and recoup his $1,000 in
less than a year. Too good to be true? “We hear that a
lot,” says Rive. “But we do save you money, and it
doesn’t cost you a cent to go solar.” With leasing, he
adds, “we can essentially make it so that everybody
can now afford clean power.”
At the same time, however, Rive understands
that price isn’t the only consideration for potential
customers like Darin Budwig. “Widespread adop-
tion,” he admits, “will come if you can take away
the complexity and hassle of installing solar.”
SolarCity thus made things easier for Budwig by
lining up building permits, financing, and tax
breaks. The company also streamlined costs by
using innovative computer automation to custom-
design Budwig’s installation, which was based on
satellite images of his rooftop. SolarCity even com-
piled utility-rate data to estimate Budwig’s return
on his solar investment.
©
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.c
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Surging energy prices, increased consumer awareness, and the availability of
new technologies have combined to lead many people to explore alternative
energy sources, including solar power. Unfortunately, many of these individuals
are often discouraged when they learn how much solar power equipment actually
costs. SolarCity, though, has built a lucrative business by leasing solar panels to
homeowners. This installer, for example, is putting leased solar panels on the roof
of a home in California.
(continued)
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 135
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Construction About 11.73 percent of businesses with fewer than 20 employees are
involved in construction. Because many construction jobs are relatively small, local
projects, local construction firms are often ideally suited as contractors. Many such
firms are begun by skilled craftspeople who start out working for someone else and
subsequently decide to work for themselves. Common examples of small construction
firms include home builders, wood finishers, roofers, painters, and plumbing, electrical,
and roofing contractors.
For example, Marek Brothers Construction in College Station, Texas, was started
by two brothers, Pat and Joe Marek. They originally worked for other contractors
but started their own partnership in 1980. Their only employee is a receptionist.
They manage various construction projects, including new-home construction
and remodeling, subcontracting out the actual work to other businesses or to
individual craftspeople. Marek Brothers has an annual gross income of about $5
million.
Finance and Insurance Finance and insurance businesses comprise about 4.2 percent
of all firms with fewer than 20 employees. In most cases, these businesses either are affili-
ates of or sell products provided by larger national firms. Although the deregulation of the
banking industry has reduced the number of small local banks, other businesses in this
sector are still doing quite well.
Typically, for example, local State Farm Mutual offices are small businesses. State Farm
itself is a major insurance company, but its local offices are run by 16,500 independent
The company recently added another automated
service to its innovative product line. With the
acquisition of Building Solutions, a firm specializing in
software-controlled home energy audits, SolarCity
entered the market for home-efficiency upgrades.
Company auditors now come into a house armed
with duct blowers, infrared cameras, and combustion
analyzers to check for leaks and test heaters. The
data are then analyzed to determine what can be
done at what cost and to calculate the homeowner’s
best return on his or her upgrade investment. COO
Peter Rive (Lyndon’s older brother) is especially
optimistic about the company’s ability to combine
panel-installation services with such services as
energy audits and building-envelope sealing (sealing
leaks in walls, doors, and windows). “As of right
now,” he points out, “there aren’t residential energy-
efficiency providers with any serious scale. We’re
going to be able to bring serious economies of
scale” to bear on the costs to both the provider and
the customer.
Like Darin Budwig, Google engineer Michael
Flaster leased a SolarCity system for his home in
Menlo Park, California. He saves $100 a month on
his energy bill and expects to save more than
$16,000 over the 15 years of his lease. His
employers at Google, a longtime supporter of
clean-energy innovations, were impressed and
recently announced a $280 million fund to help
SolarCity finance solar installations across the
country.
References: Pete Engardio and Adam Aston, “The Next
Energy Innovators,” BusinessWeek, July 16, 2009, www
.businessweek.com, accessed on September 11, 2013;
Julie Schmidt, “SolarCity Aims to Make Solar Power
More Affordable,” USA Today, November 10, 2009,
www.usatoday.com, accessed on September 11, 2013;
Eric Wesoff, “SolarCity Adds Energy Efficiency to Solar
Finance, Design, and Monitoring,” Greentech Media,
October 14, 2010, www.greentechmedia.com, accessed
on September 11, 2013; David A. Hill, “Solar City Takes
Aim at Home Energy Audit Market,” Colorado Energy
News, May 14, 2010, http://coloradoenergynews.com,
accessed on September 11, 2013; Rick Needham, “Help-
ing Homeowners Harness the Sun,” The Official Google
Blog, June 14, 2011, http://googleblog.blogspot.in/,
accessed on September 11, 2013.
SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS (Continued)
136 Part 2: Planning
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agents. In turn, agents hire their own staff, run their own offices as independent
businesses, and so forth. They sell various State Farm insurance products and earn com-
missions from the premiums paid by their clients. Some local savings-and-loan-operations,
mortgage companies, and pawnshops also fall into this category.
Wholesaling Small-business owners often also do very well in wholesaling; about
5.2 percent of businesses with fewer than 20 employees are wholesalers. A wholesale
business buys products from manufacturers or other producers and then sells them to
retailers. Wholesalers usually buy goods in bulk and store them in quantity at locations
that are convenient for retailers. For a given volume of business, therefore, they need
fewer employees than manufacturers, retailers, or service providers.
They also serve fewer customers than other providers—usually those who repeatedly
order large volumes of goods. Wholesalers in the grocery industry, for instance, buy
packaged food in bulk from companies such as Del Monte and Campbell’s and then
sell it to both large grocery chains and smaller independent grocers. Luis Espinoza has
found a promising niche for Inca Quality Foods, a Midwestern wholesaler that imports
and distributes Latino foods for consumers from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central
America. Partnered with the large grocery store chain Kroger, Espinoza’s firm continues
to grow steadily.14
Transportation Some small firms—about 2.8 percent of all U.S. companies with
fewer than 20 employees—do well in transportation and transportation-related busi-
nesses. Such firms include local taxi and limousine companies, charter airplane
services, and tour operators. In addition, in many smaller markets, bus companies
and regional airlines subcontract local equipment maintenance to small businesses.
Consider, for example, some of the transportation-related small businesses at a ski
resort like Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Most visitors fly to the town of Hayden, about
15 miles from Steamboat Springs. Although some visitors rent vehicles, many others use
the services of Alpine Taxi, a small local operation, to transport them to their destina-
tions in Steamboat Springs. While on vacation, they also rely on the local bus service,
which is subcontracted by the town to another small business, to get to and from the
ski slopes each day. Other small businesses offer van tours of the region, hot-air balloon
rides, and helicopter lifts to remote areas for extreme skiers. Still others provide mainte-
nance support at Hayden for United and American aircraft that serve the area during ski
season.
Manufacturing More than any other industry, manufacturing lends itself to big
business—and for good reason. Because of the investment normally required in equip-
ment, energy, and raw materials, a good deal of money is usually needed to start a
manufacturing business. Automobile manufacturing, for example, calls for billions of
dollars of investment and thousands of workers before the first automobile rolls off the
assembly line. Obviously, such requirements shut out most individuals. Although Henry
Ford began with $28,000, it has been a long time since anyone started a new U.S. car
company from scratch.
Research has shown that manufacturing costs often fall as the number of units
produced by an organization increases. This relationship between cost and production
is called an economy of scale.15 Small organizations usually cannot compete effectively
on the basis of economies of scale. As depicted in Figure 5.4(a), organizations with
higher levels of production have a major cost advantage over those with lower levels of
production. Given the cost positions of small and large firms when there are strong
economies of scale in manufacturing, it is not surprising that small manufacturing
organizations generally do not do as well as large ones.
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 137
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It is interesting that when technology in an industry changes, it often shifts the
economies-of-scale curve, thereby creating opportunities for smaller organizations. For
example, steel manufacturing was historically dominated by a few large companies,
which owned several huge facilities. With the development of mini-mill technology,
however, extracting economies of scale at a much smaller level of production became
possible. This type of shift is depicted in Figure 5.4(b). Point A in this panel is the low-
cost point with the original economies of scale. Point B is the low-cost point with the
economies of scale brought on by the new technology. Notice that the number of units
needed for low costs is considerably lower for the new technology. This has allowed the
entry of numerous smaller firms into the steel industry. Such entry would not have been
possible with the older technology.
This is not to say that no small-business owners do well in manufacturing—about
3.78 percent of businesses with fewer than 20 employees are involved in some aspect of
manufacturing. Indeed, it is not uncommon for small manufacturers to outperform big
business in innovation-driven industries such as chemistry, electronics, toys, and com-
puter software. Some small manufacturers prosper by locating profitable niches. For
example, brothers Dave and Dan Hanlon and Dave’s wife Jennie started a new
motorcycle-manufacturing business called Excelsior-Henderson. (Excelsior and Hender-
son are actually names of classic motorcycles from the early years of the twentieth
century; the Hanlons acquired the rights to these brand names because of the images
they evoke among motorcycle enthusiasts.) The Hanlons started by building 4,000 bikes
in 1999 and soon had annual production of 20,000 per year. Excelsior-Henderson
motorcycles have been well received (the top-end Excelsior-Henderson Super X sells for
about $18,000), and some Harley-Davidson dealers have started to sell them as a means
of diversifying their product line.16
Number of units produced
(a) Standard economies-of-scale curve
C
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C
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)
B
Number of units produced
(b) Change in technology that shifts economies of scale
and may make small-business manufacturing possible
A
Original economies of scale
New economies of scale
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FIGURE 5.4
Economies of Scale in Small-Business Organizations
Small businesses sometimes find it difficult to compete in manufacturing-related industries because of the
economies of scale associated with plants, equipment, and technology. As shown in (a), firms that produce
a large number of units (that is, larger businesses) can do so at a lower per-unit cost. At the same time,
however, new forms of technology occasionally cause the economies-of-scale curve to shift, as illustrated in (b).
In this case, smaller firms may be able to compete more effectively with larger ones because of the drop in
per-unit manufacturing cost.
138 Part 2: Planning
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Emphasizing Distinctive Competencies
As we defined in Chapter 3, an organization’s distinctive competencies are the aspects of
business that the firm performs better than its competitors. The distinctive competencies
of small business usually fall into three areas: the ability to identify new niches in estab-
lished markets, the ability to identify new markets, and the ability to move quickly to
take advantage of new opportunities.
Identifying Niches in Established Markets An established market is one in
which several large firms compete according to relatively well-defined criteria. For exam-
ple, throughout the 1970s, several well-known computer-manufacturing companies,
including IBM, Digital Equipment, and Hewlett-Packard, competed according to three
product criteria: computing power, service, and price. Over the years, the computing
power and quality of service delivered by these firms continued to improve, while prices
(especially relative to computing power) continued to drop.
Enter Apple Computer and the personal computer. For Apple, user-friendliness, not
computing power, service, or price, was to be the basis of competition. Apple targeted
every manager, every student, and every home as the owner of a personal computer.
Apple’s major entrepreneurial act was not to invent a new technology (indeed, the first
Apple computers used all standard parts taken from other computers), but to recognize a
new kind of computer and a new way to compete in the computer industry.
Apple’s approach to competition was to identify a new niche in an established market.
A niche is simply a segment of a market that is not currently being exploited. In general,
small entrepreneurial businesses are better at discovering these niches than are larger
organizations. For example, David Tran launched a new hot sauce product, Sriracha
Hot Chili Sauce, because he thought existing products were a bit too mild. From a mod-
est beginning about 10 years ago, Tran now sells over 20 million bottles of Sriracha a
year.17 Another example is described in the “Leading the Way” feature. Large organiza-
tions usually have so many resources committed to older, established business practices
that they may be unaware of new opportunities. Entrepreneurs can see these opportu-
nities and move quickly to take advantage of them.
Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal recently founded Warby Parker, a business that
sells prescription eyewear through the mail. The entrepreneurs realized that most consu-
mers disliked the experience of going to an optical shop to try on glasses and then were
irritated at the price of those glasses. So, Warby Parker offers lower-priced glasses with
hip designs and a money-back guarantee. Astute marketing then allowed them to get a
quick start with their niche business, selling over 50,000 pairs of glasses and generating
profits after only a single year of operation.18
Identifying New Markets Successful entrepreneurs also excel at discovering whole
new markets. Discovery can happen in at least two ways. First, an entrepreneur can
transfer a product or service that is well established in one geographic market to a
second market. This is what Marcel Bich did with ballpoint pens, which occupied a
well-established market in Europe before Bich introduced them to the United States.
Bich’s company, Société Bic, eventually came to dominate the U.S. market.
Second, entrepreneurs can sometimes create entire industries. Entrepreneurial inven-
tions of the dry paper-copying process and the semiconductor have created vast new
industries. Not only have the first companies into these markets been very successful
(Xerox and Texas Instruments, respectively), but their entrepreneurial activity also has
spawned the development of hundreds of other companies and hundreds of thousands
of jobs. Again, because entrepreneurs are not encumbered with a history of doing busi-
ness in a particular way, they are usually better at discovering new markets than are
larger, more mature organizations.
established market
A market in which
several large firms
compete according
to relatively well-
defined criteria
niche
A segment of a
market not currently
being exploited
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 139
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LEADING THE WAY
Samuel Adams Makes Headway
In 1984, James Koch was a high-flying management
consultant earning over $250,000 a year. To the
surprise of his family and friends, however, he quit
this job and invested his life’s savings to start a
business from scratch and go head-to-head with
international competitors in a market that had not
had a truly successful specialty product in decades.
To everyone’s even greater surprise, he succeeded.
Part of his success as an entrepreneur is attributable
to his business acumen and part to his leadership
capabilities.
Koch’s company is Boston Beer, and its flagship
product is a premium beer called Samuel Adams.
James set up shop in an old warehouse in Boston,
bought some surplus equipment from a large brew-
ery, and started operations. Because he used only
the highest-quality ingredients, Koch had to price
his product at about $1 more per case than such pre-
mium imports as Heineken. Most distributors, doubt-
ing consumers would pay $6 per six-pack for an
American beer, refused to carry it. So Koch began
selling directly to retailers and bars.
His big break came when Samuel Adams Lager
won the consumer preference poll at the Great
American Beer Festival. Koch quickly turned this
victory into an advertising mantra, proclaiming
Samuel Adams “The Best Beer in America.” As
sales took off, national distributors came calling;
to meet surging demand, Koch contracted parts
of his brewing operations to facilities in Pittsburgh
and Cincinnati.
Annual sales of Samuel Adams products began to
skyrocket and in 2012 exceeded $628 million.
Demand grew to the point the point that Koch
decided to purchase a large brewery outside Phila-
delphia. This increased the firm’s brewing capacity
by over 1.6 million barrels per year. Boston Beer
even exports Samuel Adams to Germany, where it’s
become popular among finicky beer drinkers. Koch,
who retains controlling interest in the business, still
oversees day-to-day brewing operations. Indeed, he
claims to have sampled at least one of the firm’s
products every day. In his words, “To best lead a busi-
ness you have to lead on every front, and this includes
sampling the merchandise!”
References: “Sam Adams Beer to Expand Cincinnati
Brewery,” USA Today, www.usa.com, accessed on Septem-
ber 11, 2013; Christopher Edmunds, “Bottom of the Bar-
rel: Boston Beer’s Winning Formula,” realmoney.
thestreet.com, accessed on September 11, 2013; “Boston
Beer Company—Company Profile, Information, Business
Description, History, Background Information on Boston
Beer Company,” at http://www.referenceforbusiness.
com/history2/74/Boston-Beer-Company.html, accessed on
September 11, 2013.
B
o
st
o
n
G
lo
b
e
/G
e
tt
y
Im
a
g
e
s
James Koch used his own personal savings to launch
Boston Beer, makers of Samuel Adams and other premium
beers. Koch’s success with Boston Beer has come in part
from his business acumen and in part from his strong
leadership skills.
140 Part 2: Planning
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First-Mover Advantages A first-mover advantage is any advantage that comes to a
firm because it exploits an opportunity before any other firm does. Sometimes large
firms discover niches within existing markets or new markets at just about the same
time as small entrepreneurial firms but are not able to move as quickly as small compa-
nies to take advantage of these opportunities.
This difference occurs for numerous reasons. For example, many large organizations
make decisions slowly because each of their many layers of hierarchy must approve an
action before it can be implemented. Also, large organizations may sometimes put a
great deal of their assets at risk when they take advantage of new opportunities. Every
time Boeing decides to build a new model of a commercial jet, it is making a decision
that could literally bankrupt the company if it does not turn out well. The size of the
risk may make large organizations cautious. The dollar value of the assets at risk in a
small organization, in contrast, is quite small. Managers may be willing to “bet the com-
pany” when the value of the company is only $100,000. They might be unwilling to “bet
the company” when the value of the company is $1 billion.
Writing a Business Plan
Once an entrepreneur has chosen an industry in which to compete and has determined
which distinctive competencies to emphasize, these choices are usually included in a
document called a business plan. In a business plan, the entrepreneur summarizes the
business strategy and how that strategy is to be implemented. The very act of preparing
a business plan forces prospective entrepreneurs to crystallize their thinking about what
they must do to launch their business successfully and obliges them to develop their
business on paper before investing time and money in it. The idea of a business plan is
not new. What is new is the growing use of specialized business plans by entrepreneurs,
mostly because creditors and investors demand them for use in deciding whether to help
finance a small business.19
The plan should describe the match between the entrepreneur’s abilities and the
requirements for producing and marketing a particular product or service. It should
define strategies for production and marketing, legal aspects and organization, and
accounting and finance. In particular, it should answer three questions: (1) What are
the entrepreneur’s goals and objectives? (2) What strategies will the entrepreneur use to
obtain these goals and objectives? (3) How will the entrepreneur implement these
strategies?
Business plans should also account for the sequential nature of much strategic
decision making in small businesses. For example, entrepreneurs cannot forecast sales
revenues without first researching markets. The sales forecast itself is one of the most
important elements in the business plan. Without such forecasts, it is all but impossible
to estimate intelligently the size of a plant, store, or office, or to determine how much
inventory to carry or how many employees to hire.
Another important component of the overall business plan is financial planning,
which translates all other activities into dollars. Generally, the financial plan is made up
of a cash budget, an income statement, balance sheets, and a breakeven chart. The most
important of these statements is the cash budget because it tells entrepreneurs how much
money they need before they open for business and how much money they need to keep
the business operating.
Entrepreneurship and International Management
Although many people associate international management with big business, many
smaller companies are finding expansion and growth opportunities in foreign countries.
first-mover
advantage
Any advantage that
comes to a firm
because it exploits
an opportunity
before any other firm
business plan
A document that
summarizes the
business strategy
and structure
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 141
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For example, Fuci Metals, a small but growing enterprise, buys metal from remote loca-
tions in areas such as Siberia and Africa and then sells it to big automakers such as Ford
and Toyota. Similarly, California-based Gold’s Gym is expanding into foreign countries
and has been especially successful in Russia. And Markel Corporation, a small
Philadelphia-based firm that manufactures tubing and insulated wiring, derives 40 per-
cent of its annual revenues (currently around $32 million) from international sales.
Although such ventures are accompanied by considerable risks, they give entrepreneurs
new opportunities and can be a real catalyst for success.
STRUCTURE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL
ORGANIZATIONS
With a strategy in place and a business plan in hand, the entrepreneur can then proceed
to devise a structure that turns the vision of the business plan into a reality. Many of the
same concerns in structuring any business, which are described in the next five chapters
of this book, are also relevant to small businesses. For example, entrepreneurs need to
consider organization design and develop job descriptions, organization charts, and man-
agement control systems.
The Internet, of course, has virtually rewritten all the rules for starting and operating
a small business. Getting into business is easier and faster than ever before, there
are many more potential opportunities than at any other time in history, and the
ability to gather and assimilate information is at an all-time high. And social media
introduces new companies to larger potential markets than ever before.20 For example,
HardToFindPartySupplies.com has been successful marketing discontinued or hard-
to-find supplies like Power Ranger paper plates, Lone Ranger napkins, and Snow White
drinking cups. The firm relies solely on social media and its website.21
Even so, would-be entrepreneurs must still make the right decisions when they start.
They must decide, for example, precisely how to get into business. Should they buy an
existing business or build from the ground up? In addition, would-be entrepreneurs must
find appropriate sources of financing and decide when and how to seek the advice of
experts.
Starting the New Business
The first step in starting a new business is the individual’s commitment to becoming
a business owner. Next comes choosing the goods or services to be offered—a pro-
cess that means investigating one’s chosen industry and market. Making this choice
also requires would-be entrepreneurs to assess not only industry trends but also their
own skills. Like the managers of existing businesses, new business owners must also
be sure that they understand the true nature of the enterprise in which they are
engaged.
Buying an Existing Business After choosing a product and making sure that the
choice fits their own skills and interests, entrepreneurs must decide whether to buy an
existing business or to start from scratch. Consultants often recommend the first approach.
Quite simply, the odds are better: If successful, an existing business has already proved its
ability to draw customers at a profit. It has also established working relationships with len-
ders, suppliers, and the community. Moreover, the track record of an existing business
gives potential buyers a much clearer picture of what to expect than any estimate of a
new business’s prospects. Around 30 percent of the new businesses started in the past
142 Part 2: Planning
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decade were bought from someone else. As another example, the McDonald’s empire was
started when Ray Kroc bought an existing hamburger business and then turned it into a
global phenomenon. Likewise, Starbucks was a struggling mail-order business when
Howard Schultz bought it and turned his attention to retail expansion.
Starting from Scratch Some people, however, prefer the satisfaction that comes
from planting an idea, nurturing it, and making it grow into a strong and sturdy busi-
ness. There are also practical reasons to start a business from scratch. A new business
does not suffer the ill effects of a prior owner’s errors. The start-up owner is also free
to choose lenders, equipment, inventories, locations, suppliers, and workers, unbound
by a predecessor’s commitments and policies. Of the new businesses begun in the past
decade, 64 percent were started from scratch.
It is no surprise, though, that the risks of starting a business from scratch are greater
than those of buying an existing firm. Founders of new businesses can make only predic-
tions and projections about their prospects. Success or failure thus depends heavily on
identifying a genuine business opportunity—a product for which many customers will
pay well but which is currently unavailable to them. To find openings, entrepreneurs
must study markets and answer the following questions: (1) Who are my customers?
(2) Where are they? (3) At what price will they buy my product? (4) In what quantities
will they buy? (5) Who are my competitors? (6) How will my product differ from those
of my competitors?
Finding answers to these questions is a difficult task, even for large, well-established
firms. Where can the new business owner get the necessary information? Other sources
of assistance are discussed later in this chapter, but we briefly describe three of the most
accessible here. First, the best way to gain knowledge about a market is to work in it
before going into business in it. For example, if you once worked in a bookstore and
now plan to open one of your own, you probably already have some idea about the
kinds of books people request and buy. Second, a quick scan of the local Yellow Pages
or an Internet search will reveal many potential competitors, as will advertisements in
trade journals. Personal visits to these establishments and websites can give you insights
into their strengths and weaknesses. And, third, studying magazines, books, and websites
aimed specifically at small businesses can be of help, as can hiring professionals to survey
the market for you.
Financing the New Business
Although the choice of how to start is obviously important, it is meaningless unless a
new business owner can obtain the money to set up shop. Among the more common
sources for funding are family and friends, personal savings, banks and similar lending
institutions, investors, and government agencies. Lending institutions are more likely to
help finance the purchase of an existing business than a new business because the risks
are better understood. Individuals starting up new businesses, on the other hand, are
more likely to have to rely on their personal resources.
Personal Resources According to a study by the National Federation of Independent
Business (NFIB), an owner’s personal resources, not loans, are the most important source
of money. Including money borrowed from friends and relatives, personal resources
account for over two-thirds of all money invested in new small businesses and one-half
of that invested in the purchase of existing businesses. John Mackey started Whole Foods
with a $10,000 loan from his father. Fred Smith used $4 million he had inherited from his
father to launch FedEx. And Rebecca Boenigk started Neutral Posture, an ergonomic chair
company, with personal savings and loans from several family members.
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 143
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Strategic Alliances Strategic alliances are
also becoming a popular method for financing
business growth. When Steven and Andrew
Grundy decided to launch an Internet CD-
exchange business called Spun.com, they had
very little capital and thus made extensive use
of alliances with other firms. They partnered,
for example, with wholesaler Alliance Enter-
tainment Corporation as a CD supplier. Orders
to Spun.com actually go to Alliance, which
ships products to customers and bills Spun.com
directly. This setup has allowed Spun.com to pro-
mote a vast inventory of labels without actually
having to buy inventory. All told, the firm created
an alliance network that has provided the equiv-
alent of $40 million in capital.22
Lenders Although banks, independent
investors, and government loans all provide
much smaller portions of start-up funds than
the personal resources of owners, they are
important in many cases. Getting money from
these sources, however, requires some extra
effort. Banks and private investors usually
want to see formal business plans—detailed outlines of proposed businesses and markets,
owners’ backgrounds, and other sources of funding. Government loans have strict eligibility
guidelines.
Venture Capital Companies Venture capital companies are groups of small inves-
tors seeking to make profits on companies with rapid growth potential. Most of these
firms do not lend money: They invest it, supplying capital in return for stock. The
venture capital company may also demand a representative on the board of directors.
In some cases, managers may even need approval from the venture capital company
before making major decisions. Of all venture capital currently committed in the United
States, around 25 percent comes from true venture capital firms.23 In 2010, venture
capital firms invested about $18 billion in new start-ups in the United States. SoftBank
Capital is a venture capital firm that has provided funds to over 300 web companies,
including Yahoo! and E*Trade.
As noted earlier, Fred Smith used his inheritance to launch FedEx. Once he got his
business plan developed and started service, though, he needed an infusion of substantial
additional capital. All told, he raised about $80 million in venture capital to buy his first
small fleet of planes. Venture capital was also important in the launch of both Facebook
and Twitter.
Small-Business Investment Companies Taking a more balanced approach in their
choices than venture capital companies, small-business investment companies (SBICs)
seek profits by investing in companies with potential for rapid growth. Created by the
Small Business Investment Act of 1958, SBICs are federally licensed to borrow money
from the SBA and to invest it in or lend it to small businesses. They are themselves
investments for their shareholders. Past beneficiaries of SBIC capital include Apple Com-
puter, Intel, and Federal Express (now FedEx). In addition, the government has recently
A
P
Im
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e
s/
P
a
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l
Z
o
e
ll
e
r
Rebecca Boenigk is the founder and CEO of Neutral Posture.
Neutral Posture makes a variety of ergonomic seating products.
Beonigk’s father, Dr. Jerome Congleton, developed the technology
but did not have the expertise to commercialize it. Ms. Boenigk used
personal savings and family loans to found what is now an
international business.
venture capital
companies
A group of small
investors seeking to
make profits on
companies with
rapid growth
potential
144 Part 2: Planning
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begun to sponsor minority enterprise small-business investment companies (MESBICs).
As the name suggests, MESBICs specialize in financing businesses that are owned and
operated by minorities.
SBA Financial Programs Since its founding in 1953, the SBA has offered more than
20 financing programs to small businesses that meet standards of size and independence.
Eligible firms must also be unable to get private financing at reasonable terms. Because
of these and other restrictions, SBA loans have never been a major source of small-
business financing. In addition, budget cutbacks at the SBA have reduced the number
of firms benefiting from loans. Nevertheless, several SBA programs currently offer
funds to qualified applicants.
For example, under the SBA’s guaranteed loans program, small businesses can borrow
from commercial lenders. The SBA guarantees to repay 75 to 85 percent of the loan
amount, not to exceed $750,000. Under a related program, companies engaged in inter-
national trade can borrow up to $1 50 million. Such loans may be made for as long as
15 years. Most SBA lending activity flows through this program.
Sometimes, however, both desired bank and SBA-guaranteed loans are unavailable
(perhaps because the business cannot meet stringent requirements). In such cases, the
SBA may help finance the entrepreneur through its immediate participation loan
program. Under this arrangement, the SBA and the bank each put up a share of the
money, with the SBA’s share not to exceed $150,000. Under the local development
companies (LDCs) program, the SBA works with a corporation (either for-profit or
nonprofit) founded by local citizens who want to boost the local economy. The SBA
can lend up to $500,000 for each small business to be helped by an LDC.
Spurred in large part by the boom in Internet businesses, both venture capital and loans
are in general becoming easier to get. Most small businesses, for example, report that it
became increasingly easier to obtain loans between 1995 and 2005. And firms such as Face-
book and Twitter are being offered so much venture capital that they are turning down part
of it to keep from unnecessarily diluting their ownership. Unfortunately, the credit crunch
that began in 2008 has made it harder for most entrepreneurs to obtain funds, but experts
believe this is only a short-term problem.24 But in response, some entrepreneurs have turned
to other sources of funding such as microloans and cash-flow lenders.25
Sources of Management Advice
Financing is not the only area in which small businesses need help. Until World War II, for
example, the business world involved few regulations, few taxes, few records, few big compe-
titors, and no computers. Since then, simplicity has given way to complexity. Today, few
entrepreneurs are equipped with all the business skills they need to survive. Small-business
owners can no longer be their own troubleshooters, lawyers, bookkeepers, financiers, and tax
experts. For these jobs, they rely on professional help. To survive and grow, however, small
businesses also need advice regarding management. This advice is usually available from
four sources: advisory boards, management consultants, the SBA, and networking.
Advisory Boards All companies, even those that do not legally need boards of direc-
tors, can benefit from the problem-solving abilities of advisory boards. Thus, some small
businesses create boards to provide advice and assistance. For example, an advisory
board might help an entrepreneur determine the best way to finance a plant expansion
or to start exporting products to foreign markets.
Management Consultants Opinions vary widely about the value of management
consultants—experts who charge fees to help managers solve problems. They often
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 145
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specialize in one area, such as international business, small business, or manufacturing.
Thus, they can bring an objective and trained outlook to problems and provide logical
recommendations. They can be quite expensive, however, as some consultants charge
$1,000 or more for a day of assistance.
Like other professionals, management consultants should be chosen with care. They
can be found through major corporations that have used their services and that can
provide references and reports on their work. Not surprisingly, they are most effective
when the client helps (for instance, by providing schedules and written proposals for
the work to be done).
The Small Business Administration Even more important than its financing role
is the SBA’s role in helping small-business owners improve their management skills. It is
easy for entrepreneurs to spend money; SBA programs are designed to show them how
to spend it wisely. The SBA offers small businesses four major management-counseling
programs at virtually no cost.
A small-business owner who needs help in starting a new business can get it free
through the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). All SCORE members are
retired executives, and all are volunteers. Under this program, the SBA tries to match
the expert to the need. For example, if a small-business owner needs help putting
together a marketing plan, the SBA will send a SCORE counselor with marketing
expertise.
Like SCORE, the Active Corps of Executives (ACE) program is designed to help small
businesses that cannot afford consultants. The SBA recruits ACE volunteers from virtu-
ally every industry. All ACE volunteers are currently involved in successful activities,
T
o
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d
B
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n
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A
la
m
y
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as a resource to help
would-be business owners learn more about starting and managing a business, avenues for
securing financing for new ventures, and techniques for effective management. Today the
SBA uses a national network of headquarters offices, regional offices, district offices, and
disaster officers to provide assistance to both potential and current small business owners.
146 Part 2: Planning
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mostly as small-business owners themselves. Together, SCORE and ACE have more than
12,000 counselors working out of 350 chapters throughout the United States. They pro-
vide assistance to some 140,000 small businesses each year.
The talents and skills of students and instructors at colleges and universities are
fundamental to the Small Business Institute (SBI). Under the guidance of seasoned
professors of business administration, students seeking advanced degrees work closely
with small-business owners to help solve specific problems, such as sagging sales or
rising costs. Students earn credit toward their degree, with their grades depending on
how well they handle a client’s problems. Several hundred colleges and universities
counsel thousands of small-business owners through this program every year.
Finally, the newest of the SBA’s management counseling projects is its Small Business
Development Center (SBDC) program. Begun in 1976, SBDCs are designed to consoli-
date information from various disciplines and institutions, including technical and
professional schools. Then they make this knowledge available to new and existing
small businesses. In 1995, universities in 45 states took part in the program.
Networking More and more, small-business owners are discovering the value of
networking—meeting regularly with one another to discuss common problems and
opportunities and, perhaps most important, to pool resources. Businesspeople have long
joined organizations such as the local chamber of commerce and the NFIBs to make
such contacts.
Today, organizations are springing up all over the United States to facilitate small-
business networking. One such organization, the Council of Smaller Enterprises of
Cleveland, boasts a total membership of more than 10,000 small-business owners,
the largest number in the country. This organization offers its members not only
networking possibilities but also educational programs and services tailored to their
needs. In a typical year, its 85 educational programs draw more than 8,500 small-
business owners.
In particular, women and minorities have found networking to be an effective
problem-solving tool. The National Association of Women Business Owners
(NAWBO), for example, provides a variety of networking forums. The NAWBO
also has chapters in most major cities, where its members can meet regularly.
Increasingly, women are relying more on other women to help locate venture capital,
establish relationships with customers, and provide essential services such as account-
ing and legal advice. According to Patty Abramson of the Women’s Growth Capital
Fund, all these tasks have traditionally been harder for women because, until now,
they have never had friends in the right places. “I wouldn’t say this is about discrim-
ination,” adds Abramson. “It’s about not having the relationships, and business is
about relationships.”
Franchising
The next time you drive or walk around town, be on the alert for a McDonald’s, Taco Bell,
Subway, Denny’s, or KFC restaurant; a 7-Eleven or Circle K convenience store; a RE/MAX
or Coldwell Banker real estate office; a Super 8 or Ramada Inn motel; a Merry Maids
cleaning service; a Sylvan Learning educational center; an Express Oil Change or Precision
Auto Wash service center; or a Supercuts hair salon. What do these businesses have in
common? In most cases, they are franchised operations, operating under licenses issued
by parent companies to local entrepreneurs who own and manage them.
As many would-be businesspeople have discovered, franchising agreements are an
accessible doorway to entrepreneurship. A franchise is an arrangement that permits the
franchisee (buyer) to sell the product of the franchiser (seller, or parent company).
franchising
agreements
A contract between
an entrepreneur (the
franchisee) and a
parent company
(the franchiser); the
entrepreneur pays
the parent company
for the use of its
trademarks, products,
formulas, and
business plans
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 147
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Franchisees can thus benefit from the selling corporation’s experience and expertise.
They can also consult the franchiser for managerial and financial help.
For example, the franchiser may supply financing. It may pick the store location,
negotiate the lease, design the store, and purchase necessary equipment. It may train
the first set of employees and managers and provide standardized policies and proce-
dures. Once the business is open, the franchiser may offer franchisees savings by allow-
ing them to purchase from a central location. Marketing strategy (especially advertising)
may also be handled by the franchiser. Finally, franchisees may benefit from continued
management counseling. In short, franchisees receive—that is, invest in—not only their
own ready-made business but also expert help in running it.
Franchises offer many advantages to both sellers and buyers. For example, franchisers
benefit from the ability to grow rapidly by using the investment money provided by
franchisees. This strategy has enabled giant franchisers such as McDonald’s and Subway
to mushroom into billion-dollar concerns in a brief time.
For the franchisee, the arrangement combines the incentive of owning a business with
the advantage of access to big-business management skills. Unlike the person who starts
from scratch, the franchisee does not have to build a business step by step. Instead, the
business is established virtually overnight. Moreover, because each franchise outlet is
probably a carbon copy of every other outlet, the chances of failure are reduced.
McDonald’s, for example, is a model of consistency—Big Macs taste the same everywhere.
Of course, owning a franchise also involves certain disadvantages. Perhaps the most
significant is the start-up cost. Franchise prices vary widely. Fantastic Sams hair salon
franchise fees are $25,000 to $30,000. Extremely profitable or hard-to-get franchises are
much more expensive, though. A McDonald’s franchise costs a minimum of $500,000
plus the cost of building and outfitting a new restaurant (estimated to be between
$1 million and $1 8 million), and a professional sports team can cost several hundred
million dollars. Franchisees may also have continued obligations to contribute percen-
tages of sales to the parent corporation.
Buying a franchise also entails less tangible costs. For one thing, the small-business
owner sacrifices some independence. A McDonald’s franchisee cannot change the way
its hamburgers or milkshakes are made. Nor can franchisees create an individual identity
in their community; for all practical purposes, the McDonald’s owner is anonymous. In
addition, many franchise agreements are difficult to terminate.
Finally, although franchises minimize risks, they do not guarantee success. Many franchi-
sees have seen their investments—and their dreams—disappear because of poor location, ris-
ing costs, or lack of continued franchiser commitment. Moreover, figures on failure rates are
artificially low because they do not include failing franchisees bought out by their franchising
parent companies. An additional risk is that the chain itself could collapse. In any given year,
dozens—sometimes hundreds—of franchisers close shop or stop selling franchises.
THE PERFORMANCE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL
ORGANIZATIONS
The formulation and implementation of an effective strategy play major roles in deter-
mining the overall performance of an entrepreneurial organization. This section exam-
ines how entrepreneurial firms evolve over time and the attributes of these firms that
enhance their chances of success. For every Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Mary Kay Ash,
or Bill Gates—people who transformed small businesses into major corporations—there
are many small-business owners and entrepreneurs who fail.
148 Part 2: Planning
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Exact numbers of start-ups and failures are surprisingly difficult to determine, how-
ever. For instance, a business may shut down because it is out of money (a failure) or
simply because the owner decides to do something else; or the business may be sold to
another business and cease to exist as an independent entity. Likewise, an ongoing sole
proprietorship that becomes a partnership or corporation is not really a new business but
may be counted as such in some statistics; similarly, a large corporation might launch a
new enterprise as a new wholly owned but separately incorporated enterprise.
In general, though, experts believe that new business start-ups generally run between
around 700,000 and 900,000 per year and that business failures generally run between
600,000 and 950,000 per year. Figure 5.5 illustrates trends in new business start-ups
and failures through 2008 (the most current data available).
Trends in Small-Business Start-Ups
Thousands of new businesses are started in the United States every year. Several factors
account for this trend, and in this section we focus on four of them.
Emergence of E-Commerce Clearly, one of the most significant recent trends in
small-business start-ups is the rapid emergence of electronic commerce. Because the
Internet has provided fundamentally new ways of doing business, savvy entrepreneurs
have been able to create and expand new businesses faster and more easily than ever
before. Leading-edge firms such as Facebook, Google, and eBay, for example, owe their
–1,000,000
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
–800,000
–600,000
–400,000
–200,000
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
B
u
s
in
e
s
s
C
lo
s
u
re
s

B
u
s
in
e
s
s
S
ta
rt
-u
p
s
Year
FIGURE 5.5
Business Start-Up Successes and Failures
Over the most recent ten-year period for which data are available, new business start-ups numbered
between 700,000 and 900,000 per year. Business failures during this same period, meanwhile, ranged from
about 600,000 to 950,000 per year.
Source: http://www.bls.gov/bdm/entrepreneurship/bdm_chart5.htm, accessed on March 2014.
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 149
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very existence to the Internet. At the same time, however, many would-be Internet entre-
preneurs have gone under in the last few years, as the so-called dot-com boom quickly
faded. In 2010, online retail sales exceeded $142 billion, an increase of 3 percent from the
previous year.
Indeed, it seems as if new ideas emerge virtually every day. Andrew Beebe, for
example, is scoring big with Bigstep, a web business that essentially creates, hosts, and
maintains websites for other small businesses. So far, Bigstep has signed up 75,000
small-business clients. Beebe actually provides his basic services for free but earns
money by charging for the so-called premium services such as customer billing. Karl
Jacob’s Keen.com is a web business that matches people looking for advice with experts
who have the answers. Keen got the idea when he and his father were struggling to fix a
boat motor and did not know where to turn for help. Keen.com attracted 100,000
subscribers in just three months.26
Crossovers from Big Business It is interesting to note that increasingly more busi-
nesses are being started by people who have opted to leave big corporations and put
their experience and know-how to work for themselves. In some cases, these individuals
see great new ideas they want to develop. Often, they get burned out working for a big
corporation. Sometimes they have lost their jobs, only to discover that working for them-
selves was a better idea anyway.
Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers is acknowledged as one of the best entrepreneurs
around. But he spent several years working first at IBM and then at Wang Laboratories
before he set out on his own. Under his leadership, Cisco has become one of the most
important technology companies in the world. In a more unusual case, Gilman Louie
recently left an executive position at Hasbro toy company’s online group to head up a
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)–backed venture capital firm called In-Q-It. The
firm’s mission is to help nurture high-tech companies making products of interest to
the nation’s intelligence community.27
Opportunities for Minorities and Women In addition to big-business expatriates,
minorities and women are starting more small businesses. For example, the number of
African-American–owned businesses totals about 1.9 million, an increase of 60.5 percent
since 2002. These businesses account for around 7.1 percent of all U.S. businesses,
generate $137 5 billion in revenue, and employ 921,032 people. African-American
purchasing power is expected to hit $1 2 trillion by 2013, an increase of 35 percent
since 2008.28
Latino-owned businesses have grown at a rate of 43.6 percent and now number about
2.3 million. Other ethnic groups are also making their presence felt among U.S. business
owners. Business ownership among Asians and Pacific Islanders has increased 34.3 percent,
to over 1.6 million. Although the number of businesses owned by Native American Indians
and Alaska Natives is still somewhat small, at slightly over 235,000, the total nevertheless
represents a five-year increase of 17.9 percent.
The number of women entrepreneurs is also growing rapidly. Women now own
7.8 million businesses—about 28.7 percent of all businesses in the United States and an
increase of 20.1 percent since 2002. Combined, they generate nearly $1 2 trillion in
revenue a year and employ 7.6 million people. Celeste Johnson, for example, left a
management position at Pitney Bowes to launch Obex, Inc., which makes gardening
and landscaping products from mixed recycled plastics. Katrina Garnett gave up a lucra-
tive job at Oracle to start her own software company, Crossworlds Software. Laila
Rubenstein closed her management-consulting practice to create Greeting Cards.com,
Inc., an Internet-based business selling customizable electronic greetings.
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Better Survival Rates Finally, more people are encouraged to test their skills as entre-
preneurs because the failure rate among small businesses has been declining in recent
years. As of 2008, seven out of ten new businesses survived at least two years, whereas
about 49 percent survived five years; 34 percent of businesses survived at least ten years,
and 26 percent lasted 15 years or longer. For reasons discussed in the next section, small
businesses suffer a higher mortality rate than larger concerns. Among those that manage to
stay in business for six to ten years, however, the survival rate levels off.
Reasons for Failure
Why do some succeed and others fail? Although no set pattern has been established, four
general factors contribute to new business failure. One factor is managerial incompetence
or inexperience. Some would-be entrepreneurs assume that they can succeed through
common sense, overestimate their own managerial acumen, or think that hard work
alone will lead to success. But if managers do not know how to make basic business deci-
sions or understand the basic concepts and principles of management, they are unlikely
to be successful in the long run.
Second, neglect can also contribute to failure. Some entrepreneurs try either to launch
their ventures in their spare time or to devote only a limited amount of time to a new
business. But starting a new business requires an overwhelming time commitment.
Entrepreneurs who are not willing to put in the time and effort that a business requires
are unlikely to survive.
Third, weak control systems can lead to serious problems. Effective control systems
are needed to keep a business on track and to help alert entrepreneurs to potential trou-
ble. If control systems do not signal impending problems, managers may be in serious
trouble before more visible difficulties alert them.
Finally, insufficient capital can contribute to new business failure. Some entrepreneurs
are overly optimistic about how soon they will start earning profits. In most cases, how-
ever, it takes months or years before a business is likely to start turning a profit.
Amazon.com, for example, has still not earned a profit. Most experts say that a new
business should have enough capital to operate for at least six months without earning
a profit; some recommend enough to last a year.29
Reasons for Success
Similarly, four basic factors are typically cited to explain new business success. One
factor is the combination of hard work, drive, and dedication. New business owners
must be committed to succeeding and be willing to put in the time and effort to
make it happen. Having positive feelings and a good outlook on life may also play an
important role.30 Gladys Edmunds, a single teenaged mother in Pittsburgh, washed
laundry, made chicken dinners to sell to cab drivers, and sold fire extinguishers and
Bibles door to door to earn money to launch her own business. Today, Edmunds
Travel Consultants employs eight people and earns about $6 million in annual
revenues.31
Second, careful analysis of market conditions can help new business owners assess the
probable reception of their products in the marketplace. This will provide insights about
market demand for proposed products and services. Whereas attempts to expand local
restaurants specializing in baked potatoes, muffins, and gelato have been largely unsuc-
cessful, hamburger and pizza chains continue to have an easier time expanding into new
markets.
Third, managerial competence also contributes to success. Successful new business
owners may acquire competence through training or experience or by using the expertise
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of others. Few successful entrepreneurs succeed alone or straight out of college.
Most spend time working in successful companies or partner with others to bring more
expertise to a new business.
Finally, luck also plays a role in the success of some firms. For example, after Alan
McKim started Clean Harbors, an environmental cleanup firm based in New England,
he struggled to keep his business afloat. Then the U.S. government committed
$1 6 billion to toxic waste cleanup—McKim’s specialty. He was able to get several
large government contracts and put his business on solid financial footing. Had the
government fund not been created at just the right time, McKim may well have
failed. Similarly, when retailers like Circuit City and Linens and Things close their
doors, others firms that specialize in liquidating inventories of bankrupt companies
step in.32 Similarly, in the wake of such recent disasters—both natural and industrial—
as Hurricane Sandy, the Japanese tsunami and nuclear plant disaster, and the BP Deep-
water oil spill, new businesses have sprung up to help cope with the aftermath, including
relocating people, waste clean-up, and so forth.33
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AND KEY POINTS
1. Discuss the nature of entrepreneurship.
• Entrepreneurship is the process of planning,
organizing, operating, and assuming the risk
of a business venture.
• An entrepreneur is someone who engages in
entrepreneurship. In general, entrepreneurs
start small businesses.
2. Describe the role of entrepreneurship in
society.
• Small businesses are an important source of
innovation.
• Small businesses create numerous jobs.
• Small businesses contribute to the success of
large businesses.
3. Understand the major issues involved in choos-
ing strategies for small firms and the role of
international management in entrepreneurship.
• In choosing strategies, entrepreneurs have
to consider the characteristics of the
industry in which they are going to
conduct business.
• Small businesses generally have several
distinctive competencies that they should
exploit in choosing their strategy. They are
usually skilled at identifying niches in estab-
lished markets, identifying new markets, and
acting quickly to obtain first-mover
advantages.
• Small businesses are usually not skilled at
exploiting economies of scale.
• Once an entrepreneur has chosen a strategy, the
strategy is normally written down in a business
plan. Writing a business plan forces an entre-
preneur to plan thoroughly and to anticipate
problems that might occur.
4. Discuss the structural challenges unique to
entrepreneurial firms.
• With a strategy and business plan in place,
entrepreneurs must choose a structure to
implement them. All of the structural issues
summarized in the next five chapters of this
book are relevant to the entrepreneur.
• In addition, the entrepreneur has some unique
structural choices to make. For example, the
entrepreneur can buy an existing business or
start a new one.
• In determining financial structure, an entre-
preneur has to decide how much personal
capital to invest in an organization, how much
bank and government support to obtain, and
whether to encourage venture capital firms to
invest.
• Entrepreneurs can also rely on various sources
of advice.
5. Understand the determinants of the performance
of small firms.
• Several interesting trends characterize new
business start-ups today.
• There are several reasons some new businesses
fail and others succeed.
152 Part 2: Planning
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Questions for Review
1. Describe the similarities and differences between
entrepreneurial firms and large firms in terms of
their job creation and innovation.
2. What characteristics make an industry attractive to
entrepreneurs? Based on these characteristics, which
industries are most attractive to entrepreneurs?
3. Describe recent trends in new business start-ups.
4. What are the different sources of advice for entre-
preneurs? What type of information would an
entrepreneur be likely to get from each source?
What are the drawbacks or limitations for each
source?
5. What are the basic reasons small businesses suc-
ceed and what are the basic reasons they fail?
Questions for Analysis
1. Entrepreneurs and small businesses play a variety
of important roles in society. If these roles are so
important, do you think that the government
should do more to encourage the development of
small business? Why or why not?
2. Consider the four major reasons for new business
failure. What actions can entrepreneurs take to
minimize or avoid each cause of failure?
3. The U.S. automotive industry is well established,
with several large and many small competitors.
Describe the unexploited niches in the U.S. auto
industry and tell how entrepreneurs could offer
products that fill those niches.
4. List five entrepreneur-owned businesses in your
community. In which industry does each business
compete? Based on the industry, how do you rate
each business’s long-term chances for success?
Explain your answers.
5. Using the information about managing a small
business presented in this chapter, analyze whether
you would like to work in a small business—either
as an employee or as a founder. Given your
personality, background, and experience, does
working in or starting a new business appeal to
you? What are the reasons for your opinion?
BUILDING EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Diagnostic skills enable a manager to visualize the most
appropriate response to a situation. This exercise is
designed to develop your diagnostic skills by asking
you to think about your chances of becoming an
entrepreneur.
Exercise Background
Scholars of entrepreneurship are naturally interested in
the reasons some people choose to start new businesses
while other people—indeed, most people—don’t.
Researchers have surveyed thousands of individuals,
both entrepreneurs and nonentrepreneurs, in efforts
to identify some of the factors that distinguish indivi-
duals in the two groups. Out of these hundreds of stud-
ies, some consensus has emerged. The results tell us
that the following types of individuals are most likely
to become entrepreneurs:
• Parents, children, spouses, or siblings of entrepreneurs
• Immigrants to the United States or the children of
immigrants
• Members of the Jewish or Protestant faiths
• Professional degree holders in fields such as
medicine, law, or engineering
• People who’ve recently experienced life-changing
events, such as getting married, having a child,
moving to a new city, or losing a job
Exercise Task
Considering the preceding information, do the
following:
1. Choose one of the categories of individuals and
explain why this type of person might be more
likely to become a business owner.
2. Being sure to choose a category other than the one
that you discussed for question 1, select one of
these categories that applies to you. In your opin-
ion, does that factor make it more likely that you’ll
become an entrepreneur? Why or why not? If
none of the categories applies to you, discuss
whether that fact itself makes it less likely that
you’ll become an entrepreneur.
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 153
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BUILDING EFFECTIVE CONCEPTUAL SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Conceptual skills require you to think in the abstract.
This exercise will help you apply your conceptual skills
to an analysis of certain criteria for successful
entrepreneurship.
Exercise Background
Now that you’re about to graduate, you’ve decided to
open a small business in the local community where
you’ve been attending college. We won’t ask where
you got them, but we’ll assume that you have enough
funds to start a business without having to worry about
finding investors.
Based solely on your personal interests, list five busi-
nesses that you might want to open and operate. For
the moment, forget about technicalities such as market
potential or profitability. If, for example, you like riding
your bicycle, think about opening a shop that caters to
cyclists.
Next, without regard for any personal interest you
might have in them, list five businesses that you might
want to open and operate. In this case, your only criteria
are market opportunity and profitability. What types
of businesses might be profitable in your chosen
community? Use the Internet to gather information on
factors such as population, local economic conditions,
local competition, and franchising opportunities.
Finally, evaluate the prospects for success of each of
the ten businesses that you’ve listed, and jot down
some notes to summarize your conclusions.
Exercise Task
Reviewing your lists, the information that you’ve gath-
ered, and the conclusions that you’ve drawn, do the
following:
1. Form a small group of four or five classmates, and
discuss your respective lists. Look for instances in
which the same type of business appears on either
both of your lists or one of your lists and one of a
classmate’s lists. Also look for cases in which the
same business appears on one or more than one
list with either similar or dissimilar prospects for
success.
2. At this point, how important do you regard per-
sonal interest as a factor in small-business success?
3. How important do you regard market potential as
a factor in small-business success?
SKILLS SELF-ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT
An Entrepreneurial Quiz
Introduction: Entrepreneurs are starting ventures all
the time. These new businesses are vital to the
economy. The following assessment is designed to
help you understand your readiness to start your own
business—to be an entrepreneur.
Instructions: Place a checkmark or an X in the box
next to the response that best represents your self-
evaluation.
1. Are you a self-starter?
I do things on my own. Nobody has to tell me
to get going.
If someone gets me started, I keep going all right.
Easy does it. I don’t push myself until I have to.
2. How do you feel about other people?
I like people. I can get along with just about
anybody.
I have plenty of friends—I don’t need anybody
else.
Most people irritate me.
3. Can you lead others?
I can get most people to go along when I start
something.
I can give orders if someone tells me what we
should do.
I let someone else get things moving. Then I go
along if I feel like it.
4. Can you take responsibility?
I like to take charge of things and see them
through.
I’ll take over if I have to, but I’d rather let
someone else be responsible.
There are always eager beavers around
wanting to show how smart they are. I let
them.
154 Part 2: Planning
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5. How good an organizer are you?
I like to have a plan before I start. I’m usually
the one to get things lined up when the group
wants to do something.
I do all right unless things get too confused.
Then I quit.
You get all set and then something comes
along and presents too many problems. So I
just take things as they come.
6. How good a worker are you?
I can keep going as long as I need to. I don’t
mind working hard for something I want.
I’ll work hard for a while, but when I’ve had
enough, that’s it.
I can’t see that hard work gets you anywhere.
7. Can you make decisions?
I can make up my mind in a hurry if I have to.
It usually turns out OK, too.
I can if I have plenty of time. If I have to make
up my mind fast, I think later I should have
decided the other way.
I don’t like to be the one who has to decide
things.
8. Can people trust what you say?
You bet they can. I don’t say things I don’t mean.
I try to be on the level most of the time, but
sometimes I just say what’s easiest.
Why bother if the other person doesn’t know
the difference?
9. Can you stick with it?
If I make up my mind to do something, I don’t
let anything stop me.
I usually finish what I start—if it goes well.
If it doesn’t go well right away, I quit. Why
beat your brains out?
10. How good is your health?
I never run down!
I have enough energy for most things I want to
do.
I run out of energy sooner than most of my
friends.
Total the checks or Xs in each column here .
Source: Dible, Donald, Business Startup Basics, 1st Ed., © 1978,
pp. 9–10. Reprinted by permission of Pearson Education, Inc.,
Upper Saddle River, NJ.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE
Negotiating a Franchise Agreement
Step 1: Assume that you are the owner of a rapidly grow-
ing restaurant chain. To continue your current level of
growth,youare consideringtheoption of sellingfranchises
for new restaurants. Working alone, outline the major
points of most concern to you that you would want to
have in a franchising agreement. Also note the character-
istics you would look for in potential franchisees.
Step 2: Assume that you are an individual investor look-
ing to buy a franchise in a rapidly growing restaurant
chain. Again working alone, outline the major factors
that might determine which franchise you elect to buy.
Also note the characteristics you would look for in a
potential franchiser.
Step 3: Now form small groups of four. Randomly
select one member of the group to play the role of
the franchiser; the other three members will play the
roles of potential franchisees. Role-play a negotiation
meeting. The franchiser should stick as closely as
possible to the major points developed in Step 1.
Similarly, the potential franchisees should try to
adhere to the points they developed in Step 2.
Follow-Up Questions
1. Did doing both Step 1 and Step 2 in advance help
or hinder your negotiations?
2. Can a franchising agreement be so one-sided as
to damage the interests of both parties? How so?
MANAGEMENT AT WORK
The Creative Imprint of Bigfoot
Have you seen Midnight Movie? You wouldn’t have
caught it in a theater because it went straight to DVD,
but that doesn’t prevent hardcore horror-film fans from
tracking it down—after all, it was selected as the Best
Feature Film at the 10th Annual Chicago Horror Film
Festival. It also found an audience outside the United
States, with producer Bigfoot selling distribution rights
in such countries as Germany, Greece, Thailand, and
Japan. How about 3 Needles, a Canadian-made movie
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about the worldwide AIDS crisis? It was no blockbuster,
but it was endorsed by the United Nations and did well
enough at international film festivals to find distributors
in such countries as Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.
Bigfoot CEO Kacy Andrews was pleased with the film’s
reception: “The positive response from critics and audi-
ences,” she said, “… once again affirms our conviction to
promote independent filmmakers.”
Bigfoot Entertainment is responsible for a host of
independently produced films, many of which follow
similar distribution paths to venues and audiences
around the world. The company, says Andrews, “is
dedicated to the community of filmmakers who possess
the vision and passion to create critically acclaimed
independent films.” It was founded in 2004 by a Ger-
man serial entrepreneur named Michael Gleissner, who
is in some ways a model for the sort of creative people
that Bigfoot likes to back. He was certainly the model
for the hero of Hui Lu, a 2007 Bigfoot film that Gleiss-
ner wrote and directed about a highly successful young
entrepreneur who sells his company but finds himself
pushed to the edge despite his millions. “What was I
going to do,” Gleissner replied when asked about his
unusual career move, “buy more boats, buy more
houses? I discovered there’s a creative side in me.”
Gleissner was an e-commerce pioneer in Germany,
where he founded Telebook, Germany’s number-one
online bookstore, and WWW-Service GmbH, the
country’s first, and one of its most successful, web-
hosting companies. In 1998, he sold Telebook to
Amazon.com, where he served two years as a vice
president before cashing in and, in 2001, moving to
Asia to make it a base for a new round of entrepreneur-
ial activities. When he bought Bigfoot, it was an e-mail
management firm, but Gleissner quickly re-created it as
an international entertainment company whose main
business, according to its mission statement, is produc-
ing and financing “innovative entertainment content,
including independent feature films, television series,
and reality shows.” As head of Bigfoot, Gleissner served
as executive producer on Midnight Movie and 3 Nee-
dles, as well as on Irreversi, his second effort at writing
and directing, and on Shanghai Kiss, in which he also
tried his hand at acting.
Bigfoot maintains offices in Los Angeles and a small
production facility in Venice, California, but the cen-
terpiece of its operations is Bigfoot Studios, which
opened in 2004 on the island of Mactan, in Cebu,
home to the second-largest city in the Philippines. The
state-of-the-art facility features six large soundstages,
fully equipped editing suites and sound-mixing studios,
and the latest in high-tech cameras and other equip-
ment. In 2007, under the auspices of Bigfoot Properties,
Gleissner expanded Bigfoot Studios as the first phase of
Bigfoot Center, a complex that will eventually house
not only film and TV production facilities but also Big-
foot Executive Hotel, an array of restaurants, boutiques,
and sidewalk shops, and an 11-story office building
(home to Bigfoot Outsourcing, which specializes in
business-process services). The Bigfoot Center in the
Philippines, by the way, should not be confused with
the 26-story Bigfoot Centre in Hong Kong, where Big-
foot Properties is headquartered.
Gleissner’s goal is to turn Cebu into a destination of
choice for filmmakers who want to cut costs by shoot-
ing and finishing movies outside the United States, and
when Bigfoot Entertainment finds a film suitable for
financing and development, the deal usually requires
the director to do some production work at the Cebu
facility. By the time the studio opened in 2004, the
Philippines were already an attractive location for
animators looking for inexpensive post-production help,
but the pool of talent available for work on live-action
films was quite limited. Gleissner’s solution? He founded
the International Academy of Film and Television
(IAFT), not only to staff Bigfoot Studios but also to train
what executive director Keith Sensing calls “the next
generation of global filmmakers.” IAFT, says Sensing,
looks for creative people who “have a desire for adventure”
and “an education that will set them apart from people
who have a strictly Hollywood background.”
IAFT enrollment is currently 60 percent international
and 40 percent Filipino, but “all of our students,” says
Sensing, “have the opportunity to participate in real pro-
jects going on at Bigfoot Studios … . Many IAFT gradu-
ates,” he adds, “have gone on to write, produce, and direct
their own films” and often follow in Bigfoot’s steps by
finding distribution for their independent features on
the international festival circuit. Three recent graduates
landed jobs on Gleissner’s most recent project, a
Philippines-set thriller revolving around a female diver.
Gleissner not only cowrote and directed Deep Gold but
also drew on his experience as an underwater photogra-
pher to shoot key scenes in Bigfoot’s specially designed
170,000-gallon Underwater Studio.
In 2010, Bigfoot moved to expand into the areas of
acquisition, distribution, and foreign sales with the pur-
chase of Ascendant Pictures. Much like Bigfoot itself,
Ascendant carved out its niche in the industry by inte-
grating the budgeting sensibility of “indie” producers
with the marketing skills of larger studios. “Our schools
are profitable,” explains Andrews, “but overall we’re
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not profitable yet. We’re hoping the distribution side
will get us there in one or two years.”
The new unit, called Bigfoot Ascendant Distribu-
tion, will buy four to six English-language movies
annually—“genre films,” says Andrews, “horror and
action that will sell well internationally and play well
theatrically, too.” In order to bolster its ability to get its
films into theaters (most of the company’s features
have gone straight to DVD or sold to cable TV),
Bigfoot has also become the largest shareholder in
Carmike Cinemas, the fourth-largest theater chain in
the United States. In 2010, it also purchased the his-
toric Majestic Crest Theater in Los Angeles. The acqui-
sition, says Andrews, goes hand in hand with Bigfoot’s
purchase of Ascendant: “We wanted a great theater to
showcase our films—not only ones we produce but also
ones we plan to acquire. Everyone knows the Crest,”
she adds. “It gives us a lot of prestige.”
Case Questions
1. In what ways is Bigfoot innovative? In what ways
does it deal with big business? In what industries
does it operate?
2. Which niches does Bigfoot serve in established
markets? What new markets does it target? Can
you think of any other niches or new markets
that it should consider in the future?
3. Does Bigfoot have any first-mover advantages? If so,
what are these advantages, and how important do
you think they are now and will be in the future?
4. In what ways does Bigfoot rely on distinctive com-
petencies? In what ways is experience in interna-
tional management among these competencies?
In what ways do you expect this particular compe-
tency to become even more important in the
future?
Case References
Kellen Merrill, “The Big Imprint in the Film Industry,”
inmag.com, 2010, www.inmag.com, accessed on
September 11, 2013; Stephanie N. Mehta, “Holly-
wood, South Pacific-Style,” CNNMoney.com,
accessed on June 8, 2006, http://money.cnn.com,
accessed on September 11, 2013; Marlene Rodri-
guez, “Bigfoot Entertainment’s International Acad-
emy of Film and Television in Mactan Island,
Cebu,” NEDA Knowledge Emporium, November 5,
2007, www.neda.gov.ph, accessed on September 11,
2013; Josh Elmets with Rebecca Pahle, “Interna-
tional Academy of Film and TV Flourishes in the
Philippines,” MovieMaker, January 29, 2010, www
.moviemaker.com, accessed on September 11, 2013;
Jonathan Landreth, “Bigfoot Entertainment Expands,
Launches Distribution Company,” Hollywood Reporter,
November 2, 2010, www.hollywoodreporter.com,
accessed on September 11, 2013; and Richard
Verrier, “Indie Filmmaker Bigfoot Has an Insider
Track to Theater,” Los Angeles Times, October 6,
2010, http://articles.latimes.com, accessed on Sep-
tember 11, 2013.
You Make the Call
Putting the Greek into Yogurt
1. What ingredients (no pun intended!) led to Hamdi
Ulukaya’s success with Chobani?
2. What are the distinctive competencies illustrated
by Ulukaya?
3. Comment on the role that globalization has played
in Chobani’s success.
4. If Ulukaya were to ask you what strategy he should
adopt going forward, what advice would you give
him?
ENDNOTES
1 “How a Turkish Immigrant Made a Billion Dollars in Eight Years
Selling … Yogurt, Bloomberg Businessweek, January 31, 2013,
pp. 60–64; Hoover’s Handbook of World Business 2013 (Austin,
Texas: Hoover’s Business Press, 2013), pp. 450–451; “The
World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2012,” Fast Company,
February 2013, pp. 56; “A Conversation with the ‘Steve Jobs of
Yogurt’,” USA Today, June 17, 2013, p. 3B.
2 See also John Byrne, “The 12 Greatest Entrepreneurs of Our
Time—and What You Can Learn from Them,” Fortune, April 9,
2012, pp. 68–86.
3 Bro Uttal, “Inside the Deal That Made Bill Gates $350,000,000,”
Fortune, July 21, 1986, pp. 23–33.
4 “The Richest People in America,” Forbes, May 25, 2009.
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management 157
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5 Murray B. Low and Ian MacMillan, “Entrepreneurship: Past
Research and Future Challenges,” Journal of Management, June
1988, pp. 139–159.
6 U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United
States, 2009 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office,
2009).
7 “Small Business ‘Vital Statistics,’” http://www.sba.gov/category/
navigation-structure/about-sba, accessed on July 17, 2012.
8 “Small Business ‘Vital Statistics,’” http://www.sba.gov/category/
navigation-structure/about-sba, accessed on July 17, 2012.
9 “Small Business ‘Vital Statistics,’” http://www.sba.gov/category/
navigation-structure/about-sba, accessed on July 17, 2012.
10 “A World That’s a-Twitter,” USA Today, May 26, 2009, pp. 1B, 2B.
11 “Heaven on Wheels,” Forbes, April 13, 2009, pp. 74–75.
12 Amar Bhide, “How Entrepreneurs Craft Strategies That Work,”
Harvard Business Review, March–April 1994, pp. 150–163.
13 Hoover’s Handbook of American Business 2013 (Austin, TX:
Hoover’s Business Press, 2013), pp. 888–889; and “Peace, Love,
and the Bottom Line,” BusinessWeek, December 7, 1998,
pp. 79–82.
14 Nancy J. Lyons, “Moonlight over Indiana,” Inc., January 2000,
pp. 71–74.
15 F. M. Scherer, Industrial Market Structure and Economic
Performance, 2nd ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1980).
16 “Three Biker-Entrepreneurs Take on Mighty Harley,” New York
Times, August 20, 1999, p. F1.
17 “Burning Sensation,” Bloomberg Businessweek, May 10, 2013, pp.
66–69.
18 “A Startup’s New Prescription for Eyewear,” Business Week, July
4–10, 2011, pp. 49–51.
19 D. Kirsch, B. Goldfarb, and A. Gera, “Form or Substance: The
Role of Business Plans in Venture Capital Decision Making,”
Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 30, No. 5, 2009, pp. 487–516.
20 “Online Rep Crucial for Small Companies,” USA Today, October 30,
2012, p. 5B.
21 “Doing Their Part for Your Perfect Party,” USA Today, February 26,
2013, p. 4B.
22 “Cheap Tricks,” Forbes, February 21, 2000, p. 116.
23 U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United
States, May 24, 2009 (Washington, DC: Government Printing
Office, 2009). See also “Too Much Ventured, Nothing Gained,”
Fortune, November 25, 2002, pp. 135–144.
24 “This Recession Isn’t Being Kind to Entrepreneurs,” USA Today,
June 8, 2009, p. 1B.
25 “Small Businesses Go Alternative for Loans,” USA Today,
November 14, 2012, p. 1B.
26 “Up-and-Comers,” BusinessWeek, May 15, 2000, pp. EB70–EB72.
27 “High-Tech Advances Push CIA into New Company,” New York
Times, September 29, 1999, p. A14.
28 “BET: African-Americans Grow in Numbers, Buying Power,”
Multichannel News, January 26, 2010.
29 Norman M. Scarborough and Thomas W. Zimmerer, Effective Small
Business Management: An Entrepreneurial Approach, 6th ed. (Upper
Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2000), pp. 412–413.
30 See Robert A. Baron, “The Role of Affect in the Entrepreneurial
Process,” Academy of Management Review, 2008, Vol. 33, No. 2,
pp. 328–340. See also Keith M. Hmieleski and Robert A. Baron,
“Entrepreneurs’ Optimism and New Venture Performance: A
Social Cognition Perspective,” Academy of Management Journal,
2009, Vol. 52, No. 3, pp. 540–572.
31 “Expert Entrepreneur Got Her Show on the Road at an Early
Age,” USA Today, May 24, 2000, p. 5B.
32 “Flush Times for Liquidators,” Wall Street Journal, January 20,
2009, p. B1.
33 “Apocalypse 24/7,” Bloomberg Businessweek, June 15, 2013, pp.
60–65.
158 Part 2: Planning
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C H A P T E R 6
Organization Structure
and Design
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Identify the basic elements of organizations.
2 Describe the bureaucratic perspective on organization design.
3 Identify and explain key situational influences on organization design.
4 Describe the basic forms of organization design that characterize many organizations.
5 Identify and describe emerging issues in organization design.
Management in Action
Authority & Function at A&F
“Paying $90 for torn jeans isn’t that cool anymore.”
—Analyst on declining sales at Abercrombie & Fitch
Along with American Eagle and Aéropostale, Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is one of
the “Three A’s” of retailing for younger consumers, the three largest specialty
retailers catering to young adults ages 18 to 22 (and up). Look around your
college classroom and you’ll probably spy at least one A&F item—a cap, a shirt,
a pair of jeans. Abercrombie & Fitch, a line of “casual luxury” apparel and other
products, is actually one of five brands owned by Ohio-based A&F Corporation.
The company’s other brands include abercrombie (“classic cool” for preteens),
Hollister (“SoCal” for teenagers), RUEHL 925 (a higher-priced brand for post-
collegiates that recently closed), and Gilly Hicks (Australian-themed lounge and
underwear for women).
Obviously, A&F’s businesses are related, and its overall corporate strategy
is best characterized as one of related diversification. Based on this strategy,
one would assume that A&F’s organizational design reflects a divisional
structure, a form favored by companies that operate multiple related
businesses. It is interesting, however, that A&F relies instead on a functional
design based on functional departments (groups responsible for specific
company functions).
In general, some form of divisional structure is preferred by most firms that
pursue strategies of related diversification. Limited Brands, for example, a close
competitor (and one-time parent) of A&F, uses a divisional structure to coordinate
Sergii Tsololo/Photos.com
159
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brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Pink, and the White Barn
Candle Company. Each unit is empowered to make autonomous decisions but
can also access companywide staff support in areas such as logistics,
information technology, real estate, and store design. At A&F, on the other hand,
every employee is assigned to one of eight basic business functions, such as
planning, purchasing, distribution, or stores, each of which is headed by a
president. Why this design? Basically, A&F wants every employee to develop
highly specialized skills within a functional area. This design is also more
effective in coordinating activities within a function.
The company’s history also accounts in part for its choice of a functional
structure. From its founding in 1892 until a bankruptcy in 1977, Abercrombie &
Fitch was a high-end sporting-goods retailer. In 1978, Oshman’s, a Houston-based
sporting-goods chain, purchased the company brand and trademark and, for
11 years, operated a combination retail chain and catalog company, selling
an eclectic line of products ranging from tweed jackets to exercise machines.
Limited Brands purchased the brand in 1988, putting it on preppy, upscale
clothing for young adults. Nine years later, Limited sold 16 percent of the
company through a public stock sale, and when the remaining shares were sold
to the public in 1998, A&F became an independent company. In its current
incarnation, then, A&F started out as a division of a larger firm, so it makes sense
that its structure would be much like that of one division in a multidivisional
corporation.
It’s also interesting to note that, even before the spinoff from Limited, A&F had
begun to establish its own culture and its own pattern of growth. Michael Jeffries,
N
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Abercrombie & Fitch has been a fashion mainstay for younger consumers for years. Although the
firm has grown to be a huge retailer, it still uses a form of organization design more commonly
found in much smaller businesses.
160 Part 3: Organizing
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a retail-industry veteran, became president in 1992 and undertook to
transform the company into the retailer of choice for younger consumers.
Jeffries quickly managed to attach the brand to an idealized lifestyle,
emphasizing apparel that complemented youth, good looks, and good times.
The transformation turned out to be highly profitable, with sales increasing
from $85 million in 1992 to $165 million in just two years. During the same
period, the number of stores in the chain grew from 36 to 67, and in 1999,
with 212 stores nationwide, A&F topped $1 billion in sales. In the same year,
A&F started its abercrombie division for children and preteens, and a year
later, it launched Hollister, the first of its “lifestyle” chains. By the end of
2002, the multidivision company was running 485 A&F stores, 144 abercrombie
shops, and 32 Hollister outlets. Sales for the year were just under $1 4 billion.
RUEHL opened in 2004 and Gilly Hicks in 2008. Today, A&F Corporation
operates around 1,100 stores.
And yet A&F is still organized as if it were one big company with one big
brand and a single division. The main advantage of this choice can be
explained as a desire to exercise top-down control over each brand by
separating and controlling all the functions on which every brand—that is,
every store type—depends. Regardless of how A&F is organized and
otherwise managed, one thing is clear: It’s the way it is because that’s the
way CEO Jeffries wants it. Jeffries took over a firm that was losing $25 million
a year, declared that survival depended on becoming a “young, hip, spirited
company,” and engineered a reversal of fortunes by turning it into something
completely new, a retailer that celebrates what one observer calls “the vain,
highly constructed male.” (A&F has had much less influence on women’s
fashion.)
Like many other retailers, A&F struggled during 2009 and 2010. The firm had
always refused to discount, so some customers began to look elsewhere. To
help combat the downturn, A&F closed RUEHL and started offering some limited
discounting. These measures, along with the rebounding economy, helped A&F
start to turn things around recently. In 2013, the firm reported sales of $3 5
billion and a modest profit. Jeffries is under contract through 2014 but will likely
retire when the contract expires.1
All managers need the assistance of others to succeed and so must trust the members
of their team to do their jobs and carry out their responsibilities. And the team
members themselves need the support of their boss and a clear understanding of
their role in the organization. Indeed, the working relationship between managers
and their subordinates is one of the most critical elements comprising an organiza-
tion. As you will see in this chapter, managing the basic frameworks that organiza-
tions use to get their work done—structure and design—is a fundamental part of the
management process.
This chapter, the first of three devoted to organizing, discusses many of the critical
elements of organization structure and design that managers can control. We first iden-
tify and describe the various elements of organizing. Next, we explore how those
elements can be combined to create an overall design for the organization. Next, we
introduce situational factors and how they impact organization design. We conclude by
presenting emerging issues in organization design.
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 161
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THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF ORGANIZING
The term organization structure and design refers to the overall set of elements that can be
used to configure an organization. This section introduces and describes these elements:
job specialization, departmentalization, reporting relationships, distribution of authority,
and coordination.
Job Specialization
The first building block of organization structure is job specialization. Job specialization
is the degree to which the overall task of the organization is broken down and divided
into smaller component parts. For example, when Walt Disney started his company, he
did everything himself—wrote cartoons, drew them, added character voices, and then
marketed them to theaters. As the business grew, though, he eventually hired others to
perform many of these same functions. As growth continued, so, too, did specialization.
For example, as animation artists work on Disney movies today, they may specialize in
generating computer images of a single character or doing only background scenery.
Others provide voices, and marketing specialists develop promotional campaigns.
Today, the Walt Disney Company has literally thousands of different specialized jobs.
Clearly, no one person could perform them all.
Benefits and Limitations of Specialization Job specialization provides four bene-
fits to organizations.2 First, workers performing small, simple tasks will become very pro-
ficient at each task. Second, transfer time between tasks decreases. If employees perform
several different tasks, some time is lost as they stop doing the first task and start doing
the next. Third, the more narrowly defined a job is, the easier it is to develop specialized
equipment to assist with that job. Fourth, when an employee who performs a highly
specialized job is absent or resigns, the manager is able to train someone new at
relatively low cost. Although specialization is generally thought of in terms of operating
jobs, many organizations have extended the basic elements of specialization to managerial
and professional levels.3
On the other hand, job specialization can have negative consequences. The foremost
criticism is that workers who perform highly specialized jobs may become bored and
dissatisfied. The job may be so specialized that it offers no challenge or stimulation.
Boredom and monotony set in, absenteeism rises, and the quality of the work may suffer.
Furthermore, the anticipated benefits of specialization do not always occur. For example,
a classic study conducted at Maytag found that the time spent moving work in process
from one worker to another was greater than the time needed for the same individual to
change from job to job.4 Thus, although some degree of specialization is necessary, it
should not be carried to extremes because of the possible negative consequences. Man-
agers must be sensitive to situations in which extreme specialization should be avoided.
And indeed, several alternative approaches to designing jobs have been developed in
recent years.
Alternatives to Specialization To counter the problems associated with specializa-
tion, managers have sought other approaches to job design that achieve a better balance
between organizational demands for efficiency and productivity and individual needs for
creativity and autonomy. Five alternative approaches are job rotation, job enlargement,
job enrichment, job characteristics approach, and work teams.5
Job rotation involves systematically moving employees from one job to another. A
worker in a warehouse might unload trucks on Monday, carry incoming inventory to
job specialization
The degree to which
the overall task of the
organization is
broken down and
divided into smaller
component parts
job rotation
An alternative to
job specialization
that involves
systematically
moving employees
from one job to
another
162 Part 3: Organizing
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storage on Tuesday, verify invoices on Wednesday, pull outgoing inventory from storage
on Thursday, and load trucks on Friday. Thus, the jobs do not change, but instead work-
ers move from job to job. Unfortunately, for this very reason, job rotation has not been
very successful in enhancing employee motivation or satisfaction. Jobs that are amenable
to rotation tend to be relatively standard and routine. Workers who are rotated to a
“new” job may be more satisfied at first, but satisfaction soon wanes. Although many
companies (among them Raytheon, Ford, and Prudential Insurance) have tried job rota-
tion, it is most often used today as a training device to improve worker skills and flexi-
bility. Similarly, the TSA rotates security screeners at airports several times a day to
offset problems of boredom that might set in if the same task were being performed all
the time. The Walt Disney World resort swimming pool lifeguards rotate stations every
half hour to help them maintain focus on their task.
Job enlargement was developed to increase the total number of tasks workers per-
form. As a result, all workers perform a wide variety of tasks, which presumably reduces
the level of job dissatisfaction. Many organizations have used job enlargement, including
IBM, Detroit Edison, AT&T, the U.S. Civil Service, and Maytag. At Maytag, for example,
the assembly line for producing washing-machine water pumps was systematically chan-
ged so that work that had originally been performed by six workers, who passed the
work sequentially from one person to another, was performed by four workers, each of
whom assembled a complete pump.6 Unfortunately, although job enlargement does have
some positive consequences, those are often offset by some disadvantages: (1) training
costs usually increase, (2) unions have argued that pay should increase because the
worker is doing more tasks, and (3) in many cases the work remains boring and routine
even after job enlargement.
P
a
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id
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rb
is
Many products like Maytag washers and dryers are manufactured using job specialization and
assembly line technology. While this approach promotes efficiency, it can also lead to monotony
and worker boredom. To help counter these negative effects, Maytag has experimented with job
enlargement and other alternatives to job specialization.
job enlargement
An alternative to job
specialization that
increases the total
number of tasks that
workers perform
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 163
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A more comprehensive approach, job enrichment, assumes that increasing the range
and variety of tasks is not sufficient by itself to improve employee motivation.7 Thus, job
enrichment attempts to increase both the number of tasks a worker does and the control
the worker has over the job. To implement job enrichment, managers remove some
controls from the job, delegate more authority to employees, and structure the work in
complete, natural units. These changes increase subordinates’ sense of responsibility.
Another part of job enrichment is to continually assign new and challenging tasks,
thereby increasing employees’ opportunity for growth and advancement. AT&T, Texas
Instruments, IBM, and General Foods are among the firms that have used job enrich-
ment. This approach, however, also has disadvantages. For example, work systems need
to be analyzed before enrichment, but this seldom happens, and managers rarely ask for
employee preferences when enriching jobs.
The job characteristics approach is an alternative to job specialization that does take
into account the work system and employee preferences.8 As illustrated in Figure 6.1, the
job characteristics approach suggests that jobs should be diagnosed and improved along
five core dimensions:
1. Skill variety, the number of things a person does in a job
2. Task identity, the extent to which the worker does a complete or identifiable portion
of the total job
3. Task significance, the perceived importance of the task
4. Autonomy, the degree of control the worker has over how the work is performed
5. Feedback, the extent to which the worker knows how well the job is being performed
Increasing the presence of these dimensions in a job presumably leads to higher
motivation, higher-quality performance, higher satisfaction, and lower absenteeism and
turnover. A large number of studies have been conducted to test the usefulness of the
job characteristics approach. The Southwestern Division of Prudential Insurance, for
example, used this approach in its claims division. Results included moderate declines
in turnover and a small but measurable improvement in work quality. Other research
findings have not supported this approach as strongly. Thus, although the job character-
istics approach is one of the most promising alternatives to job specialization, it is prob-
ably not the final answer.
Another alternative to job specialization is work teams. Under this arrangement, a
group is given responsibility for designing the work system to be used in performing an
interrelated set of tasks. In the typical assembly-line system, the work flows from one
worker to the next, and each worker has a specified job to perform. In a work team,
however, the group itself decides how jobs will be allocated. For example, the work
team assigns specific tasks to members, monitors and controls its own performance,
and has autonomy over work scheduling.9
Grouping Jobs: Departmentalization
The second element of organization structure is the grouping of jobs according to some
logical arrangement. The process of grouping jobs is called departmentalization. When
organizations are small, the owner-manager can personally oversee everyone who works there.
As an organization grows, however, personally supervising all the employees becomes more and
more difficult for the owner-manager. Consequently, new managerial positions are created to
supervise the work of others. Employees are not assigned to particular managers randomly.
Rather, jobs are grouped according to some plan. The logic embodied in such a plan is the basis
for all departmentalization.10
job enrichment
An alternative to job
specialization that
attempts to increase
both the number of
tasks a worker does
and the control the
worker has over
the job
job characteristics
approach
An alternative to job
specialization that
suggests that jobs
should be diagnosed
and improved along
five core dimensions,
taking into account
both the work
system and
employee
preferences
work teams
An alternative to job
specialization that
allows an entire
group to design the
work system it will
use to perform an
interrelated set of
tasks
departmentalization
The process of
grouping jobs
according to some
logical arrangement
164 Part 3: Organizing
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Functional Departmentalization The most common base for departmentalization,
especially among smaller organizations, is by function. Functional departmentalization
groups together those jobs involving the same or similar activities. (The word function is
used here to mean organizational functions such as finance and production, rather than
the basic managerial functions, such as planning or controlling.) This approach, which is
most common in smaller organizations, has three primary advantages. First, each depart-
ment can be staffed by experts in that functional area. Marketing experts can be hired to
run the marketing function, for example. Second, supervision is facilitated because an indi-
vidual manager needs to be familiar with only a relatively narrow set of skills. And, third,
coordinating activities inside each department is easier.
On the other hand, as an organization begins to grow in size, several disadvantages of
this approach may emerge. For one, decision making tends to become slower and more
Core job
dimensions
Personal and
work outcomes
Critical
psychological
states
Experienced
responsibility
for outcomes
of the work
• Skill variety
• Task identity
• Task significance
• Autonomy
• Feedback
Knowledge of the
actual results of
work activities
Employee
growth-need
strength
• High internal
work motivation
• High-quality work
performance
• High satisfaction
with the work
• Low absenteeism
and turnover
Experienced
meaningfulness
of the work
©
A
ca
d
e
m
ic
P
re
ss
,
In
c.
R
e
p
ri
n
te
d
b
y
p
e
rm
is
si
o
n
o
f
A
ca
d
e
m
ic
P
re
ss
a
n
d
th
e
a
u
th
o
rs
.
FIGURE 6.1
The Job Characteristics Approach
The job characteristics approach to job design provides a viable alternative to job
specialization. Five core job dimensions may lead to critical psychological states that,
in turn, may enhance motivation, performance, and satisfaction while also reducing
absenteeism and turnover.
Source: J. R. Hackman and G. R. Oldham, “Motivation through the Design of Work:
Test of a Theory,” Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1976, Vol. 16,
pp. 250–279.
functional
departmentalization
Grouping jobs
involving the same
or similar activities
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 165
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bureaucratic. Employees may also begin to concentrate too narrowly on their own unit
and lose sight of the total organizational system. Finally, accountability and performance
become increasingly difficult to monitor. For example, determining whether a new product
fails because of production deficiencies or a poor marketing campaign may not be possible.
Product Departmentalization Product departmentalization, a second common
approach, involves grouping and arranging activities around products or product groups.
Most larger businesses adopt this form of departmentalization for grouping activities at the
business or corporate level. Product departmentalization has three major advantages. First,
all activities associated with one product or product group can be easily integrated and coor-
dinated. Second, the speed and effectiveness of decision making are enhanced. Third, the
performance of individual products or product groups can be assessed more easily and
objectively, thereby improving the accountability of departments for the results of their
activities.
Product departmentalization also has two major disadvantages. For one, managers in
each department may focus on their own product or product group to the exclusion of
the rest of the organization. For example, a marketing manager may see his or her
primary duty as helping the group rather than helping the overall organization. For
another, administrative costs rise because each department must have its own functional
specialists for areas such as market research and financial analysis.
Customer Departmentalization Under customer departmentalization, the organi-
zation structures its activities to respond to and interact with specific customers or cus-
tomer groups. The lending activities in most banks, for example, are usually tailored to
meet the needs of different kinds of customers (business, consumer, mortgage, and agricul-
tural loans). The basic advantage of this approach is that the organization is able to use
skilled specialists to deal with unique customers or customer groups. It takes one set of
skills to evaluate a balance sheet and lend $5,000,000 for operating capital and a different
set of skills to evaluate an individual’s creditworthiness and lend $40,000 for a new car.
However, a fairly large administrative staff is required to integrate the activities of the
various departments. In banks, for example, coordination is necessary to make sure that
the organization does not overcommit itself in any one area and to handle collections on
delinquent accounts from a diverse set of customers.
Location Departmentalization Location departmentalization groups jobs on the
basis of defined geographic sites or areas. The defined sites or areas may range in size
from a hemisphere to only a few blocks of a large city. Transportation companies,
police departments (precincts represent geographic areas of a city), and the Federal
Reserve Bank all use location departmentalization. The primary advantage of location
departmentalization is that it enables the organization to respond easily to unique
customer and environmental characteristics in the various regions. On the negative
side, a larger administrative staff may be required if the organization must keep track
of units in scattered locations.
Establishing Reporting Relationships
The third basic element of organizing is the establishment of reporting relationships
among positions. The purpose of this activity is to clarify the chain of command and
the span of management.
Chain of Command Chain of command is an old concept, first popularized in the
early years of the twentieth century. For example, early writers about the chain of command
argued that clear and distinct lines of authority need to be established among all positions in
product
departmentalization
Grouping activities
around products or
product groups
customer
departmentalization
Grouping activities
to respond to and
interact with specific
customers or
customer groups
location
departmentalization
Grouping jobs on the
basis of defined
geographic sites or
areas
chain of command
A clear and distinct
line of authority
among the positions
in an organization
166 Part 3: Organizing
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an organization. The chain of command actually has two components. The first, called unity
of command, suggests that each person within an organization must have a clear reporting
relationship to one and only one boss (as we see later, newer models of organization design
routinely—and successfully—violate this premise). The second, called the scalar principle,
suggests that there must be a clear and unbroken line of authority that extends from the
lowest to the highest position in the organization. The popular saying “The buck stops
here” is derived from this idea—someone in the organization must ultimately be responsible
for every decision.
Span of Management Another part of establishing reporting relationships is determin-
ing how many people will report to each manager. This defines the span of management
(sometimes called the span of control). For years, managers and researchers sought to
determine the optimal span of management. Today, we recognize that the span of man-
agement is a crucial factor in structuring organizations but that there are no universal,
cut-and-dried prescriptions for an ideal or optimal span.11
Tall Versus Flat Organizations In recent years, managers have begun to focus
attention on the optimal number of layers in their organizational hierarchy. Having
more layers results in a taller organization, whereas having fewer layers results in a flatter
organization. What difference does it make whether the organization is tall or flat? One
early study at Sears found that a flat structure led to higher levels of employee morale
and productivity.12 Researchers have also argued that a tall structure is more expensive
(because of the larger number of managers involved) and that it fosters more communi-
cation problems (because of the increased number of people through whom information
must pass). On the other hand, a wide span of management in a flat organization may
result in a manager having more administrative responsibility (because there are fewer
managers) and more supervisory responsibility (because there are more subordinates
reporting to each manager). If these additional responsibilities become excessive, the
flat organization may suffer.13
Many experts agree that businesses can function effectively with fewer layers of orga-
nization than they currently have. The Franklin Mint, for example, reduced its number
of management layers from 6 to 4. At the same time, the CEO increased his span of
management from 6 to 12. The British firm Cadbury PLC, maker of Cadbury Dairy cho-
colates, Trident gum, and other confectionary products, recently eliminated a layer of
management separating the CEO and the firm’s operating units. The specific reasons
for the change were to improve communication between the CEO and the operating
unit heads and to speed up decision making.14 The “Leading the Way” feature provides
another recent example of a CEO leading a firm toward a flatter organization. One addi-
tional reason for this trend is that improved communication technologies such as e-mail
and text messaging allow managers to stay in touch with a larger number of subordinates
than was possible even just a few years ago.15
Distributing Authority
Another important building block in structuring organizations is the determination of
how authority is to be distributed among positions. Authority is power that has been
legitimized by the organization.16 Two specific issues that managers must address when
distributing authority are delegation and decentralization.17
The Delegation Process Delegation is the establishment of a pattern of authority
between a superior and one or more subordinates. Specifically, delegation is the process
by which managers assign a portion of their total workload to others.18 In theory, the
delegation process involves three steps. First, the manager assigns responsibility or gives
span of
management
The number of
people who report to
a particular manager
authority
Power that has been
legitimized by the
organization
delegation
The process by
which a manager
assigns a portion of
his or her total
workload to others
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 167
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LEADING THE WAY
Delayering as a Defense Mechanism
Anglo American PLC, one of the world’s largest
diversified mining companies, recently announced
that it was delayering—eliminating a layer of its
organizational structure. Previously, the company
had been organized into two global divisions—
Coal and Ferrous Metals, each with its own CEO,
both of whom reported directly to the CEO of
Anglo American. Below the divisional level were
Anglo’s various global business operations, each
dealing with a different commodity (e.g., coal, plat-
inum, and iron ore) and each headed by its own
CEO and functional support staff. The CEOs of
these units reported directly to the CEO of his or
her respective division.
As a result of “simplification and delayering,”
these businesses were reorganized into seven
“commodity business units” (BUs), each of which
is now “profit accountable”—that is, responsible for
its own performance. The major criteria for this reor-
ganization were geography and asset status. The
platinum unit, for example, is headquartered in
South Africa (which is also home to the parent com-
pany), the copper unit in Chile, and the metallurgical–
coal unit in Australia.
Times have been hectic for Anglo. In February 2009,
CEO Cynthia Carroll admitted that the organization,
like many companies, was starting to feel the impact
of the global recession. Her whirlwind campaign to
cut costs by $450 million earned her the nickname
“Cyclone Cynthia.” Then the Swiss–British mining
company Xstrata proposed a merger with Anglo.
Carroll and the Anglo board quickly rejected Xstrata’s
offer as “totally unacceptable,” and Carroll presented
both Anglo’s mid-year financial results and its argument
for remaining independent. “Frankly,” asserted Carroll,
I know what it is that we need to do. … We have
a strategy, we have clear goals, we have tremen-
dous assets … in the most attractive commodities
in the world. The opportunities are massive.…
We’re well aware of what Xstrata does, but I’m
very confident of what we can do in the future.
Xstrata subsequently withdrew its offer in the
face of resistance from the Anglo board. “Anglo,”
said a company spokesman, “can now move for-
ward and run our business without further
distraction.” One analyst predicted that Anglo “will
likely show a renewed sense of urgency … and pull
out all the stops to win shareholders over,” and
exactly one week later, Carroll announced her “sim-
plification and delayering” plan. In making the
announcement, she asked shareholders for more
time to develop the firm’s assets and prove its
value as an independent company. “The portfolio
changes we have announced,” she argued, “… will
position Anglo American well for sustained, profit-
able growth in the commodities we have identified
as being the most attractive.”
References: Jeffrey Sparshott, “Miner Anglo to Sell Assets
in Shake-Up,”Wall Street Journal, October 22, 2009, http://
www.dailytenders.co.za, accessed on November 13, 2013;
Kate Holton et al., “Xstrata Seeks $68 Billion Merger with
Anglo,” Reuters, June 21, 2009, www.reuters.com,
accessed on November 13, 2013; Julia Werdigier, “Xstrata
Makes a New Move for Merger with Anglo,” New York
Times, June 25, 2009, www.nytimes.com, accessed on
November 13, 2013; Martin Waller and David Robinson,
“Business Big Shot: Cynthia Carroll of Anglo American,”
The Times (London) Online, August 1, 2009, www.thetimes
.co.uk/tto/business, accessed on November 13, 2013;
Andrew Cave, “Cynthia Carroll Digs Deep for Anglo,” Tele-
graph, August 1, 2009, www.telegraph.co.uk, accessed on
November 13, 2013; and Julia Werdigier, “Xstrata Ends Bid
for Rival in London,” New York Times, October 16, 2009,
www.nytimes.com, accessed on November 13, 2013.
A
P
Im
a
g
e
s/
D
a
n
J
o
li
n
g
When Cynthia Carroll was appointed CEO of
Anglo American PLC, the firm employed a rigid,
bureaucratic structure. Ms. Carroll has been
actively working to make Anglo American more
responsive and flexible by eliminating layers of
management.
168 Part 3: Organizing
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the subordinate a job to do. The assignment of responsibility might range from telling a
subordinate to prepare a report to placing the person in charge of a task force. Along
with the assignment, the individual is also given the authority to do the job. The man-
ager may give the subordinate the power to requisition needed information from confi-
dential files or to direct a group of other workers. Finally, the manager establishes the
subordinate’s accountability—that is, the subordinate accepts an obligation to carry out
the task assigned by the manager. For instance, the CEO of AutoZone will sign off for
the company on financial performance only when the individual manager responsible for
each unit has certified his or her own results as being accurate. The firm believes that
this high level of accountability will help it avoid the kind of accounting scandal that
has hit many businesses in recent times.19
Decentralization and Centralization Just as authority can be delegated from one
individual to another, organizations also develop patterns of authority across a wide
variety of positions and departments. Decentralization is the process of systematically
delegating power and authority throughout the organization to middle- and lower-level
managers. It is important to remember that decentralization is actually one end of a
continuum anchored at the other end by centralization, the process of systematically
retaining power and authority in the hands of higher-level managers. Hence, a decen-
tralized organization is one in which decision-making power and authority are dele-
gated as far down the chain of command as possible. Conversely, in a centralized
organization, decision-making power and authority are retained at higher levels in the
organization.
What factors determine an organization’s position on the decentralization–central-
ization continuum? One common determinant is the organization’s external environ-
ment. Usually, the greater the complexity and uncertainty of the environment, the
greater is the tendency to decentralize. Another crucial factor is the history of the
organization. Firms have a tendency to do what they have done in the past, so there
is likely to be some relationship between what an organization did in its early history
and what it chooses to do today in terms of centralization or decentralization.
The nature of the decisions being made is also considered. The costlier and riskier
the decisions, the more pressure there is to centralize. In short, managers have no
clear-cut guidelines for determining whether to centralize or decentralize. Many
successful organizations, such as General Electric and Johnson & Johnson, are quite
decentralized. Equally successful firms, such as McDonald’s and Walmart, have remained
centralized.
IBM has recently undergone a transformation from using a highly centralized
approach to a much more decentralized approach to managing its operations. A great
deal of decision-making authority was passed from the hands of a select group of top
executives down to six product and marketing groups. The reason for the move was to
speed up the company’s ability to make decisions, introduce new products, and respond
to customers. Similarly, Toyota recently announced its intent to provide more autonomy
to country managers, especially those in the United States. This move came in part
because of poor and slow decision making during a recent quality crisis involving Toyota
products.20
In contrast, Royal Dutch Shell, long operated in a highly decentralized manner, has
recently gone through several major changes all intended to make the firm more central-
ized. New CEO Peter Voser went so far as to note that “fewer people will make strategic
decisions.”21 Yahoo! Inc. has also initiated a change to become more centralized.22 The
“At Your Service” feature provides an interesting example of how Best Buy created
authority for its chief ethics officer.
decentralization
The process of
systematically
delegating power
and authority
throughout the
organization to
middle- and lower-
level managers
centralization
The process of
systematically
retaining power and
authority in the
hands of higher-level
managers
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 169
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Coordinating Activities
The fifth major element of organizing is coordination. As we discussed earlier, job
specialization and departmentalization involve breaking down jobs into small units and
then combining those jobs into departments. Once this has been accomplished, the activ-
ities of the departments must be linked—systems must be put into place to keep the
activities of each department focused on the attainment of organizational goals. This is
AT YOUR SERVICE
A Panel of Your Peers
Kathleen Edmond is chief ethics officer at Best Buy,
the world’s largest consumer-electronics retailer. To
help people better understand the role of ethics in a
service business, Edmond posted the following exer-
cise (which we’ve edited slightly) on her website at
www.kathleenedmond.com:
A Best Buy Supervisor (a department manager
responsible for seeing that merchandising and pric-
ing standards are met) told a direct-report employee
to put an “open item” tag on an unused, undam-
aged product. The tag would indicate that the
product might later be priced at a markdown. The
Supervisor explained that he was thinking about
buying the product but wasn’t sure and instructed
the employee to put the “open item” price tag
beneath a regular price tag until he’d made up his
mind. The Supervisor did not buy this particular item
but did buy other products at markdowns of 55–65
percent. As it happens, the employee who had
been told to place the “open item” price tag on
the new product rang up these purchases.
He reported that when another manager was
called to the register to authorize the markdowns,
he was assured by the Supervisor that the store’s
Product Process Manager (a higher-level manager
responsible for merchandising, inventory, and loss
prevention for the whole store) knew about the trans-
action. When questioned later about the purchases,
the Supervisor confirmed that he’d spoken about
them to the Product Process Manager. The Product
Process ManagersaidthattheSupervisorhadindeed
expressed an interest in buying some products but
had provided no specifics about products or pricing.
At the end of this summary, Edmond addressed
the following questions to Best Buy employees:
• What ethical missteps do you see in this story?
• Which of the Supervisor’s actions were most
alarming to you and why?
• Are there procedures in place that could pre-
vent this from happening at your store?
Following established procedure, Edmond
referred the dispute, at the Supervisor’s request,
to a Peer Review panel, which examined state-
ments from all employees involved as well as
the company’s policy on Inappropriate Conduct.
After a decision had been reached by the panel,
Edmond posted its Decision Summary:
1. The discount applied was not consistent with
other pricing of open-box items.
2. The pricing of the Supervisor’s purchases see-
med to be based on the fact that the Supervisor
was purchasing them rather than on the condi-
tion of the products themselves.
3. Management was not involved in these pricing
decisions.
4. The instructions to the subordinate to hide a price
were considered.
So, what do you think? Given the factors consid-
ered by the Peer Review panel, what action should
the company have taken?
References: Ethics and Compliance Officer Association,
“Kathleen Edmond, Chief Ethics Officer, Best Buy,” Board
of Directors, 2011, www.theecoa.org, accessed on November
13, 2013; Best Buy Inc., “Code of Business Ethics,” 2008,
www.bestbuy.com, accessed on November 13, 2013; and
Kathleen Edmond, “Supervisor Takes Massive Discounts,”
Kathleen Edmond, Best Buy’s Chief Ethics Officer, January
13, 2009, www.kathleenedmond.com, accessed on Novem-
ber 13, 2013.
(Note: In the real situation, a decision to terminate the
supervisor was originally made by his superiors, and his
request for a hearing before the Peer Review panel was
made as an appeal to this decision. The decision to termi-
nate was upheld.)
170 Part 3: Organizing
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accomplished by coordination—the process of linking the activities of the various
departments of the organization.23
The Need for Coordination The primary reason for coordination is that depart-
ments and work groups are interdependent—they depend on one another for informa-
tion and resources to perform their respective activities. The greater the interdependence
between departments, the more coordination the organization requires if departments
are to be able to perform effectively. The three major forms of interdependence are
pooled, sequential, and reciprocal.24
Pooled interdependence represents the lowest level of interdependence. Units with
pooled interdependence operate with little interaction—the output of the units is pooled
at the organizational level. Old Navy clothing stores operate with pooled interdepen-
dence. Each store is considered a “department” by the parent corporation. Each has its
own operating budget, staff, and so forth. The profits or losses from each store are
“added together” at the organizational level. The stores are interdependent to the extent
that the final success or failure of one store affects the others, but they do not generally
interact on a day-to-day basis.
In sequential interdependence, the output of one unit becomes the input for another
in a sequential fashion. This creates a moderate level of interdependence. At Nissan, for
example, one plant assembles engines and then ships them to a final assembly site at
another plant, where the cars are completed. The plants are interdependent in that the
final assembly plant must have the engines from engine assembly before it can perform
its primary function of producing finished automobiles. But the level of interdependence
is generally one way—the engine plant is not necessarily dependent on the final assembly
plant.
Reciprocal interdependence exists when activities flow both ways between units.
This form is clearly the most complex. Within a Marriott hotel, for example, the
reservations department, front-desk check-in, and housekeeping are all reciprocally
interdependent. Reservations has to provide front-desk employees with information
about how many guests to expect each day, and housekeeping needs to know which
rooms require priority cleaning. If any of the three units does not do its job properly, all
the others will be affected.
Structural Coordination Techniques Because of the obvious coordination require-
ments that characterize most organizations, many techniques for achieving coordination
have been developed. Some of the most useful devices for maintaining coordination
among interdependent units are the managerial hierarchy, rules and procedures, liaison
roles, task forces, and integrating departments.25
Organizations that use the hierarchy to achieve coordination place one manager in
charge of interdependent departments or units. In Walmart distribution centers, major
activities include receiving and unloading bulk shipments from railroad cars and loading
other shipments onto trucks for distribution to retail outlets. The two groups (receiving
and shipping) are interdependent in that they share the loading docks and some equip-
ment. To ensure coordination and minimize conflict, one manager is in charge of the
whole operation.
Routine coordination activities can be handled through rules and standard proce-
dures. In the Walmart distribution center, an outgoing truck shipment has priority
over an incoming rail shipment. Thus, when trucks are to be loaded, the shipping
unit is given access to all of the center’s auxiliary forklifts. This priority is specifically
stated in a rule. But, as useful as rules and procedures often are in routine situations,
they are not particularly effective when coordination problems are complex or
unusual.
coordination
The process of
linking the activities
of the various
departments of the
organization
pooled
interdependence
When units operate
with little interaction;
their output is pooled
at the organizational
level
sequential
interdependence
When the output of
one unit becomes
the input for another
in a sequential
fashion
reciprocal
interdependence
When activities flow
both ways between
units
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 171
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As a device for coordination, a manager in a liaison role coordinates interdependent
units by acting as a common point of contact. This individual may not have any formal
authority over the groups but instead simply facilitates the flow of information between
units. Two engineering groups working on component systems for a large project might
interact through a liaison. The liaison maintains familiarity with each group as well as
with the overall project. She can answer questions and otherwise serve to integrate the
activities of all the groups.
A task force may be created when the need for coordination is acute. When interde-
pendence is complex and several units are involved, a single liaison person may not be
sufficient. Instead, a task force might be assembled by drawing one representative from
each group. The coordination function is thus spread across several individuals, each of
whom has special information about one of the groups involved. When the project is
completed, task force members return to their original positions. For example, a college
overhauling its degree requirements might establish a task force made up of representa-
tives from each department affected by the change. Each person not only retains his or
her regular departmental affiliation and duties but also serves on the special task force.
After the new requirements are agreed on, the task force is dissolved.
Integrating departments are occasionally used for coordination. These are somewhat
similar to task forces but are more permanent. An integrating department generally has
some permanent members as well as members who are assigned temporarily from units
that are particularly in need of coordination. One study found that successful firms in
the plastics industry, which is characterized by complex and dynamic environments,
used integrating departments to maintain internal integration and coordination.26 An
integrating department usually has more authority than a task force and may even be
given some budgetary control by the organization.
Electronic Coordination Advances in information technology are also providing
useful mechanisms for coordination. E-mail, for example, makes it easier for people to
communicate with one another. This communication, in turn, enhances coordination.
Similarly, many people in organizations today use electronic scheduling, at least some
of which is accessible to others. Hence, if someone needs to set up a meeting with two
colleagues, he or she can often check their electronic schedules to determine their avail-
ability, making it easier to coordinate their activities.
Local networks, increasingly managed by handheld electronic devices, are also making
it easier to coordinate activities. Bechtel, for example, now requires its contractors, sub-
contractors, and suppliers to use a common web-based communication system to
improve coordination among their myriad activities. The firm estimates that this
improved coordination technology routinely saves it thousands of dollars on every big
construction project it undertakes.
THE BUREAUCRATIC MODEL OF
ORGANIZATION DESIGN
Max Weber, an influential German sociologist, was a pioneer of classical organization
theory. At the core of Weber’s writings was the bureaucratic model of organizations.27 The
Weberian perspective suggests that a bureaucracy is a model of organization design based
on a legitimate and formal system of authority. Many people associate bureaucracy with “red
tape,” rigidity, and passing the buck. For example, how many times have you heard people
refer disparagingly to “the federal bureaucracy”? Many U.S. managers believe that
bureaucracy
A model of
organization design
based on a legitimate
and formal system of
authority
172 Part 3: Organizing
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bureaucracy in the Chinese government is a major impediment to U.S. firms’ ability to do
business there.
Weber viewed the bureaucratic form of organization as logical, rational, and efficient.
He offered the model as a framework to which all organizations should aspire—the “one
best way” of doing things. According to Weber, the ideal bureaucracy exhibits five basic
characteristics:
1. The organization should adopt a distinct division of labor, and each position should
be filled by an expert.
2. The organization should develop a consistent set of rules to ensure that task perfor-
mance is uniform.
3. The organization should establish a hierarchy of positions or offices that creates
a chain of command from the top of the organization to the bottom.
4. Managers should conduct business in an impersonal way and maintain an appropriate
social distance between themselves and their subordinates.
5. Employment and advancement in the organization should be based on technical
expertise, and employees should be protected from arbitrary dismissal.
Perhaps the best examples of bureaucracies today are government agencies and
universities. Consider, for example, the steps you must go through and the forms
you must fill out to apply for admission to college, request housing, register each
semester, change majors, submit a degree plan, substitute a course, and file for grad-
uation. Even when paper is replaced with electronic media, the steps are often the
same. The reason these procedures are necessary is that universities deal with large
numbers of people who must be treated equally and fairly. Hence, rules, regulations, and
standard operating procedures are needed. Large labor unions are also usually organized as
bureaucracies.28
Some bureaucracies, such as the U.S. Postal Service, have been trying to portray
themselves as less mechanistic and impersonal. The strategy of the Postal Service is to
become more service oriented as a way to fight back against competitors such as FedEx
and UPS.
A primary strength of the bureaucratic model is that several of its elements (such as
reliance on rules and employment based on expertise) do, in fact, often improve
efficiency. Bureaucracies also help prevent favoritism (because everyone must follow
the rules) and make procedures and practices very clear to everyone. Unfortunately,
however, this approach also has several disadvantages. One major disadvantage is that
the bureaucratic model results in inflexibility and rigidity. Once rules are created and
put in place, making exceptions or changing them is often difficult. In addition, the
bureaucracy often results in the neglect of human and social processes within the
organization.
SITUATIONAL INFLUENCES ON
ORGANIZATION DESIGN
The situational view of organization design is based on the assumption that the
optimal design for any given organization depends on a set of relevant situational factors.
In other words, situational factors play a role in determining the best organization design
for any particular circumstance.29 Four basic situational factors—technology, environment,
size, and organizational life cycle—are discussed here.
situational view of
organization design
Based on the
assumption that the
optimal design for
any given
organization
depends on a set of
relevant situational
factors
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 173
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Core Technology
Technology consists of the conversion processes used to transform inputs (such as mate-
rials or information) into outputs (such as products or services). Most organizations use
multiple technologies, but an organization’s most important one is called its core technology.
Although most people visualize assembly lines and machinery when they think of tech-
nology, the term can also be applied to service organizations. For example, an invest-
ment firm like Fidelity uses technology to transform investment dollars into income in
much the same way that Union Carbide uses natural resources to manufacture chemical
products.
The link between technology and organization design was first recognized by
Joan Woodward.30 Woodward studied 100 manufacturing firms in southern
England. She collected information about aspects such as the history of each organi-
zation, its manufacturing processes, its forms and procedures, and its financial per-
formance. Woodward expected to find a relationship between the size of an
organization and its design, but no such relationship emerged. As a result, she
began to seek other explanations for differences. Close scrutiny of the firms in her
sample led her to recognize a potential relationship between technology and organi-
zation design. This follow-up analysis led Woodward to first classify the organiza-
tions according to their technology. Three basic forms of technology were identified by
Woodward:
1. Unit or small-batch technology. The product is custom-made to customer specifica-
tions or produced in small quantities. Organizations using this form of technology
include a tailor shop specializing in custom suits, a printing shop that produces
business cards and company stationery, and a photography studio.
N
e
tP
h
o
to
s/
A
la
m
y
Fidelity Investments uses technology to transform investment dollars into growth and income for
investors. This technology, in turn, plays a significant role in the kind of organization design that
best serves Fidelity. Other firms that use different technologies, meanwhile, will likely use different
forms of organization design.
technology
Conversion process
used to transform
inputs into outputs
174 Part 3: Organizing
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2. Large-batch or mass-production technology. The product is manufactured in assembly-
line fashion by combining component parts into another part or finished product.
Examples include automobile manufacturers like Subaru, appliance makers like
Whirlpool Corporation, and electronics firms like Philips.
3. Continuous-process technology. Raw materials are transformed to a finished product
by a series of machine or process transformations. The composition of the materials
themselves is changed. Examples include petroleum refineries like ExxonMobil and
Shell, and chemical refineries like Dow Chemical and Hoechst AG.
These forms of technology are listed in order of their assumed levels of complexity. In
other words, unit or small-batch technology is presumed to be the least complex and
continuous-process technology the most complex. Woodward found that different
configurations of organization design were associated with each technology.
Specifically, Woodward found that the two extremes (unit or small-batch and
continuous-process) tended to have very little bureaucracy, whereas the middle-range
organizations (large-batch or mass-production) were much more bureaucratic. The
large-batch and mass-production organizations also had a higher level of specialization.31
Finally, she found that organizational success was related to the extent to which
organizations followed the typical pattern. For example, successful continuous-
process organizations tended to have less bureaucracy, whereas less successful firms
with the same technology tended to be more bureaucratic.
Environment
Environmental elements and organization design are specifically linked in a number of
ways.32 The first widely recognized analysis of environment–organization design linkages
was provided by Tom Burns and G. M. Stalker.33 Like Woodward, Burns and Stalker
worked in England. Their first step was identifying two extreme forms of organizational
environment: stable (one that remains relatively constant over time) and unstable (sub-
ject to uncertainty and rapid change). Next, they studied the designs of organizations in
each type of environment. It was no surprise that they found that organizations in stable
environments tended to have a different kind of design than organizations in unstable
environments. The two kinds of design that emerged were called mechanistic and
organic organization.
A mechanistic organization, quite similar to the bureaucratic model, was most fre-
quently found in stable environments. Free from uncertainty, organizations structured
their activities in rather predictable ways by means of rules, specialized jobs, and central-
ized authority. Mechanistic organizations are also quite similar to bureaucracies.
Although no environment is completely stable, Abercrombie & Fitch and Wendy’s
use mechanistic designs. Each A&F store, for example, has prescribed methods for store
design and merchandise-ordering processes. Little or no deviation is allowed from
these methods. An organic organization, on the other hand, was most often found in
unstable and unpredictable environments, in which constant change and uncertainty
usually dictate a much higher level of fluidity and flexibility. Motorola (facing rapid
technological change) and Apple (facing both technological change and constant change
in consumer tastes) both use organic designs. A manager at Motorola, for example, has
considerable discretion over how work is performed and how problems can be solved.
These ideas were extended in the United States by Paul R. Lawrence and Jay
W. Lorsch.34 They agreed that environmental factors influence organization design but
believed that this influence varies between different units of the same organization. In
fact, they predicted that each organizational unit has a unique environment and
responds by developing unique attributes. Lawrence and Lorsch suggested that organiza-
tions could be characterized along two primary dimensions.
mechanistic
organization
Similar to the
bureaucratic model,
most frequently
found in stable
environments
organic
organization
Very flexible and
informal model of
organization design,
most often found in
unstable and
unpredictable
environments
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 175
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One of these dimensions, differentiation, is the extent to which the organization is
broken down into subunits. A firm with many subunits is highly differentiated; one
with few subunits has a low level of differentiation. The second dimension, integration,
is the degree to which the various subunits must work together in a coordinated fashion.
For example, if each unit competes in a different market and has its own production
facilities, they may need little integration. Lawrence and Lorsch reasoned that the degree
of differentiation and integration needed by an organization depends on the stability of
the environments that its subunits face.
Organizational Size and Life Cycle
The size and life cycle of an organization may also affect its design.35 Although several
definitions of size exist, we define organizational size as the total number of full-time or
full-time–equivalent employees. A team of researchers at the University of Aston in
Birmingham, England, believed that Woodward had failed to find a size–structure
relationship (which was her original expectation) because almost all the organizations
she studied were relatively small (three-fourths had fewer than 500 employees).36 Thus,
they decided to undertake a study of a wider array of organizations to determine how
size and technology both individually and jointly affect an organization’s design.
Their primary finding was that technology did in fact influence structural variables in
small firms, probably because all their activities tend to be centered on their core tech-
nologies. In large firms, however, the strong technology–design link broke down, most
likely because technology is not as central to ongoing activities in large organizations.
The Aston studies yielded a number of basic generalizations: When compared to small
organizations, large organizations tend to be characterized by higher levels of job special-
ization, more standard operating procedures, more rules, more regulations, and a greater
degree of decentralization. Walmart is a good case in point. The firm expects to continue
its dramatic growth for the foreseeable future, adding several thousand new jobs in the
next few years. But, as it grows, the firm acknowledges that it will have to become more
decentralized for its first-line managers to stay in tune with their customers.37 Of course,
size is not constant. As we noted in Chapter 5, for example, some small businesses are
formed but soon disappear. Others remain as small, independently operated enterprises
as long as their owner-manager lives. A few, such as Dell Computer, JetBlue, and
Starbucks, skyrocket to become organizational giants. And occasionally, large organiza-
tions reduce their size through layoffs or divestitures. Marathon Oil, for instance,
recently announced that it would be spinning off its downstream business, creating two
independent businesses and significantly reducing the size of its business.38 Consequently,
Marathon is becoming a much smaller organization.
Although no clear pattern explains changes in size, many organizations progress
through a four-stage organizational life cycle.39 The first stage is the birth of the
organization. The second stage, youth, is characterized by growth and the expansion of
organizational resources. Midlife is a period of gradual growth evolving eventually into
stability. Finally, maturity is a period of stability, perhaps eventually evolving into
decline. Firms like Netflix and Starbucks, for instance, are still in their youth stage;
Halliburton and Chevron are in midlife; and Ford and Boeing are in maturity. (A key
challenge for managers, of course, is to avoid allowing a mature organization to begin
to decline. Hence, they must be alert for opportunities to reenergize the organization
with new products and new markets.)
Managers must confront a number of organization design issues as the organization
progresses through these stages. In general, as an organization passes from one stage to
the next, it becomes bigger, more mechanistic, and more decentralized. It also becomes
differentiation
Extent to which the
organization is
broken down into
subunits
integration
Degree to which the
various subunits
must work together
in a coordinated
fashion
organizational size
Total number of full-
time or full-
time–equivalent
employees
organizational life
cycle
Progression through
which organizations
evolve as they grow
and mature
176 Part 3: Organizing
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more specialized, devotes more attention to planning, and takes on an increasingly large
staff component. Finally, coordination demands increase, formalization increases, organi-
zational units become geographically more dispersed, and control systems become more
extensive. Thus, an organization’s size and design are clearly linked, and this link is
dynamic because of the organizational life cycle.40
BASIC FORMS OF ORGANIZATION DESIGN
Because technology, environment, size, and life cycle can all influence organization
design, it should come as no surprise that organizations adopt many different kinds of
designs. Most designs, however, fall into one of four basic categories. Others are hybrids
based on two or more of the basic forms.
Functional (U-Form) Design
The functional design is an arrangement based on the functional approach to depart-
mentalization. This design has been termed the U-form (for unitary) approach.41 Under
the U-form arrangement, the members and units in the organization are grouped into
functional departments such as marketing and production.
For the organization to operate efficiently in this design, there must be considerable
coordination across departments. This integration and coordination are most commonly
the responsibility of the CEO and members of senior management. Figure 6.2 shows the
U-form design applied to the corporate level of a small manufacturing company. In a
U-form organization, none of the functional areas can survive without the others.
Marketing, for example, needs products from operations to sell and funds from finance
CEO
Vice president,
operations
Vice president,
marketing
Vice president,
finance
Vice president,
human resources
Vice president,
R&D
Scientific
director
Labor relations
director
Plant human
resource manager
Controller
Accounting
supervisor
Regional
sales managers
District
sales managers
Plant
managers
Shift
supervisors
Lab manager
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 6.2
Functional (U-Form) Design for a Small Manufacturing Company
The U-form design is based on functional departmentalization. This small manufacturing firm uses
managers at the vice presidential level to coordinate activities within each functional area of the
organization. Note that each functional area is dependent on the others.
functional design
Based on the
functional
approach to
departmentalization
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 177
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to pay for advertising. The WD-40 Company, which makes a popular lubricating oil, and
the McIlhenny Company, which makes tabasco sauce, are both examples of firms that
use the U-form design.
In general, this approach shares the basic advantages and disadvantages of functional
departmentalization. Thus, it allows the organization to staff all important positions with
functional experts, and it facilitates coordination and integration. On the other hand, it also
promotes a functional, rather than an organizational, focus and tends to promote centraliza-
tion. Functionally based designs are most commonly used in small organizations because an
individual CEO can easily oversee and coordinate the entire organization. As an organization
grows, the CEO finds staying on top of all functional areas increasingly difficult.
Conglomerate (H-Form) Design
Another common form of organization design is the conglomerate, or H-form (for hold-
ing, as in holding company), approach.42 The conglomerate design is used by an orga-
nization made up of a set of unrelated businesses. Thus, the H-form design is essentially
a holding company that results from unrelated diversification.
This approach is based loosely on the product form of departmentalization. Each
business or set of businesses is operated by a general manager who is responsible for its
profits or losses, and each general manager functions independently of the others.
Samsung Electronics Company, a South Korean firm, uses the H-form design. As illus-
trated in Figure 6.3, Samsung consists of four basic business groups. Other firms that
use the H-form design include General Electric (aircraft engines, appliances, medical
equipment, financial services, lighting products, plastics, and other unrelated businesses)
and Tenneco (pipelines, auto parts, financial services, and other unrelated businesses).
Honeywell has also recently adopted the H-form design.43
In an H-form organization, a corporate staff usually evaluates the performance of
each business, allocates corporate resources across companies, and shapes decisions
about buying and selling businesses. The basic shortcoming of the H-form design is the
complexity associated with holding diverse and unrelated businesses. Managers usually
find it difficult to compare and integrate activities across a large number of diverse
operations. Research suggests that many organizations following this approach achieve
only average-to-weak financial performance.44 Thus, although some U.S. firms are still
using the H-form design, many have abandoned it for other approaches.
CEO
Telecommunications Appliances MediaSemiconductors
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
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a
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in
g
FIGURE 6.3
Conglomerate (H-Form) Design at Samsung
Samsung Electronics Company, a South Korean firm, uses the conglomerate form of
organization design. This design, which results from a strategy of unrelated
diversification, is a complex one to manage. Managers find that comparing and
integrating activities among the dissimilar operations are difficult. Companies may
abandon this design for another approach, such as the M-form design.
conglomerate
design
Used by an
organization made
up of a set of
unrelated businesses
178 Part 3: Organizing
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Divisional (M-Form) Design
In the divisional design, which is becoming increasingly popular, a product form of
organization is also used; in contrast to the H-form approach, however, the divisions
are related. Thus the divisional design, or M-form (for multidivisional) approach, is
based on multiple businesses in related areas operating within a larger organizational
framework. This design results from a strategy of related diversification.
Some activities are extremely decentralized down to the divisional level; others are
centralized at the corporate level.45 For example, as shown in Figure 6.4, Hilton Hotels
uses this approach. Each of its divisions is headed by a president or executive vice presi-
dent and operates with reasonable autonomy, but the divisions also coordinate their
activities as is appropriate. Other firms that use this approach are the Walt Disney
Company (theme parks, movies, and merchandising units, all interrelated) and Hewlett-
Packard (computers, printers, scanners, electronic medical equipment, and other
electronic instrumentation).
The opportunities for coordination and shared resources represent one of the biggest
advantages of the M-form design. Hilton’s market research and purchasing departments
are centralized. Thus, a site selector can visit a city and look for possible locations for
different Hilton brands, and a buyer can purchase bed linens for multiple Hilton brands
from the same supplier. The M-form design’s basic objective is to optimize internal com-
petition and cooperation. Healthy competition for resources among divisions can
enhance effectiveness, but cooperation should also be promoted. Research suggests that
the M-form organization that can achieve and maintain this balance will outperform
large U-form and all H-form organizations.46
Matrix Design
The matrix design, another common approach to organization design, is based on two
overlapping bases of departmentalization.47 The foundation of a matrix is a set of func-
tional departments. A set of product groups, or temporary departments, is then super-
imposed across the functional departments. Employees in a matrix are simultaneously
members of a functional department (such as engineering) and of a project team.
Figure 6.5 shows a basic matrix design. At the top of the organization are functional
units headed by vice presidents of engineering, production, finance, and marketing. Each
of these managers has several subordinates. Along the side of the organization are a
number of positions called project manager. Each project manager heads a project
CEO
Conrad Hotels
&
Resorts
Doubletree
Hotels
Hampton Inn
& Suites
Hilton Garden
Inn
Hilton Grand
Vacations
Club
Homewood
Suites
by Hilton
Embassy
Suites
Hotels
©
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FIGURE 6.4
Multidivisional (M-Form) Design at Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels uses the multidivisional approach to organization design. Although each unit operates with
relative autonomy, all units function in the same general market. This design resulted from a strategy of
related diversification. Other firms that use M-form designs include PepsiCo and the Walt Disney Company.
divisional design
Based on multiple
businesses in related
areas operating
within a larger
organizational
framework
matrix design
Based on two
overlapping bases of
departmentalization
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 179
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group composed of representatives or workers from the functional departments.
Note from the figure that a matrix reflects a multiple-command structure—any given
individual reports to both a functional superior and one or more project managers.
The project groups, or teams, are assigned to designated projects or programs. For
example, the company might be developing a new product. Representatives are chosen
from each functional area to work as a team on the new product. They also retain
membership in the original functional group. At any given time, a person may be a
member of several teams as well as a member of a functional group. Ford used this
approach in creating its popular Focus automobile. It formed a group called Team
Focus made up of designers, engineers, production specialists, marketing specialists, and
other experts from different areas of the company. This group facilitated getting a very
successful product to the market at least a year earlier than would have been possible
using Ford’s previous approaches.
Martha Stewart also uses a matrix organization for her lifestyle business. The com-
pany was first organized broadly into media and merchandising groups, each of which
has specific products and product groups. Layered on top of this structure are teams of
lifestyle experts organized into groups such as cooking, crafts, and weddings. Each of
these groups is targeted toward specific customer needs, but they work as necessary
Employees
CEO
Project
manager B
Project
manager C
Vice president,
engineering
Vice president,
production
Vice president,
finance
Vice president,
marketing
Project
manager A
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 6.5
A Matrix Organization
A matrix organization design is created by superimposing a product form of departmentalization on an
existing functional organization. Project managers coordinate teams of employees drawn from different
functional departments. Thus, a matrix relies on a multiple-command structure.
180 Part 3: Organizing
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across all of the product groups. For example, a wedding expert might contribute to an
article on wedding planning for a Martha Stewart Living magazine, contribute a story
idea for a cable TV program, and supply content for a Martha Stewart website. This
same individual might also help select fabrics suitable for wedding gowns for
retailing.48
The matrix form of organization design is most often used in one of three situa-
tions.49 First, a matrix may work when there is strong pressure from the environment.
For example, intense external competition may dictate the sort of strong marketing
thrust that is best spearheaded by a functional department, but the diversity of a
company’s products may argue for product departments. Second, a matrix may be
appropriate when large amounts of information need to be processed. For example,
creating lateral relationships by means of a matrix is one effective way to increase the
organization’s capacity for processing information. Third, the matrix design may work
when there is pressure for shared resources. For example, a company with ten product
departments may have resources for only three marketing specialists. A matrix design
would allow all the departments to share the company’s scarce marketing resources.
Both advantages and disadvantages are associated with the matrix design. Researchers
have observed six primary advantages of matrix designs. First, they enhance flexibility
because teams can be created, redefined, and dissolved as needed. Second, because they
assume a major role in decision making, team members are likely to be highly motivated
and committed to the organization. Third, employees in a matrix organization have con-
siderable opportunity to learn new skills. Fourth, the matrix design provides an efficient
way for the organization to take full advantage of its human resources. Fifth, team
members retain membership in their functional unit so that they can serve as a bridge
between the functional unit and the team, enhancing cooperation. Sixth, the matrix
design gives top management a useful vehicle for decentralization. Once the day-to-day
operations have been delegated, top management can devote more attention to areas
such as long-range planning.
On the other hand, the matrix design also has some major disadvantages. Employees
may be uncertain about reporting relationships, especially if they are simultaneously
assigned to a functional manager and to several project managers. To complicate mat-
ters, some managers see the matrix as a form of anarchy in which they have unlimited
freedom. Another set of problems is associated with the dynamics of group behavior.
Groups take longer than individuals to make decisions, may be dominated by one indi-
vidual, and may compromise too much. They may also get bogged down in discussion
and not focus on their primary objectives. Finally, in a matrix, more time may also be
required for coordinating task-related activities.50
Hybrid Designs
Some organizations use a design that represents a hybrid of two or more of the
common forms of organization design.51 For example, an organization may have
five related divisions and one unrelated division, making its design a cross between
an M form and an H form. Indeed, few companies use a design in its pure form;
most firms have one basic organization design as a foundation for managing the
business but maintain sufficient flexibility so that temporary or permanent modifica-
tions can be made for strategic purposes. Ford, for example, used the matrix
approach to design the Focus and the newest Mustang, but the company is basically
a U-form organization showing signs of moving to an M-form design. As we noted
earlier, any combination of factors may dictate the appropriate form of design for any
particular company.
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 181
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EMERGING ISSUES IN ORGANIZATION DESIGN
In today’s complex and ever-changing environment, it should come as no surprise that
managers continue to explore and experiment with new forms of organization design.
Many organizations are creating designs for themselves that maximize their ability to
adapt to changing circumstances and to a changing environment. They try to accomplish
this by not becoming too compartmentalized or too rigid. As we noted earlier, bureau-
cratic organizations are hard to change, slow, and inflexible. To avoid these problems,
then, organizations can try to be as different from bureaucracies as possible—relatively
few rules, general job descriptions, and so forth. This final section highlights some of
the most important emerging issues.52
The Team Organization
Some organizations today are using the team organization, an approach to organization
design that relies almost exclusively on project-type teams, with little or no underlying
functional hierarchy. Within such an organization, people float from project to project
as necessitated by their skills and the demands of those projects. At Cypress Semicon-
ductor, T. J. Rodgers refuses to allow the organization to grow so large that it cannot
function this way. Whenever a unit or group starts getting too large, he simply splits it
into smaller units. Consequently, all units within the organization are small. This allows
them to change direction, explore new ideas, and try new methods without dealing with
a rigid bureaucratic organizational context. Although few organizations have actually
reached this level of adaptability, Apple Computer and Xerox are among those moving
toward it.53
The Virtual Organization
Closely related to the team organization is the virtual organization that has little or no
formal structure. Such an organization typically has only a handful of permanent
employees and a very small staff and administrative headquarters facility. As the needs
of the organization change, its managers bring in temporary workers, lease facilities, and
outsource basic support services to meet the demands of each unique situation. As the
situation changes, the temporary workforce changes in parallel, with some people leaving
the organization and others entering. Facilities and the services subcontracted to others
change as well. Thus, the organization exists only in response to its needs. And, increas-
ingly, virtual organizations are conducting most—if not all—of their businesses online.54
For example, TLG Research Inc. was founded as a virtual organization focused on
marketing research for automotive, aviation, marine, and industrial markets for original
equipment and replacement parts. Currently, the company consists of an in-house proj-
ect management staff of ten people and a virtual network of industry professionals. It
also has a global business and research sources in Europe, Latin America, and Asia–
Pacific to which it refers for consulting and research services as needed.
The Learning Organization
Another recent approach to organization design is the so-called learning organization.
Organizations that adopt this approach work to integrate continuous improvement with
continuous employee learning and development. Specifically, a learning organization is
one that works to facilitate the lifelong learning and personal development of all its
employees while continually transforming itself to respond to changing demands and
needs.55
team organization
An approach to
organization design
that relies almost
exclusively on
project-type teams,
with little or no
underlying hierarchy
virtual organization
One that has little or
no formal structure
learning
organization
One that works to
facilitate the lifelong
learning and
personal
development of all its
employees while
continually
transforming itself to
respond to changing
demands and needs
182 Part 3: Organizing
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Although managers might approach the concept of a learning organization from a
variety of perspectives, improved quality, continuous improvement, and performance
measurement are frequent goals. The idea is that the most consistent and logical strategy
for achieving continuous improvement is by constantly upgrading employee talent, skill,
and knowledge. For example, if each employee in an organization learns one new thing
each day and can translate that knowledge into work-related practice, continuous
improvement will logically follow. Indeed, organizations that wholeheartedly embrace
this approach believe that only through constant learning by employees can continuous
improvement really occur.56
In recent years, many different organizations have implemented this approach. For
example, Shell Oil purchased an executive conference center north of its headquarters
in Houston. The center boasts state-of-the-art classrooms and instructional technology,
lodging facilities, a restaurant, and recreational amenities such as a golf course, a
swimming pool, and tennis courts. Line managers at the firm rotate through the Shell
Learning Center, as the facility has been renamed, and serve as teaching faculty. Such
teaching assignments last anywhere from a few days to several months. At the same
time, all Shell employees routinely attend training programs, seminars, and related
activities, all the while learning the latest information they need to contribute more effec-
tively to the firm. Recent seminar topics have ranged from time management, to the impli-
cations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, to balancing work and family demands, to
international trade theory. The idea is that by continuously immersing people in shared
learning experiences, the firm will promote an organic design populated by people with
common knowledge, goals, and expectations.
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AND KEY POINTS
1. Identify the basic elements of organizations.
• Organizations are made up of a series of elements:
• designing jobs
• grouping jobs
• establishing reporting relationships
• distributing authority
• coordinating activities
• differentiating between positions
2. Describe the bureaucratic perspective on organi-
zation design.
• The bureaucratic model attempted to prescribe
how all organizations should be designed.
• It is based on the presumed need for legitimate,
logical, and formal rules, regulations, and
procedures.
3. Identify and explain key situational influences on
organization design.
• The situational view of organization designis based
on the assumption that the optimal organization
design is a function of situational factors.
• Four important situational factors are the
following:
• technology
• environment
• size
• organizational life cycle
4. Describe the basic forms of organization design
that characterize many organizations.
• Many organizations today adopt one of four
basic organization designs:
• functional (U form)
• conglomerate (H form)
• divisional (M form)
• matrix
• Other organizations use a hybrid design derived
from two or more of these basic designs.
5. Identify and describe emerging issues in organiza-
tion design.
• Three emerging issues in organization design
are the following:
• team organization
• virtual organization
• learning organization
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 183
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Questions for Review
1. What is job specialization? What are its advantages
and disadvantages?
2. What is departmentalization? What are its most
common forms?
3. Distinguish between centralization and decentrali-
zation, and comment on their relative advantages
and disadvantages.
4. Describe the basic forms of organization design.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of
each?
5. Compare and contrast the matrix organization and
the team organization, citing their similarities and
differences.
Questions for Analysis
1. How is specialization applied in settings such as a
hospital, restaurant, and church?
2. Learn how your school or business is organized.
Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of this
form of departmentalization, and then comment
on how well or how poorly other forms of organi-
zation might work.
3. Identify five ways in which electronic coordination
affects your daily life.
4. Each of the organization designs is appropriate
for some firms but not for others. Describe the
characteristics that a firm using the U form
should have. Then do the same for the H
form, the M form, and the matrix design. For
each item, explain the relationship between that
set of characteristics and the choice of organization
design.
5. What are the benefits of using the learning organi-
zation approach to design? Now consider that, to
learn, organizations must be willing to tolerate
many mistakes because it is only through the effort
of understanding mistakes that learning can occur.
With this statement in mind, what are some of the
potential problems with the use of the learning
organization approach?
BUILDING EFFECTIVE CONCEPTUAL SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Conceptual skills require you to think in the abstract. In
this exercise, you’ll use your conceptual skills in analyz-
ing organizational structure.
Exercise Background
Looking at its organization chart allows you to under-
stand a company’s structure, including its distribution
of authority, its divisional breakdown, its levels of hierar-
chy, and its reporting relationships. The reverse is also
true: When you understand the elements of a company’s
structure, you can draw up an organization chart to
reflect it. In this exercise, that’s just what you’ll do:
You’ll use the Internet to research a firm’s structure and
then draw an appropriate organization chart.
Exercise Task
1. Alone or with a partner, go online to research a
publicly traded U.S. firm in which you’re interested.
Focus on information that will help you under-
stand the company’s structure. If you research
Ford Motor Company, for example, you should
look for information about different types of
vehicles, different regions in which Ford pro-
ducts are sold, and different functions that the
company performs. (Hint: The firm’s annual
report is usually available online and typically
contains a great deal of helpful information. In
particular, take a look at the section containing
an editorial message from the chairman or CEO
and the section summarizing financial informa-
tion. In many cases, “segment” data reveal a lot
about divisional structure.)
2. Draw an organization chart based on your
research.
3. Share your results with another group or with the
class as a whole. Be prepared to explain and justify
the decisions that you made in determining the
firm’s structure.
184 Part 3: Organizing
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BUILDING EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC SKILLS
Exercise Overview
Diagnostic skills enable a manager to visualize the most
appropriate response to a situation. In this exercise, you’re
asked to apply your diagnostic skills to the question of
centralization versus decentralization in an organization.
Exercise Background
Managers often find it necessary to change an organi-
zation’s degree of centralization or decentralization.
Begin this exercise by reflecting on two very different
scenarios in which this issue has arisen:
Scenario A. You’re the top manager in a large orga-
nization with a long and successful history of cen-
tralized operations. For valid reasons beyond the
scope of this exercise, however, you’ve decided to
make the firm much more decentralized.
Scenario B. Assume the exact opposite of the situation
in Scenario A: You still occupy the top spot in your
firm, but this time you’re going to centralize
operations in an organization that’s always been
decentralized.
Exercise Task
Now do the following:
1. For Scenario A, list the major barriers to decentral-
ization that you foresee.
2. For Scenario B, list the major barriers to centrali-
zation that you foresee.
3. In your opinion, which scenario would be easier
to implement in reality? In other words, is it
probably easier to move from centralization to
decentralization or vice versa? Whatever your
opinion in the matter, be ready to explain it.
4. Given a choice of starting your career in a firm
that’s either highly centralized or highly decentra-
lized, which would you prefer? Why?
SKILLS SELF-ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT
Delegation Aptitude Survey
Purpose: Help students gain insight into the process
of and the attitudes important to delegation.
Introduction: Delegation has a number of advan-
tages for managers, workers, and organizations, but it
also presents challenges. Managers who understand the
benefits of delegation, who trust their subordinates, and
who have the emotional maturity to allow others to
succeed are more likely to be effective delegators.
Instructions:
1. Complete the following Delegation Aptitude
Survey. You should think of work-related or group
situations in which you have had the opportunity to
delegate responsibility to others. If you have not had
such experiences, try to imagine how you would
respond in such a situation. Circle the response
that best typifies your attitude or behavior.
2. Score the survey according to the directions that
follow. Calculate your overall score.
3. Working with a small group, compare individual
scores and prepare group responses to the discus-
sion questions.
4. Calculate a class-average score. Have one member
of the group present the group’s responses to the
discussion questions.
Delegation Aptitude Survey
Statement
Strongly
Agree
Slightly
Agree Not Sure
Slightly
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
1. I don’t think others can do the work as well as I can. 1 2 3 4 5
2. I often take work home with me. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Employees who can make their own decisions
tend to be more efficient.
5 4 3 2 1
4. I often have to rush to meet deadlines. 1 2 3 4 5
(continued)
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 185
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Statement
Strongly
Agree
Slightly
Agree Not Sure
Slightly
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
5. Employees with more responsibility tend to
have more commitment to group goals.
5 4 3 2 1
6. When I delegate, I always explain precisely how
the task is to be done.
1 2 3 4 5
7. I always seem to have too much to do and too
little time to do it in.
1 2 3 4 5
8. When employees have the responsibility to do
a job, they usually do it well.
5 4 3 2 1
9. When I delegate, I make clear the end results
I expect.
5 4 3 2 1
10. I usually only delegate simple, routine tasks. 1 2 3 4 5
11. When I delegate, I always make sure everyone
concerned is so informed.
5 4 3 2 1
12. If I delegate, I usually wind up doing the job
over again to get it right.
1 2 3 4 5
13. I become irritated watching others doing a job
I can do better.
1 2 3 4 5
14. When I delegate, I feel I am losing the control
I need.
1 2 3 4 5
15. When I delegate, I always set specific dates for
progress reports.
5 4 3 2 1
16. When I do a job, I do it to perfection. 1 2 3 4 5
17. I honestly feel that I can do most jobs better
than my subordinates can.
1 2 3 4 5
18. When employees make their own decisions, it
tends to cause confusion.
1 2 3 4 5
19. It’s difficult for subordinates to make decisions be-
cause they don’t know the organization’s goals.
1 2 3 4 5
20. When employees are given responsibility, they
usually do what is asked of them.
5 4 3 2 1
Discussion Questions
1. In what respects do the survey responses agree or
disagree?
2. What might account for some of the differences in
individual scores?
3. How can you make constructive use of the survey
results?
Source: From GRIFFIN, Exercises for Griffin’s Management, 8E.
© 2005 Cengage Learning.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE
Purpose: Organization design refers to the overall set
of elements used to configure an organization. The
purpose of this exercise is to give you insights into
how managers must make decisions within the context
of creating an organization design.
Introduction: Whenever a new enterprise is started,
the owner must make decisions about how to structure
the organization. For example, he or she must decide
what functions are required, how those functions will
be broken down into individual jobs, how those jobs
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will be grouped back together into logical departments,
and how authority and responsibility will be allocated
across positions.
Instructions: Assume that you have decided to open a
handmade chocolate business in your local community.
Your products will be traditional bars and novelty-shaped
chocolates, truffles, other chocolate products such as ice
cream, and gift baskets and boxes featuring chocolates.
You have hired a talented chef and believe that her exper-
tise, coupled with your unique designs and high-quality
ingredients, will make your products very popular. You
have also inherited enough money to get your business
up and running and to cover about one year of living
expenses (in other words, you do not need to pay yourself
a salary).
You intend to buy food items, including chocolate,
cocoa, white chocolate, nuts, and fruit, from suppliers
who deliver to your area. Your chef will then turn those
ingredients into luscious products that will then be
attractively packaged. Local grocery store owners and
restaurant chefs have seen samples of your products
and indicated a keen interest in selling them. You
know, however, that you will still need to service
accounts and keep your customers happy. At the pres-
ent time, you are trying to determine how many people
you need to get your business going and how to group
them most effectively into an organization. You realize
that you can start out quite small and then expand as
sales warrant. However, you also worry that if you are
continually adding people and rearranging your
organization, confusion and inefficiency may result.
Under each of the following scenarios, decide how
best to design your organization. Sketch a basic organi-
zation chart to show your thoughts.
• Scenario 1. You will design and sell the products
yourself, as well as oversee production. You will
start with a workforce of five people.
• Scenario 2. You intend to devote all of your time to
sales to increase revenues, leaving all other functions
to others. You will start with a workforce of nine
people.
• Scenario 3. You do not intend to handle any one
function yourself but will instead oversee the entire
operation and will start with a workforce of 15
people.
1. After you have created your organization chart,
form small groups of four to five people each.
Compare your various organization charts, focus-
ing on similarities and differences.
2. Working in the same group, assume that five years
have passed and that your business has been a
big success. You have a large factory for making
your chocolates and are shipping them to 15
states. You employ almost 500 people. Create an
organization design that you think fits this organi-
zation best.
Discussion Questions
1. How clear (or how ambiguous) were the decisions
about organization design?
2. What are your thoughts about starting out too large
to maintain stability, as opposed to starting small and
then growing?
3. What basic factors did you consider in choosing a
design?
MANAGEMENT AT WORK
The Alliance Maze
Let’s say you’re a businessperson in New York who
needs to fly to Hong Kong. Logging on to Orbitz, you
find that American Airlines (AMR) offers a nonstop
round-trip flight for $2,692. Because Orbitz recom-
mends that you “Act Fast! Only 1 ticket left at this
price!” you buy your ticket online. On your departure
date, you arrive at the American Airlines ticket desk,
only to be referred to the Cathay Pacific Airways
counter. Your flight, the ticket agent informs you, is
actually operated by Cathay, and she points to
the four-digit “codeshare number” on your ticket.
Bewildered but hoping that you’re still booked on a
flight to Hong Kong, you hustle to the Cathay counter,
where your ticket is in fact processed. Settled into your
seat a few hours later, you decide to get on your laptop
to see if you can figure out why you are and aren’t on
the flight that you booked. Going back to Orbitz, you
find that, like American, Cathay does indeed offer a
nonstop round-trip flight to and from its home city
of Hong Kong—for $1,738. It dawns on you that if
you’d bought your ticket directly from Cathay, you’d
be sitting in the same seat on the same airplane for
almost $1,000 less.
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 187
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If this scenario sounds confusing, that’s because it is,
even to veteran flyers. What’s confusing about it is the
practice of code sharing, which works like this: You buy
a ticket from Airline A for a flight operated by Airline
B on a route that Airline A doesn’t otherwise serve.
This practice is possible if both airlines, like AMR
and Cathay, belong to the same airline alliance (in
this case, Oneworld).
On the surface, the advantages to the airlines may
seem mostly a matter of perception: An airline seems to
be serving certain markets that it doesn’t actually serve
and flying certain routes more frequently than it actually
does. The networks formed by codesharing agreements,
however, are real, and the breadth of an airline’s network
is a real factor in attracting high-margin corporate
travelers. In fact, the spread of codesharing has led
directly to the formation of much larger “alliances” of
carriers who cooperate on a substantial level, including
codesharing and shared frequent-flyer programs. The
three largest airline alliances are the Star Alliance, which
includes United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air
China, and Scandinavian Airlines; SkyTeam, which
includes Delta, Air France, Alitalia, and Dutch-based
KLM; and Oneworld, which includes AMR, Cathay,
Qantas, British Airways, and Japan’s JAL.
An airline alliance is one form of a virtual organiza-
tion—in this case, a temporary alliance formed by two
or more organizations to pursue a specific venture or to
exploit a specific opportunity. Although each member
remains an independently owned and managed organi-
zation, alliance members can save money by sharing
sales, maintenance, and operational facilities and staff
(such as check-in, boarding, and other on-the-ground
personnel), and they can also cut costs on purchases
and investments by negotiating volume discounts.
The chief advantages, however, are breadth of service
and geographical reach—in short, size (both perceived
and real). Star Alliance, for example, operates over
21,000 daily flights to 1,200 airports in 181 countries.
According to the most recent data, its members carried
665.4 million passengers for a total of nearly 1 trillion
revenue passenger kilometers (1 rpk means that 1 pay-
ing passenger was flown 1 kilometer). Based on rpk
(which is really a measure of sales volume), Star com-
mands 29.8 percent of global market share in the air-
line industry—greater than the combined market share
of all airlines that don’t belong to any of the three
major alliances.
Note that our definition of a virtual organization
indicates a “temporary alliance,” and shifts by members
of airline alliances are not unheard of. In January 2009,
for example, a few months after merger talks had bro-
ken down with United Airlines, Continental Airlines, a
member of SkyTeam since 2004, announced that it was
joining United in the Star Alliance. According to one
analyst, the move, which took effect in October 2009,
“was obviously a precursor to a full-blown merger,”
and, sure enough, Continental and United merged in
May 2010 under a parent company called United Con-
tinental Holdings. The new airline, retaining the
United Airlines name, remains a member of the Star
Alliance.
The Continental–United merger was particularly
bad news for both AMR, a member of Oneworld and
the country’s largest stand-alone airline, and US
Airways Group, a member of the Star Alliance and the
fifth-largest U.S. carrier. With the merger of Continen-
tal and United, says Vaughn Cordle, chief analyst at
Airline Forecasts, a specialist in industry investment
research, “the odds of … bankruptcy for US Airways
and American increase because it will be too difficult,
if not impossible, for them to remain viable as stand-
alone businesses … . [W]ithout a new strategic direction
and significant changes in the industry’s structure,”
Cordle predicts, AMR and US Airways “will continue
on the slow… path to failure.”
And as predicted, American soon declared bank-
ruptcy. Several months later, US Airways proposed
a merger. And after a protracted legal battle, the
U.S. Department of Justice approved the merger plans
in late 2013. The new airline will retain the American
Airlines name but be run by top executives formerly at
US Airways. When the merger is finalized, the new
airline will be the largest in the world.
Case Questions
1. Take a situational view of organization design:
What roles have technology and environment
played in the development of alliances and virtual
organizations in the airline industry? In what ways
does the corporate-level strategy of joining an alli-
ance affect an airline’s organizational functions?
2. In what ways might the divisional (M-form)
designs of most airlines lend themselves to the
requirements of alliance membership? In what
ways might they be compatible with the organiza-
tional needs of the alliances themselves?
3. According to one industry analyst, “in a scale busi-
ness … size does matter.” What does he mean by
“a scale business”? Why is the airline industry “a
scale business”? Once you’ve thought about these
188 Part 3: Organizing
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two questions, how would you describe the “spe-
cific opportunity” which, as virtual organizations,
airline alliances are designed to exploit?
4. Have you ever been on a flight that involved a
codesharing arrangement? Did you notice then—
or do you realize now—that there were advantages
to the practice of codesharing? Based on what you
know about airline travel, list a few of the possible
advantages of codesharing for passengers.
Case References
“Orbitz: Flightstit,” Orbitz.com, May 3, 2010, www.orbitz.
com, accessed on November 13, 2013; David Grossman,
“The Anomalies of Code Share,” USA Today, June 23,
2006, www.usatoday.com, accessed on November 13,
2013; Star Alliance, “Star Alliance Statistics,” July 2013,
www.staralliance.com, accessed on November 13, 2013;
AndrewClark,“UnitedandContinentalMergetoCreate
World’s Biggest Airline,” The Guardian, September 17,
2010, www.guardian.co.uk, accessed on November 13,
2013; Susanna Ray, “AMR May Seek Alliances as Mer-
gers Erase Lead in Size,” Bloomberg Businessweek, May
3, 2010, www.businessweek.com, accessed on Novem-
ber 13, 2013; and “The Winners and Losers of the US
Airways, American Merger,” forbes.com, accessed on
November 13, 2013.
You Make the Call
Authority & Function at A&F
1. If you were hired to advise Michael Jeffries on
A&F’s current organizational design, what weak-
nesses and potential threats would you identify?
What strengths and opportunities?
2. What kind of organizational design do you think
would be best suited to Jeffries’s managerial style?
3. What differences might you expect to see between
the organizational designs of such traditional retai-
lers as A&F and American Eagle and those at
online retailers such as Amazon.com and eBay?
4. Assuming that you wanted a career in retailing, would
you want to work for A&F? Why or why not?
ENDNOTES
1 Robert Berner, “Flip-Flops, Torn Jeans—And Control,”
BusinessWeek, May 30, 2005, www.businessweek.com, accessed on
November 13, 2013; Jess Cartner-Morley, “History of Abercrombie
& Fitch: Tracing a Line from JFK’s Blazer,” The Guardian, June 24,
2009, https://www.guardian.com, accessed on November 13, 2013;
Benoit Denizet-Lewis, “The Man Behind Abercrombie & Fitch,”
Salon.com, January 24, 2006, www.salon.com, accessed on Novem-
ber 13, 2013; Andria Cheng, “Abercrombe & Fitch Clothed in
Green,” MarketWatch, February 13, 2009, www.marketwatch.com,
accessed on November 13, 2013.
2 Ricky W. Griffin, Task Design (Glenview, Ill.: Scott, Foresman, 1982).
3 Anne S. Miner, “Idiosyncratic Jobs in Formal Organizations,”
Administrative Science Quarterly, September 1987, pp. 327–351.
4 Maurice D. Kilbridge, “Reduced Costs through Job Enlargement:
A Case,” Journal of Business, 1960, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 357–362.
5 Ricky W. Griffin and Gary C. McMahan, “Motivation through
Job Enrichment,” in Jerald Greenberg (ed.), Organizational
Behavior: State of the Science (New York: Lawrence Erlbaum
and Associates, 1994), pp. 23–44.
6 Maurice D. Kilbridge, “Reduced Costs through Job Enlargement:
A Case,” Journal of Business, 1960, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 357–362.
7 Frederick Herzberg, Work and the Nature of Man (Cleveland,
Ohio: World Press, 1966).
8 J. Richard Hackman and Greg R. Oldham, Work Redesign
(Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1980).
9 Jerry Useem, “What’s That Spell? Teamwork!” Fortune, June 12,
2006, pp. 64–66.
10 Richard L. Daft, Organization Theory and Design, 11th ed.
(Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western, 2013).
11 David D. Van Fleet and Arthur G. Bedeian, “A History of the
Span of Management,” Academy of Management Review, 1977,
pp. 356–372.
12 James C. Worthy, “Factors Influencing Employee Morale,”
Harvard Business Review, January 1950, pp. 61–73.
13 Dan R. Dalton, William D. Todor, Michael J. Spendolini, Gordon
J. Fielding, and Lyman W. Porter, “Organization Structure and
Performance: A Critical Review,” Academy of Management
Review, January 1980, pp. 49–64.
14 “Cadbury Gives Its CEO More Control,” Wall Street Journal,
October 15, 2008, p. B2.
15 See Jerry Useem, “Welcome to the New Company Town,”
Fortune, January 10, 2000, pp. 62–70, for a related discussion. See
also “Wherever You Go, You’re on the Job,” Business Week, June 20,
2005, pp. 87–90.
16 See Daft, Organization Theory and Design.
17 William Kahn and Kathy Kram, “Authority at Work: Internal
Models and Their Organizational Consequences,” Academy of
Management Review, 1994, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 17–50.
18 Carrie R. Leana, “Predictors and Consequences of Delegation,”
Academy of Management Journal, December 1986, pp. 754–774.
Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design 189
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19 Jerry Useem, “In Corporate America It’s Cleanup Time,”
Fortune, September 16, 2002, pp. 62–70.
20 “Toyota Overhauls Management, Gives More Autonomy to
North America,” LA Times, March 7, 2013, p. 3B; “Toyota Shake-
Up to Speed Decisions,” USA Today, March 7, 2013, p. 1B.
21 “New Shell CEO Begins Shake-Up,” Wall Street Journal, May 28,
2009, p. B4.
22 “Yahoo CEO to Install Top-Down Management,” Wall Street
Journal, February 23, 2009, p. B1.
23 Kevin Crowston, “A Coordination Theory Approach to Organi-
zational Process Design,” Organization Science, March–April
1997, pp. 157–166.
24 James Thompson, Organizations in Action (New York: McGraw-
Hill, 1967). For a recent discussion, see Bart Victor and Richard
S. Blackburn, “Interdependence: An Alternative Conceptualiza-
tion,” Academy of Management Review, July 1987, pp. 486–498.
25 Jay R. Galbraith, Designing Complex Organizations (Reading,
Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1973) and Organizational Design (Read-
ing, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1977).
26 Paul R. Lawrence and Jay W. Lorsch, “Differentiation and
Integration in Complex Organizations,” Administrative Science
Quarterly, March 1967, pp. 1–47.
27 Max Weber, Theory of Social and Economic Organizations, trans.
T. Parsons (New York: Free Press, 1947).
28 Paul Jarley, Jack Fiorito, and John Thomas Delany, “A Structural
Contingency Approach to Bureaucracy and Democracy in U.S.
National Unions,” Academy of Management Journal, 1997, Vol. 40,
No. 4, pp. 831–861.
29 See N. Anand and Richard L. Daft, “What Is the Right
Organization Design?” Organizational Dynamics, 2007, Vol. 36,
No 4, pp. 329–344, for a recent review.
30 Joan Woodward, Industrial Organization: Theory and Practice
(London: Oxford University Press, 1965).
31 Joan Woodward, Management and Technology, Problems of
Progress Industry, Series no. 3 (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery
Office, 1958).
32 For example, see Michael Russo and Niran Harrison, “Organiza-
tional Design and Environmental Performance: Clues from the
Electronics Industry,” Academy of Management Journal, 2005,
Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 582–593. See also Sebastian Raisch and Julian
Birkinshaw, “Organizational Ambidexterity: Antecedents, Out-
comes, and Moderators,” Journal of Management, 2008, Vol. 34,
No.3, pp. 375–409.
33 Tom Burns and G. M. Stalker, The Management of Innovation
(London: Tavistock, 1961).
34 Paul R. Lawrence and Jay W. Lorsch, Organization and
Environment (Homewood, Ill.: Irwin, 1967).
35 Edward E. Lawler III, “Rethinking Organization Size,” Organiza-
tional Dynamics, Autumn 1997, pp. 24–33. See also Henrich R.
Greve, “A Behavioral Theory of Firm Growth: Sequential
Attention to Size and Performance Goals,” Academy of Manage-
ment Journal, 2008, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 476–494.
36 Derek S. Pugh and David J. Hickson, Organization Structure in Its
Context: The Aston Program I (Lexington, Mass.: D. C. Heath, 1976).
37 Can Wal-Mart Get Any Bigger?” Time, January 13, 2003, pp. 38–43.
38 “Marathon Oil to Split in Two,” New York Times, January 13,
2011.
39 Robert H. Miles and Associates, The Organizational Life Cycle
(San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1980). See also “Is Your Company
Too Big?” BusinessWeek, March 27, 1989, pp. 84–94.
40 Douglas Baker and John Cullen, “Administrative Reorganization
and Configurational Context: The Contingent Effects of Age,
Size, and Change in Size,” Academy of Management Journal,
1993, Vol. 36, No. 6, pp. 1251–1277. See also Kevin Crowston, “A
Coordination Theory Approach to Organizational Process
Design,” Organization Science, March–April 1997, pp. 157–168.
41 Oliver E. Williamson, Markets and Hierarchies (New York: Free
Press, 1975).
42 Williamson, Markets and Hierarchies.
43 “The Real Winner of GE’s CEO Bake-Off,” Bloomberg Busi-
nessweek, May 6–May 12, 2013, pp. 19–20.
44 Michael E. Porter, “From Competitive Advantage to Corporate
Strategy,” Harvard Business Review, May–June 1987, pp. 43–59.
45 Williamson, Markets and Hierarchies.
46 Jay B. Barney and William G. Ouchi (eds.), Organizational
Economics (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986); and Robert E.
Hoskisson, “Multidivisional Structure and Performance: The
Contingency of Diversification Strategy,” Academy of Manage-
ment Journal, December 1987, pp. 625–644. See also Bruce
Lamont, Robert Williams, and James Hoffman, “Performance
during ‘M-Form’ Reorganization and Recovery Time: The Effects
of Prior Strategy and Implementation Speed,” Academy of
Management Journal, 1994, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 153–166.
47 Stanley M. Davis and Paul R. Lawrence, Matrix (Reading, Mass.:
Addison-Wesley, 1977).
48 “Martha, Inc.,” BusinessWeek, January 17, 2000, pp. 63–72.
49 Davis and Lawrence, Matrix.
50 See Lawton Burns and Douglas Wholey, “Adoption and Abandon-
ment of Matrix Management Programs: Effects of Organizational
Characteristics and Interorganizational Networks,” Academy of
Management Journal, 1993, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 106–138.
51 See Michael Hammer and Steven Stanton, “How Process
Enterprises Really Work,” Harvard Business Review, November–
December 1999, pp. 108–118.
52 Raymond E. Miles, Charles C. Snow, John A. Mathews, Grant
Miles, and Henry J. Coleman, Jr., “Organizing in the Knowledge
Age: Anticipating the Cellular Form,” Academy of Management
Executive, November 1997, pp. 7–24.
53 John Mathieu, Travis M. Maynard, Tammy Rapp, and Lucy
Gibson, “Team Effectiveness 1997–2007: A Review of Recent
Advancements and a Glimpse into the Future,” Journal of
Management, 2008, Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 410–476.
54 “Management by Web,” BusinessWeek, August 28, 2000, pp. 84–96.
55 Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline (New York: Free Press, 1993).
See also David Lei, John W. Slocum, and Robert A. Pitts,
“Designing Organizations for Competitive Advantage: The
Power of Unlearning and Learning,” Organizational Dynamics,
Winter 1999, pp. 24–35.
56 Amy C. Edmondson, “The Competitive Imperative of Learning,”
Harvard Business Review, July–August 2008, pp. 60–70.
190 Part 3: Organizing
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C H A P T E R 7
Organization Change
and Innovation
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Describe the nature of organization change, including forces for change and planned
versus reactive change.
2 Discuss the steps in organization change and how to manage resistance to change.
3 Identify and describe major areas of organization change and discuss the assumptions, techniques,
and effectiveness of organization development (OD).
4 Describe the innovation process, forms of innovation, the failure to innovate, and how organizations
can promote innovation.
Management in Action
Cultivating Innovation at IKEA
“Designing beautiful-but-expensive products is easy. Designing beautiful
products that are inexpensive and functional is a huge challenge.”
—IKEA Executive
According to Businessweek magazine, IKEA “is the quintessential cult brand,”
and its customers belong to “a like-minded cost/design/environmentally sensitive
global tribe.” The founder of this global “cult” is a Swedish entrepreneur named
Ingvar Kamprad. Kamprad has always referred to his targeted customers as “the
many,” and his plan has been to bring affordable, well-designed furniture to this
target market. “The many,” then, is hardly a “mass” market: In reality, it’s a
profitable niche consisting primarily of consumers who want stylish furniture at
a low cost. Its goal, says the company, is to offer “affordable solutions for better
living,” with “better living” referring to a range of well-designed furniture and
furnishings and “affordable” referring to the price range of consumers who are
starting up their own homes and/or expanding their families.
IKEA’s marketing strategy depends on constant innovation, and the company’s
ability to innovate successfully depends in part on an organizational structure that
encourages creativity and communication. In order to understand how it’s all
designed to work, however, we first need to break down the elements of “the
IKEA way”—the factors which, taken in combination, have made the IKEA
approach so successful. The target market that we’ve just described is the first of
Sergii Tsololo/Photos.com
191
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these factors, and we can identify four others in terms that any marketer would
recognize:
• Product. With over 12,000 items, the IKEA product line is quite large, and
because smaller products complement larger products, customers can exper-
iment with ensembles that satisfy their own needs and tastes while calculat-
ing total costs as they proceed through the store or catalog. The company
didn’t pay much attention to product design at first, but today, admits one
expert, “you will always find some pieces which are good designs and very
reasonable in pricing.” IKEA also wants consumers—especially Americans—
to stop thinking of furniture as durable goods. Older Americans, says one
company marketing manager, “keep a sofa longer than a car” because they
believe that it’s going to be the long-term “icon of the living room.” IKEA
wants to appeal to the willingness of younger consumers to experiment with
changes, and its price structure makes it possible for them to do it.
• Price. “Designing beautiful-but-expensive products is easy,” says one IKEA exec-
utive. “Designing beautiful products that are inexpensive and functional is a huge
challenge.” Nevertheless, IKEA prices are typically from 20 percent to 50 percent
below those of stores selling fully assembled furniture. “When we decide about a
product, we always start with the price,” reports one product developer, and after
starting with an original competitive price, IKEA then proceeds to drive it even
lower. The company maintains price leadership not only by purchasing in large
quantities but also by constantly looking for cheaper suppliers; nearly 50 percent
of IKEA’s outsourcing partners are located in developing economies.
• Distribution. In addition to a global network of thousands of manufacturers and
nearly 1,400 suppliers in 54 countries, IKEA maintains a system of 27 distribution
centers (which ship products to stores) and 11 customer-distribution centers
R
o
n
B
u
sk
ir
k/
A
la
m
y
IKEA is known for its innovative approach to retailing and its ability to implement change efficiently
and effectively.
192 Part 3: Organizing
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(which ship goods to consumers) in 16 countries. Its stores, too, are an impor-
tant facet of IKEA’s distribution strategy. A key innovation is the way they’re laid
out. Unlike the traditional furniture outlet, which directs customers to separate
sections to view multiple versions of one product (e.g., beds) or one room (e.g.,
bedrooms), IKEA stores are laid out around a wide one-way path—the “natural
path,” according to the company—that carries customers directly from one sec-
tion to the next. The “natural path” not only exposes them to the whole range
of IKEA offerings but also encourages them to extend their in-store visits.
• Promotion. Promotion at IKEA revolves around the near-legendary annual
catalog, a 300-page compendium of color photos and blurbs for about 12,000
products. Boasting a circulation of 175 million copies worldwide, the catalog
covers the whole range of the company’s new products, focuses on ideas for
innovations in the customer’s home, and relies on word-of-mouth publicity
among the faithful. It is no surprise that IKEA stores are arranged to
accomplish essentially the same goals. Like the IKEA catalog, for example,
they’re designed to encourage repeat visits by showcasing the company’s
regular turnover in new products (about one-third per year).
The IKEA store is also the company’s most obvious and most important
process innovation. Averaging around 300,000 square feet, most box-like blue-
and-yellow stores feature both the series of showrooms arranged along the
“natural path” and an in-store self-serve warehouse. After choosing items from
the Showroom, customers collect trolleys for transporting their purchases and
pass into the Market Hall, where they can pick up smaller items, such as linen,
lighting, glassware, and rugs. Next along the path is the Self-Serve Warehouse,
where they collect their furniture purchases in flat-pack form and then proceed to
the rows of cashier’s stations to pay for everything. Once they’ve paid for their
purchases, customers can arrange for delivery or roll them to the loading dock,
pack them in or on their vehicles, and take them home.
As important as process innovation has been to the company’s success, the IKEA
engine is powered by the introduction of new products and a constant stream of
product innovations. Finding new products from outside sources, however, isn’t
the same thing as innovating within the company. At IKEA, innovation from within
signals the company’s commitment not only to respond to changes in the needs of
customers all around the world but also to maintain a global brand identity and
convey an ongoing sense of excitement among the brand-loyal faithful.
About 50 designers at the company’s Swedish workshop are always busy
creating new products, but designers aren’t the only people in the organization
who are responsible for innovative ideas. “[E]veryone contributes,” says Bill
Agee, head of marketing at IKEA United States. “Whoever you are within the
IKEA organization, you’re expected to contribute your ideas—your new ideas,
your old ideas, or whatever it may be—and every idea is welcome.” The concept
works, explains Agee, because “we’re a very process-oriented company.… [W]e
have three basic processes: creating, communicating, and selling the home-
furnishings offer. Each of these processes,” he adds, “has a matrix structure”:
Working as members of what amounts to a companywide team, designers
design products, marketers like Agee communicate the product message, and
“coworkers” in the company’s warehouses and stores deliver the product to the
customer. “Our independence,” Agee thinks, “has a lot to do with our
innovation because we don’t know any better.… We feel that we are, to a certain
extent, operating outside of standard operating procedures.”1
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 193
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Managers at IKEA are fueling growth and profitability through the astute management
of innovation. In particular, the company relies on the development and marketing of
innovative products to grow and prosper. At a broader level, IKEA also relies heavily
on change. As we will see, understanding when and how to implement change is a vital
part of management. This chapter describes how organizations manage change. We first
examine the nature of organization change and identify the basic issues of managing
change. We then identify and describe major areas of change, including business process
change, a major type of change undertaken by many firms recently. We then examine
organization development and conclude by discussing organizational innovation as a
vital form of change.
THE NATURE OF ORGANIZATION CHANGE
Organization change is any substantive modification to some part of the organization.2
Thus, change can involve virtually any aspect of an organization: work schedules, bases
for departmentalization, span of management, machinery, organization design, people
themselves, and so on. It is important to keep in mind that any change in an organiza-
tion may have effects extending beyond the actual area where the change is implemen-
ted. For example, when General Motors recently installed a new automated production
system at one of its plants, employees were trained to operate new equipment, the
compensation system was adjusted to reflect new skill levels, the span of management
for supervisors was altered, and several related jobs were redesigned. Selection criteria
for new employees were also changed, and a new quality control system was installed.
In addition, it is quite common for multiple organization change activities to be going on
simultaneously.
Forces for Change
Why do organizations find change necessary? The basic reason is that something rele-
vant to the organization either has changed or is likely to change in the foreseeable
future. The organization therefore may have little choice but to change as well. Indeed,
a primary reason for the problems that organizations often face is failure to anticipate or
respond properly to changing circumstances. The forces that compel change may be
external or internal to the organization.3
External Forces External forces for change come from the organization’s general and
task environments. For example, two energy crises, an aggressive Japanese automobile indus-
try, floating currency exchange rates, and floating international interest rates—all manifesta-
tions of the international dimension of the general environment—profoundly influenced U.S.
automobile companies. New rules of production and competition forced them to dramati-
cally alter the way they do business. In the political area, new laws, court decisions, and reg-
ulations affect organizations. The technological dimension may yield new production
techniques that the organization needs to explore. The economic dimension is affected by
inflation, the cost of living, and money supplies. The sociocultural dimension, reflecting soci-
etal values, determines what kinds of products or services will be accepted in the market.
Because of its proximity to the organization, the task environment is an even more
powerful force for change. Competitors influence an organization through their price
structures and product lines. When Dell lowers the prices it charges for computers,
Hewlett-Packard may have little choice but to follow suit. Because customers determine
what products can be sold at what prices, organizations must be concerned with con-
sumer tastes and preferences. Suppliers affect organizations by raising or lowering prices
organization
change
Any substantive
modification to some
part of the
organization
194 Part 3: Organizing
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or changing product lines. Regulators can have dramatic effects on an organization. For
example, if OSHA rules that a particular production process is dangerous to workers, it
can force a firm to close a plant until it meets higher safety standards. Unions can force
change when they have the clout to negotiate for higher wages or if they go on strike.
Internal Forces A variety of forces inside the organization may cause change. If top
management revises the organization’s strategy, organization change is likely to result.
A decision by an electronics company to enter the home computer market or a decision
to increase a ten-year product sales goal by 3 percent would occasion many organization
changes. Other internal forces for change may be reflections of external forces. As socio-
cultural values shift, for example, workers’ attitudes toward their job may also shift—and
workers may demand a change in working hours or working conditions. In such a case,
even though the force is rooted in the external environment, the organization must
respond directly to the internal pressure it generates.4
Planned Versus Reactive Change
Some change is planned well in advance; other change comes about as a reaction to
unexpected events. Planned change is designed and implemented in an orderly and
timely fashion in anticipation of future events. Reactive change is a piecemeal response to
circumstances as they develop. Because reactive change may be hurried, the potential for
poorly conceived and executed change is increased. Planned change is almost always prefer-
able to reactive change.5
Georgia-Pacific, a large forest products business, is an excellent example of a firm that
went through a planned and well-managed change process. When A. D. Correll became
CEO, he quickly became alarmed at the firm’s high accident rate—9 serious injuries per
100 employees each year, and 26 deaths during the most recent 5-year period. Although
the forest products business is inherently dangerous, Correll believed that the accident rate
was far too high and set out on a major change effort to improve things. He and other top
managers developed a multistage change program intended to educate workers about safety,
improve safety equipment in the plant, and eliminate a long-standing part of the firm’s
culture that made injuries almost a badge of courage. As a result, Georgia-Pacific achieved
the best safety record in the industry, with relatively few injuries.
On the other hand, Caterpillar was caught flat-footed by a worldwide recession in the
construction industry, suffered enormous losses, and took several years to recover. Had
managers at Caterpillar anticipated the need for change earlier, they might have been
able to respond more quickly. The importance of approaching change from a planned
perspective is reinforced by the frequency of organization change. Most companies or
divisions of large companies implement some form of moderate change at least every
year and one or more major changes every four to five years. Managers who sit
back and respond only when they have to are likely to spend a lot of time hastily chang-
ing and rechanging things. A more effective approach is to anticipate forces urging
change and plan ahead to deal with them.6
MANAGING CHANGE IN ORGANIZATIONS
Organization change is a complex phenomenon. A manager cannot simply wave a wand
and implement a planned change like magic. Instead, any change must be systematic and
logical to have a realistic opportunity to succeed.7 To carry this off, the manager needs to
understand the steps of effective change and how to counter employee resistance to
change.8
planned change
Change that is
designed and
implemented in an
orderly and timely
fashion in anti-
cipation of future
events
reactive change
A piecemeal
response to
circumstances as
they develop
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 195
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Steps in the Change Process
Researchers have over the years developed a number of models or frameworks outlining
steps for change. The Lewin model was one of the first, although a more comprehensive
approach is usually more useful in today’s complex business environment.
The Lewin Model Kurt Lewin, a noted organizational theorist, suggested that every
change requires three steps.9 The first step is unfreezing—individuals who will be
affected by the impending change must be led to recognize why the change is neces-
sary. The second step is the implementation of the change itself. The third step is
refreezing, which involves reinforcing and supporting the change so that it becomes a
part of the system.10 For example, one of the changes that Caterpillar faced in response
to the recession noted earlier involved a massive workforce reduction. The first step
(unfreezing) was convincing the United Auto Workers (UAW) to support the reduc-
tion because of its importance to long-term effectiveness. After this unfreezing was
accomplished, 30,000 jobs were eliminated (implementation). Then it worked to
improve its damaged relationship with its workers (refreezing) by guaranteeing future
pay hikes and promising no more cutbacks. As interesting as the Lewin model is, it
unfortunately lacks operational specificity. Thus, a more comprehensive perspective is
often needed.
A Comprehensive Approach to Change The comprehensive approach to change
takes a systems view and delineates a series of specific steps that often leads to successful
change. This expanded model is illustrated in Figure 7.1. The first step is recognizing the
need for change. Reactive change might be triggered by employee complaints, declines in
productivity or turnover, court injunctions, sales slumps, or labor strikes. Recognition
may simply be managers’ awareness that change in a certain area is inevitable. For exam-
ple, managers may be aware of the general frequency of organizational change under-
taken by most organizations and recognize that their organization should probably
follow the same pattern. The immediate stimulus might be the result of a forecast indi-
cating new market potential, the accumulation of a cash surplus for possible investment,
or an opportunity to achieve and capitalize on a major technological breakthrough. Man-
agers might also initiate change today because indicators suggest that it will be necessary
in the near future.11
Second, managers must set goals for the change: to increase market share, to enter
new markets, to restore employee morale, to settle a strike, and to identify investment
opportunities—all might be goals for change. Third, managers must diagnose what
brought on the need for change. Turnover, for example, might be caused by low pay,
poor working conditions, poor supervisors, or employee dissatisfaction. Thus, although
turnover may be the immediate stimulus for change, managers must understand its
causes to make the right changes.
The next step is to select a change technique that will accomplish the intended
goals. If turnover is caused by low pay, a new reward system may be needed. If the
cause is poor supervision, interpersonal skills training may be called for. (Various
change techniques are summarized later in this chapter.) After the appropriate tech-
nique has been chosen, its implementation must be planned. Issues to consider
include the costs of the change, its effects on other areas of the organization, and
the degree of employee participation appropriate for the situation. If the change is
implemented as planned, the results should then be evaluated. If the change was
intended to reduce turnover, managers must check turnover after the change has
been in effect for a while. If turnover is still too high, other changes may be
necessary.12
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Understanding Resistance to Change
Another element in the effective management of change is understanding the resistance
that often accompanies change.13 Managers need to know why people resist change and
what can be done about their resistance. When Schlumberger first provided all its man-
agers with smartphones, most people responded favorably. One manager, however,
resisted the change to the point where he maintained two telephone numbers, one on
his new smartphone (which he left with his assistant) and his old standard cell phone
that he continued to use. Such resistance is common for a variety of reasons.14 The “Leading
the Way” feature illustrates resistance to change.
Uncertainty Perhaps the biggest cause of employee resistance to change is uncer-
tainty. In the face of impending change, employees may become anxious and nervous.
They may worry about their ability to meet new job demands, they may think that
their job security is threatened, or they may simply dislike ambiguity. Nabisco was once
the target of an extended and confusing takeover battle, and during the entire time,
employees were nervous about the impending change. The Wall Street Journal described
them this way: “Many are angry at their leaders and fearful for their jobs. They are swap-
ping rumors and spinning scenarios for the ultimate outcome of the battle for the
Establishment of goals for the change
Recognition of the need for change
Evaluation and follow-up
Diagnosis of relevant variables
Planning for implementation of the change
Selection of appropriate change technique
Actual implementation
©
C
e
n
g
a
g
e
Le
a
rn
in
g
FIGURE 7.1
Steps in the Change Process
Managers must understand how and why to implement change. A manager who,
when implementing change, follows a logical and orderly sequence like the one
shown here is more likely to succeed than a manager whose change process is
haphazard and poorly conceived.
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 197
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tobacco and food giant. Headquarters staffers in Atlanta know so little about what’s hap-
pening in New York that some call their office ‘the mushroom complex,’ where they are
kept in the dark.”15 More recently, 13,500 British Airways cabin crew members voted
to participate in a strike over a heavily traveled holiday season. The action against the
airlines was spurred by high levels of uncertainty as British Airways planned to merge
with another airline and proposed cutting 1,700 jobs and freezing employee wages in
the process.16
Threatened Self-Interests Many impending changes threaten the self-interests of
some managers within the organization. A change might diminish their power or influence
within the company, so they fight it. Managers at Sears once developed a plan calling for a
new type of store. The new stores would be somewhat smaller than a typical Sears
store and would not be located in large shopping malls. Instead, they would be located in
smaller strip centers. They would carry clothes and other “soft goods,” but not hardware,
appliances, furniture, or automotive products. When executives in charge of the excluded
product lines heard about the plan, they raised such strong objections that the plan was
cancelled.
Different Perceptions A third reason that people resist change is due to different
perceptions. A manager may make a decision and recommend a plan for change on
the basis of her own assessment of a situation. Others in the organization may resist
the change because they do not agree with the manager’s assessment or perceive the
situation differently.17 Executives at 7-Eleven battled this problem as they attempted
to enact a major organizational change. The corporation wanted to take its conve-
nience stores a bit “upscale” and begin selling fancy fresh foods to go, the newest hard-
cover novels, some gourmet products, and higher-quality coffee. But many franchisees
balked because they saw this move as taking the firm away from its core blue-collar
customers.
Feelings of Loss Many changes involve altering work arrangements in ways that dis-
rupt existing social networks. Because social relationships are important, most people
resist any change that might adversely affect those relationships. Other intangibles
threatened by change include power, status, security, familiarity with existing procedures,
and self-confidence.
Overcoming Resistance to Change
Of course, a manager should not give up in the face of resistance to change. Although
there are no surefire cures, there are several techniques that at least have the potential
to overcome resistance.18
Participation Participation is often the most effective technique for overcoming
resistance to change. Employees who participate in planning and implementing a
change are better able to understand the reasons for the change. Uncertainty is
reduced, and self-interests and social relationships are less threatened. Having had an
opportunity to express their ideas and assume the perspectives of others, employees are
more likely to accept the change gracefully. A classic study of participation monitored
the introduction of a change in production methods among four groups in a Virginia
pajama factory.19 The two groups that were allowed to fully participate in planning and
implementing the change improved significantly in their productivity and satisfaction,
relative to the two groups that did not participate. 3M Company recently attributed
several million dollars in cost savings to employee participation in several organization
change activities.
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LEADING THE WAY
Charting a “New” Old Course
Lenovo was started in Beijing by Liu Chuanzhi in
1984. Initially, Lenovo made computers for other
companies. In 1990, the firm launched its own
brand of PC and by 1997 Lenovo was the top-
selling PC in its home country. Unfortunately, how-
ever, the company was not successful in gaining
market share outside China. One reason for this
was the lack of brand recognition. Another was that
Lenovo simply did not have many top managers with
global experience. But that changed in 2005. When
IBM decided to sell its PC operation that year,
Lenovo was quick to jump on the opportunity and
bought IBM’s entire PC business for $1.75 billion.
Lenovo was allowed to continue using the IBM
name through 2007 but then started to brand all of
its PCs with the Lenovo name. Along with the PC
business itself, Lenovo also got a team of skilled
top managers well-versed in global PC markets.
Senior IBM executives were quickly integrated
throughout the top management structure, and one
of them, Stephen Ward, was appointed chief execu-
tive officer (CEO) of Lenovo. Liu Chuanzhi, mean-
while, moved into the background but remained a
director—he felt that Lenovo’s best opportunity for
the firm to gain international market share would be
under the leadership of a seasoned global manager
like Ward.
But almost from the start, problems began to sur-
face. Ward was extremely autocratic and believed
that Lenovo should function in a highly centralized,
command-and-control fashion. This alienated his
new Chinese colleagues who assumed that their
roles were being diminished because they spent
less time with the CEO. Chuanzhi, for instance, had
relied on a senior leadership team that worked
together to make decisions, whereas Ward made
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Lenovo is a leading Chinese technology products company best known for the
line of ThinkPad personal computers it purchased from IBM. For years, the
company has struggled with balancing traditional Chinese approaches to
management with contemporary management practices more widely practiced in
global businesses. Lenovo’s founder, Liu Chuanzhi, recently took back control of
the firm in an effort to improve its competitiveness.
(continued)
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 199
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Education and Communication Educating employees about the need for and
the expected results of an impending change should reduce their resistance. If
open communication is established and maintained during the change process,
uncertainty can be minimized. Caterpillar used these methods during many of its
cutbacks to reduce resistance. First, it educated UAW representatives about the
need for and potential value of the planned changes. Then management told all
employees what was happening, when it would happen, and how it would affect them
individually.
Facilitation Several facilitation procedures are also advisable. For instance, making
only necessary changes, announcing those changes well in advance, and allowing time
for people to adjust to new ways of doing things can help reduce resistance to change.20
One manager at a Prudential regional office spent several months systematically planning
a change in work procedures and job design. He then became too impatient, coming in
over the weekend with a work crew and rearranging the office layout. When employees
walked in on Monday morning and saw what he had done, they were hostile, anxious,
most of the major decisions by himself. And at a
more general level, the U.S. managers tried to
impose a rigid, centralized, and bureaucratic struc-
ture throughout the new Lenovo. The Chinese,
meanwhile, were highly resistant to these efforts,
strongly preferring the more consensus-style struc-
ture that they had used previously.
Within a matter of months, things came to a head.
Among other changes, Ward was pushed out and
replaced with William Amelio, a senior executive
recruited from Dell Computer’s Asia/Pacific operations.
Amelio immediately indicated his intent to try to move
Lenovo back toward the traditional Chinese structure.
He also thought that the firm could benefit from an
infusion of additional perspectives, so he began to
aggressively recruit new executives from other high-
tech firms such as Dell, Motorola, Samsung, and
Toshiba. He also softened the rigid functional structure
and tried building more coordination across areas by
creating cross-functional teams. Unfortunately,
though, Amelio never carried through on his plan to
change how decisions were made, retaining much of
the decision-making authority himself and continuing
the command-and-control approach that had been
Ward’s downfall. Lenovo also began to lose market
share and profits began to drop.
Finally, Chuanzhi decided that he had to take
action. He pushed Amelio to resign and took control
of the firm himself. He then quickly restructured the
upper ranks of Lenovo to fall more in line with the
traditional Chinese approach. Chuanzhi formed the
eight top managers at Lenovo into a close-knit team
and then brought them together regularly to make
decisions and formulate plans. After decisions and
plans were made by consensus, the team continued
to work together to ensure that they were implemen-
ted effectively and with buy-in from others through-
out the organization. Today Lenovo is headquartered
in Hong Kong but has major operations in Beijing,
Singapore, and Morrisville, North Carolina. The
firm’s products include PCs, workstations, servers,
storage devices, and information technology (IT) ser-
vices. Lenovo has also entered the mobile phone
business, citing increased convergence between
the PC and handheld wireless technologies. In
2012, Lenovo generated profits of $273 million on
revenues of $21.6 billion and employed more than
27,000 workers. Right now, it’s still too soon to
know if the changes at Lenovo will improve its for-
tunes or not. But Chuanzhi believes that his new
approach, which he calls a “blend of old Chinese
thinking and modern global thinking,” will soon
carry the day.
References: “Lenovo’s Legend Returns,” Time, May 10,
2010, pp. 65–68; “Lenovo: A Company Without a Country,”
Businessweek, January 23, 2010, pp. 49–50; “Lenovo’s
Turnaround Man,” Forbes, May 4, 2010, p. 88; Hoover’s
Handbook of World Business 2013, Austin: Hoover’s Busi-
ness Press, 2013, pp. 236–237; “IBM Shows Secret to Cor-
porate Longevity,” USA Today, June 16, 2011, pp. 1B, 3B;
Miguel Helft, “Can Lenovo Do It?” Fortune, June 10, 2013,
pp. 100–111.
LEADING THE WAY (Continued)
200 Part 3: Organizing
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and resentful. What was a promising change became a disaster, and the manager had to
scrap the entire plan.
Force-Field Analysis Although force-field analysis may sound like something out of
a Star Trek movie, it can help overcome resistance to change. In almost any change situ-
ation, forces are acting for and against the change. To facilitate the change, managers
start by listing each set of forces and then trying to tip the balance so that the forces
facilitating the change outweigh those hindering the change. It is especially important
to try to remove or at least minimize some of the forces acting against the change. Sup-
pose, for example, that General Motors (GM) is considering a plant closing as part of a
change. As shown in Figure 7.2, three factors are reinforcing the change: GM needs to
cut costs, it has excess capacity, and the plant has outmoded production facilities. At
the same time, there is resistance from the UAW, concern for workers being put out of
their jobs, and a feeling that the plant might be needed again in the future. GM might
start by convincing the UAW that the closing is necessary by presenting profit-and-loss
figures. It could then offer relocation and retraining to displaced workers. And it might
shut down the plant and put it in “mothballs” so that it can be renovated later. The three
major factors hindering the change are thus eliminated or reduced in importance.21
AREAS OF ORGANIZATION CHANGE
We noted earlier that change can involve virtually any part of an organization. In
general, however, most change interventions involve organization structure and design,
technology and operations, or people. The most common areas of change within each
of these broad categories are listed in Table 7.1. In addition, many organizations have
gone through massive and comprehensive business process change programs.
Changing Organization Structure and Design
Organization change might be focused on any of the basic components of organization
structure or on the organization’s overall design. Thus, the organization might change
the way it designs its jobs or its bases of departmentalization. Likewise, it might change
reporting relationships or the distribution of authority. For example, we noted in
Outmoded production facilities
Excess capacity
Need to cut costs
Reasons for Closing
Possible future needs
Concern about worker welfare
Resistance from unions
Plant
closing
Reasons Against Closing
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FIGURE 7.2
Force-Field Analysis for Plant Closing at General Motors
A force-field analysis can help a manager facilitate change. A manager who is able
to identify forces acting both for and against a change can see where to focus efforts
to remove barriers to change (such as offering training and relocation to displaced
workers). Removing the forces against the change can at least partially overcome
resistance.
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 201
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Chapter 6 the trend toward flatter organizations. Coordination mechanisms and line-
and-staff configurations are also subject to change. On a larger scale, the organization
might change its overall design. For example, a growing business could decide to drop
its functional design and adopt a divisional design. Or it might transform itself into a
matrix. Changes in culture usually involve the structure and design of the organization
as well (recall that we discussed changing culture back in Chapter 2). Finally, the organi-
zation might change any part of its human resource management system, such as its
selection criteria, its performance appraisal methods, or its compensation package.22
Changing Technology and Operations
Technology is the conversion process used by an organization to transform inputs into
outputs. Because of the rapid rate of all technological innovation, technological changes
are becoming increasingly important to many organizations. Table 7.1 lists several areas
where technological change is likely to be experienced. One important area of change
today revolves around information technology. The adoption and institutionalization of
information technology innovations are almost constant in most firms. Sun Microsys-
tems, for example, adopted a very short-range planning cycle to be best prepared for
environmental changes. Another important form of technological change involves equip-
ment. To keep pace with competitors, firms periodically find that replacing existing
machinery and equipment with newer models is necessary.
A change in work processes or work activities may be necessary if new equipment is
introduced or new products are manufactured. In manufacturing industries, the major
reason for changing a work process is to accommodate a change in the materials used
to produce a finished product. Consider a firm that manufactures battery-operated flash-
lights. For many years, flashlights were made of metal, but now most are made of plastic.
A firm might decide to move from metal to plastic flashlights because of consumer
preferences, raw materials’ costs, or other reasons. Whatever the reason, the technology
necessary to make flashlights from plastic differs importantly from that used to make
flashlights from metal. Work process changes may occur in service organizations as
Table 7.1 Areas of Organization Change
Organization
Structure and Design
Technology and
Operations People
Job design Information technology Abilities and skills
Departmentalization Equipment Performance
Reporting relationships Work processes Perceptions
Authority distribution Work sequences Expectations
Coordination mechanisms Control systems Attitudes
Line-staff structure Enterprise resource
planning
Values
Overall design
Culture
Human resource management
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Organization change
can affect any part,
area, or component
of an organization.
Most change, how-
ever, fits into one
of three general
areas: organization
structure and design,
technology and
operations, and
people.
202 Part 3: Organizing
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well as in manufacturing firms. As traditional barbershops and beauty parlors are
replaced by hair salons catering to both sexes, for example, the hybrid organizations
have to develop new methods for handling appointments and setting prices.
A change in work sequence may or may not accompany a change in equipment or a
change in work processes. Making a change in work sequence means altering the order
or sequence of the workstations involved in a particular manufacturing process. For
example, a manufacturer might have two parallel assembly lines producing two similar
sets of machine parts. The lines might converge at one central quality-control unit,
where inspectors verify tolerances. The manager, however, might decide to change to
periodic rather than final inspection. Under this arrangement, one or more inspections
are established farther up the line.
Work sequence changes can also be made in service organizations. The processing of
insurance claims, for example, could be changed. The sequence of logging and verifying
claims, requesting checks, getting countersignatures, and mailing checks could be altered in
several ways, such as combining the first two steps or routing the claims through one person
while another handles checks. Organizational control systems may also be targets of change.
For example, a firm attempting to improve the quality of its products might develop and
implement a set of more rigorous and comprehensive quality-control procedures.
Finally, many businesses have been working to implement technological and
operations change by installing and using complex and integrated software systems.
Such systems—called enterprise resource planning (ERP)—link virtually all facets of the
business, making it easier for managers to keep abreast of related developments. ERP is a
large-scale information system for integrating and synchronizing the many activities in
the extended enterprise. In most cases, these systems are purchased from external
vendors who then tailor their products to the client’s unique needs and requirements.
Companywide processes—such as materials management, production planning, order
management, and financial reporting—can all be managed through ERP. In effect, these
are the processes that cut across product lines, departments, and geographic locations.
Developing the ERP system starts by identifying the key processes that need critical
attention, such as supplier relationships, material flows, or customer order fulfillment.
The system could result, for instance, in sales processes being integrated with production
planning and then integrating both of these into the firm’s financial accounting system.
For example, a customer in Rome can place an order that is to be produced in Ireland,
schedule it to be shipped through air cargo to Rome, and then have it picked up by a
truck at the airport and delivered to the customer’s warehouse by a specified date. All
of these activities are synchronized by activities linkages in one massive database.
The ERP integrates all activities and information flows that relate to the firm’s critical
processes. It also keeps updated real-time information on their current status, reports recent
past transactions and upcoming planned transactions, and provides electronic notices that
action is required on some items if planned schedules are to be met. It coordinates internal
operations with activities by outside suppliers and notifies business partners and customers
of current status and upcoming deliveries and billings. It can integrate financial flows among
the firm, its suppliers, its customers, and commercial bank deposits for up-to-the-minute
status reports that can be used to create real-time financial reports at a moment’s
notice, rather than in the traditional one-month (or longer) time span for producing a
financial statement. ERP’s multilanguage capabilities also allow real-time correspondence
in various languages to facilitate international transactions.
Changing People, Attitudes, and Behaviors
A third area of organization change has to do with human resources. For example, an
organization might decide to change the skill level of its workforce. This change might
ERP
A large-scale
information system
for integrating and
synchronizing the
many activities in the
extended enterprise
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 203
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be prompted by changes in technology or by a general desire to upgrade the quality of
the workforce. Thus, training programs and new selection criteria might be needed. The
organization might also decide to improve its workers’ performance level. In this
instance, a new incentive system or performance-based training might be in order.
Reader’s Digest recently eliminated 17 percent of its employees, reduced retirement
benefits, and took away many of the “perks” (perquisites, or job benefits) that employees
once enjoyed. Part of the reason for the changes was to instill in the remaining employ-
ees a sense of urgency and the need to adopt a new perspective on how they do their
jobs. Similarly, Saks Fifth Avenue changed its entire top management team as a way to
breathe new life into the luxury retailer.
Perceptions and expectations are also a common focus of organization change.
Workers in an organization might believe that their wages and benefits are not as
high as they should be. Management, however, might have evidence that shows the
firm is paying a competitive wage and providing a superior benefit package. The
change, then, would be centered on informing and educating the workforce about
the comparative value of its compensation package. A common way to do this is
to publish a statement that places an actual dollar value on each benefit provided
and compares that amount to what other local organizations are providing their
workers.
Change might also be directed at employee attitudes and values. In many organiza-
tions today, managers are trying to eliminate adversarial relationships with workers and
to adopt a more collaborative relationship. In many ways, changing attitudes and values
is perhaps the hardest thing to do.23
Changing Business Processes
Many organizations today have also gone through massive and comprehensive change
programs involving all aspects of organization design, technology, and people. Although
various descriptions are used, the terms currently in vogue for these changes are
business process change, or reengineering, which is the radical redesign of all aspects
of a business to achieve major gains in cost, service, or time.24 ERP, as described earlier,
is a common platform for changing business processes. However, business process
change is a more comprehensive set of changes that goes beyond software and informa-
tion systems.
Corning, for example, has undergone major reengineering. Whereas the 150-
year-old business once manufactured cookware and other durable consumer goods, it
has transformed itself into a high-tech powerhouse making products such as the ultra-
thin screens used in products such as smartphones and laptops. Similarly, the dramatic
overhauls of Yellow into a sophisticated freight delivery firm and of UPS into a major
international delivery giant all required business process changes throughout these
organizations.
The Need for Business Process Change Why are so many organizations finding it
necessary to undergo business process change? We noted in Chapter 1 that all systems,
including organizations, are subject to entropy—a normal process leading to system
decline. An organization is behaving most typically when it maintains the status quo,
does not change in synch with its environment, and starts consuming its own resources
to survive. In a sense, that is what happened to Kmart. In the early and mid-1970s,
Kmart was in such a high-flying growth mode that it passed first J. C. Penney and then
Sears to become the world’s largest retailer. But then the firm’s managers grew compla-
cent and assumed that the discount retailer’s prosperity would continue and that they
business
process change
(reengineering)
The radical redesign
of all aspects of a
business to achieve
major gains in cost,
service, or time
204 Part 3: Organizing
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TOUGH TIMES, TOUGH CHOICES
To Offshore or Not to Offshore
From computer programmers in the Philippines and
molecular biologists in Russia to customer-service
agents in India, the practice of offshoring is bringing
workers from around the world into the workforces
of U.S. corporations in a broad range of industries.
When U.S. firms “offshore,” they’re hiring foreign
firms and foreign personnel to perform their business
functions. In so doing, they’re not only increasing the
diversity of their workforces but also altering the pro-
cesses by which they conduct organizational busi-
ness. At Penske Truck Leasing, for instance, drivers
submit their paper logs for data entry to a facility in
Mexico, which forwards them to Hyderabad, India,
where they’re analyzed, and the results are reported
to Penske management back in the United States.
How does a company function with far-flung opera-
tions? As in most other decisions, companies choose
operational partners according to the value-creation
capabilities that they bring to the overall process.
Ideally, of course, offshoring should benefit the
contractor as well as the contracting firm. Take, for
example, the case of Wisconsin-based PCMC, which
designs and makes paper packaging. PCMC had a
problem with its engineering function: Although it
had a large base of potential customers, it often lost
them because its engineering group was too small to
create new designs fast enough to keep pace with
customer needs. Nor could the company afford to
expand its engineering department. To solve the prob-
lem, PCMC entered into an offshoring contract with
an Indian company that agreed to provide a 160-
member staff to support PCMC’s engineering func-
tion. The result? Not only 160 new jobs in India but
more orders and more jobs in Wisconsin as well.
Obviously, offshoring arrangements don’t always
work out as well as the one established by PCMC
and its Indian partner. For one thing, language and
culture differences can make communication diffi-
cult, especially when it’s conducted by e-mail or
phone. When 1-800-FLOWERS tried to expand its
customer-service operation by outsourcing customer
calls to India, the results were disastrous. Why?
When customers call, florists have to do more than
merely process orders: They’re often called upon to
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Many businesses today have offshored various operations to foreign countries.
These offshoring initiatives often involve call centers, and many businesses have
found this approach to be very effective. But others, like 1-800-FLOWERS, have
experienced problems with offshoring and some have even moved operations
back to their home country.
(continued)
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 205
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need not worry about environmental shifts, the growth of Walmart, and so forth—and
entropy set in. The key is to recognize the beginning of the decline and immediately
move toward changing relevant business processes. Major problems occur when man-
agers either do not recognize the onset of entropy until it is well advanced or are com-
placent in taking steps to correct it.
Approaches to Business Process Change Figure 7.3 shows general steps in reen-
gineering. The first step is setting goals and developing a strategy for the changes.
The organization must know in advance what new business processes are supposed
to accomplish and how those accomplishments will be achieved. Next, top managers
must begin and direct the reengineering effort. If a CEO simply announces that
business process change is to occur but does nothing else, the program is unlikely
to be successful. But, if the CEO is constantly involved in the process, underscoring
its importance and taking the lead, business process change stands a much better
chance of success.
Most experts also agree that successful business process change is usually accompa-
nied by a sense of urgency. People in the organization must see the clear and present
need for the changes being implemented and appreciate their importance. In addition,
most successful reengineering efforts start with a new, clean slate. In other words, rather
than assuming that the existing organization is a starting point and then trying to modify
it, business process change usually starts by asking questions such as how customers are
best served and competitors best neutralized. New approaches and systems are then
created and imposed in place of existing ones.
Finally, business process change requires a careful blend of top-down and bottom-
up involvement. On the one hand, strong leadership is necessary, but too much
involvement by top management can make the changes seem autocratic. On the
other hand, employee participation is also important, but too little involvement by
leaders can undermine the program’s importance and create a sense that top
managers do not care. Thus, care must be taken to carefully balance these two coun-
tervailing forces. Our next section explores more fully one related but distinct
approach called organization development (OD).
offer interior-design tips and relationship counseling
and even to console the grieving. Indian workers
could neither fully understand the psychology of
U.S. flower buyers nor communicate the nuances
necessary to serve their needs. After a few weeks,
1-800-FLOWERS terminated the experiment. “The
folks were difficult to understand,” admitted one
company executive. “We were afraid that we
would lose sales, and we couldn’t risk that.”
The decision made sense: Typically, it costs six
times as much to replace a customer as to keep one.
Fortunately, the company had a plan B—homeshoring,
or hiring in-country contract workers. Homeshoring
employees are more expensive than overseas contrac-
tors, but they’re less expensive than full-time on-site
employees. They connect with American customers,
and they also alleviate the concerns that some U.S.
consumers have about their private data being shipped
overseas.
References: Michelle Conlin, “Call Centers in the Rec Room,”
Businessweek, www.businessweek.com, accessed on
November 15, 2013; Pete Engardio, “The Future of Outsour-
cing,” Businessweek, www.businessweek.com, accessed
on November 15, 2013; and Manjeet Kripalani with Brian
Grow, “Offshoring: Spreading the Gospel,” Businessweek,
www.businessweek.com, accessed on November 15, 2013.
TOUGH TIMES, TOUGH CHOICES (Continued)
206 Part 3: Organizing
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Organization Development
We noted in several places the importance of people and change. Beyond those change
interests discussed earlier, a special area of interest that focuses almost exclusively on
people is OD.
OD Assumptions OD is concerned with changing attitudes, perceptions, behaviors,
and expectations. More precisely, organization development is a planned effort that is
organization-wide, managed from the top, and intended to increase organizational effec-
tiveness and health through planned interventions in the organization’s process, using
behavioral science knowledge.25 The theory and practice of OD are based on several
very important assumptions. The first is that employees have a desire to grow and
develop. Another is that employees have a strong need to be accepted by others within
the organization. Still another critical assumption of OD is that the total organization
and the way it is designed will influence the way individuals and groups within the orga-
nization behave. Thus, some form of collaboration between managers and their employ-
ees is necessary to (1) take advantage of the skills and abilities of the employees and
(2) eliminate aspects of the organization that retard employee growth, development,
and group acceptance. Because of the intense personal nature of many OD activities,
many large organizations rely on one or more OD consultants (either full-time employ-
ees assigned to this function or outside experts hired specifically for OD purposes) to
implement and manage their OD program.26
OD Techniques Several kinds of interventions or activities are generally considered
part of OD. Some OD programs may use only one or a few of these; other programs
use several of them at once.
Emphasize top management’s commitment
to the reengineering effort
Develop goals and a strategy for
reengineering effort
Create a sense of urgency among members
of the organization
Start with a clean slate; in effect, re-create
the organization
Optimize top-down and bottom-up
perspectives
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FIGURE 7.3
The Reengineering Process
Reengineering is a major redesign of all areas of an organization. To be successful,
reengineering requires a systematic and comprehensive assessment of the entire
organization. Goals, top management support, and a sense of urgency help the
organization re-create itself and blend both top-down and bottom-up perspectives.
organization
development
A planned effort that
is organization-wide,
managed from the
top, and intended
to increase
organizational
effectiveness and
health through
planned
interventions in the
organization’s
process, using
behavioral science
knowledge
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 207
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• Diagnostic activities. Just as a physician examines patients to diagnose their
current condition, an OD diagnosis analyzes the current condition of an organi-
zation. To carry out this diagnosis, managers use questionnaires, opinion or
attitude surveys, interviews, archival data, and meetings to assess various char-
acteristics of the organization. The results of this diagnosis may generate profiles
of the organization’s activities, which can then be used to identify problem areas
in need of correction.
• Team building. Team-building activities are intended to enhance the effectiveness
and satisfaction of individuals who work in groups or teams and to promote overall
group effectiveness. Given the widespread use of teams today, these activities have
taken on increased importance. An OD consultant might interview team members
to determine how they feel about the group; then an off-site meeting could be held
to discuss the issues that surfaced and iron out any problem areas or member
concerns. Caterpillar used team building as one method for changing the working
relationships between workers and supervisors from confrontational to cooperative.
One interesting new approach to team building involves having executive teams
participate in group cooking classes to teach them the importance of interdepen-
dence and coordination.
• Survey feedback. In survey feedback, each employee responds to a questionnaire
intended to measure perceptions and attitudes (for example, satisfaction and super-
visory style). Everyone involved, including the supervisor, receives the results of the
survey. The aim of this approach is usually to change the behavior of supervisors by
showing them how their subordinates view them. After the feedback has been pro-
vided, workshops may be conducted to evaluate results and suggest constructive
changes.
• Third-party peacemaking. Another approach to OD is through third-party peace-
making, which is most often used when substantial conflict exists within the orga-
nization. Third-party peacemaking can be appropriate on the individual, group, or
organizational level. The third party, usually an OD consultant, uses a variety of
mediation or negotiation techniques to resolve any problems or conflicts among
individuals or groups.
• Process consultation. In process consultation, an OD consultant observes groups in the
organization to develop an understanding of their communication patterns, decision-
making and leadership processes, and methods of cooperation and conflict resolution.
The consultant then provides feedback to the involved parties about the processes he or
she has observed. The goal of this form of intervention is to improve the observed pro-
cesses. A leader who is presented with feedback outlining deficiencies in his or her
leadership style, for example, might be expected to change to overcome them.
• Life and career planning. Life and career planning helps employees formulate their
personal goals and evaluate strategies for integrating their goals with the goals of the
organization. Such activities might include specification of training needs and plotting a
career map. General Electric has a reputation for doing an outstanding job in this area.
• Coaching and counseling. Coaching and counseling provide nonevaluative feedback
to individuals. The purpose is to help people develop a better sense of how others
see them and learn behaviors that will assist others in achieving their work-related
goals. The focus is not on how the individual is performing today; instead, it is on
how the person can perform better in the future.
The Effectiveness of OD Given the diversity of activities encompassed by OD, it is
not surprising that managers have reported mixed results from various OD interven-
tions. Organizations that actively practice some form of OD include American Airlines,
208 Part 3: Organizing
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Texas Instruments, Procter & Gamble, and BF Goodrich. Goodrich, for example, has
trained 60 persons in OD processes and techniques. These trained experts have subse-
quently become internal OD consultants to assist other managers in applying the techni-
ques. Many other managers, in contrast, report that they have tried OD but discarded it.
OD will probably remain an important part of management theory and practice. Of
course, there are no sure things when dealing with social systems such as organizations,
and the effectiveness of many OD techniques is difficult to evaluate. Because all organi-
zations are open systems interacting with their environments, an improvement in an
organization after an OD intervention may be attributable to the intervention, but it
may also be attributable to changes in economic conditions, luck, or other factors.
ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION
A final element of organization change that we address is innovation, which is the
managed effort of an organization to develop new products or services or new uses for
existing products or services. Innovation is clearly important because, without new pro-
ducts or services, any organization will fall behind its competition.
The Innovation Process
The organizational innovation process consists of developing, applying, launching, grow-
ing, and managing the maturity and decline of creative ideas.27 This process is depicted
in Figure 7.4.
Innovation Development Innovation development involves the evaluation, modifi-
cation, and improvement of creative ideas. It can transform a product or service with
only modest potential into a product or service with significant potential. Parker Brothers,
for example, decided during innovation development not to market an indoor volleyball
game but instead to sell separately the appealing little foam ball designed for the game.
The firm will never know how well the volleyball game would have sold, but the Nerf
ball and numerous related products generated millions of dollars in revenues.
Development
Organization evaluates, modifies,
and improves on a creative idea.
Decline
Demand for an innovation decreases,
and substitute innovations are
developed and applied.
Application
Organization uses developed idea in
design, manufacturing, or delivery of
new products, services, or processes.
Launch
Organization introduces new
products or services to the
marketplace.
Growth
Demand for new products or
services grows.
Maturity
Most competing organizations
have access to the idea.
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in
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FIGURE 7.4
The Innovation Process
Organizations actively seek to manage the innovation process. These steps illustrate the general life cycle
that characterizes most innovations. Of course, as with creativity, the innovation process will suffer if it is
approached too mechanically and rigidly.
innovation
The managed effort
of an organization to
develop new
products or services
or new uses for
existing products or
services
Chapter 7: Organization Change and Innovation 209
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Innovation Application Innovation application is the stage in which an organiza-
tion takes a developed idea and uses it in the design, manufacturing, or delivery of new
products, services, or processes. At this point, the innovation emerges from the labora-
tory and is transformed into tangible goods or services. Business incubators and similar
concepts are often used to facilitate innovation application.
Application Launch Application launch is the stage at which an organization intro-
duces new products or services to the marketplace. The important question is not “Does
the innovation work?” but “Will customers want to purchase the innovative product and
service?” History is full of creative ideas that did not generate enough interest among
customers to be successful. Some notable innovation failures include a portable seat
warmer from Sony, “New” Coke, the revival of the Ford Thunderbird, and the Flip
video recorder. Thus, despite development and application, new products and services
can still fail at the launch phase.
Application Growth Once an innovation has been successfully launched, it then
enters the stage of application growth. This is a period of high economic performance
for an organization because demand for the product or service is often greater than
supply. Organizations that fail to anticipate this stage may unintentionally limit their
growth, as Apple did by not anticipating demand for the first iPhones. At the same
time, overestimating demand for a new product can be just as detrimental to perfor-
mance. Unsold products can sit in warehouses for years.
Innovation Maturity After a period of growing demand, an innovative product
or service often enters a period of maturity. Innovation maturity is the stage at
which most organizations in an industry have access to an innovation and are apply-
ing it in approximately the same way. The technological application of an innovation
during this stage of the innovation process can be very sophisticated. Because most
firms have access to the innovation, however, as a result of either developing the
innovation on their own or copying the innovation from others, it does not provide
competitive advantage to any one of them. The time that elapses between innovation
development and innovation maturity varies notably depending on the particular
product or service. Whenever an innovation involves the use of complex skills (such
as a complicated manufacturing process or highly sophisticated teamwork), moving
from the growth phase to the maturity phase will take longer. In addition, if the
skills needed to implement these innovations are rare and difficult to imitate, then
strategic imitation may be delayed, and the organization may enjoy a period of sustained
competitive advantage.
Innovation Decline Every successful innovation bears its own seeds of decline.
Because an organization does not gain a competitive advantage from an innovation at
maturity, it must encourage its creative scientists, engineers, and managers to begin look-
ing for additional innovations. This continued search for competitive advantage usually
leads new products and services to move from the creative process through innovation
maturity, and finally to innovation decline. Innovation decline is the stage during which
demand for an innovation decreases and substitute innovations are developed and
applied.
Forms of Innovation
Each creative idea that an organization develops poses a different challenge for the inno-
vation process. Innovations can be radical or incremental, technical or managerial, and
product or process innovations.
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Radical Versus Incremental Innovations
Radical innovations are new products, services,
or technologies developed by an organization that
completely replace the existing products, services,
or technologies in an industry.28 Incremental
innovations are new products, services, or pro-
cesses that modify existing ones. Firms that
implement radical innovations fundamentally
shift the nature of competition and the interac-
tion of firms within their environments. Firms
that implement incremental innovations alter,
but do not fundamentally change, competitive
interaction in an industry.
Over the last several years, organizations
have introduced many radical innovations.
For example, compact disc (CD) technology
replaced long-playing vinyl records in the
recording industry and now digital download-
ing is replacing CDs, DVDs have replaced
videocassettes but are now being supplanted by
Blu-ray DVDs and online downloading, and
high-definition television is replacing regular
television technology. Whereas radical innova-
tions like these tend to be very visible and public,
incremental innovations actually are more
numerous. For instance, each new generation of
the iPhone and the iPad represents relatively
minor changes over previous versions.
Technical Versus Managerial Innovations Technical innovations are changes in
the physical appearance or performance of a product or service or of the physical pro-
cesses through which a product or service is manufactured. Many of the most important
innovations over the last 50 years have been technical. For example, the serial replace-
ment of the vacuum tube with the transistor, the transistor with the integrated circuit,
and the integrated circuit with the microchip have greatly enhanced the power, ease of
use, and speed of operation of a wide variety of electronic products. Not all innovations
developed by organizations are technical, however. Managerial innovations are changes
in the management process by which products and services are conceived, built, and
delivered to customers.29 They do not necessarily affect the physical appearance or per-
formance of products or services directly. In effect, reengineering, as we discussed earlier,
represents a managerial innovation.
Product Versus Process Innovations Perhaps the two most important types of
technical innovations are product innovations and process innovations. Product innova-
tions are changes in the physical characteristics or performance of existing products or
services or the creation of brand-new products or services. Process innovations are
changes in the way products or services are manufactured, created, or distributed.
Whereas managerial innovations generally affect the broader context of development,
process innovations directly affect manufacturing.
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p
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o
to
.c
o
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/S
a
tu
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te
d
The original iPhones and iPads were in many ways radical
innovations in that they redefined product categories. Each
subsequent generation of these products, however, such as the
iPad Air shown here, are incremental innovations that take
previous versions and introduce relatively minor improvements
and/or new design features.
radical innovations
A new product,
service, or
technology that
completely replaces
an existing one
incremental
innovations
A new product,
service, or
technology that
modifies an existing
one
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The implementation of robotics is a process innovation. The effect of product and
process innovations on economic return depends on the stage of the innovation process
that a new product or service occupies. At first, during development, application, and
launch, the physical attributes and capabilities of an innovation mostly affect organiza-
tional performance. Thus, product innovations are particularly important during these
beginning phases. Later, as an innovation enters the phases of growth, maturity, and
decline, an organization’s ability to develop process innovations, such as fine-tuning
manufacturing, increasing product quality, and improving product distribution, becomes
important to maintaining economic return.
Japanese organizations have often excelled at process innovation. The market for
SLR cameras was dominated by German and other European manufacturers when, in
the early 1960s, Japanese organizations such as Canon and Nikon began making
cameras. Some of these early Japanese products were not very successful, but these compa-
nies continued to invest in their process technology and eventually were able to increase
quality and decrease manufacturing costs. The Japanese organizations came to dominate
the worldwide market for SLR cameras, and the German companies, because they were
not able to maintain the same pace of process innovation, struggled to maintain market
share and profitability. And as film technology gave way to digital photography, the same
Japanese firms effectively transitioned to leadership in this market as well.
The Failure to Innovate
To remain competitive in today’s economy, organizations must be innovative. And yet
many organizations that should be innovative are not successful at bringing out new pro-
ducts or services, or they do so only after innovations created by others are very mature.
Organizations may fail to innovate for at least three reasons.
Lack of Resources Innovation is expensive in terms of money, time, and energy. If
a firm does not have sufficient money to fund a program of innovation or does not
currently employ the kinds of employees it needs to be innovative, it may lag behind
in innovation. Even highly innovative organizations cannot become involved in every
new product or service its employees think up. For example, numerous other commit-
ments in the electronic instruments and computer industry forestalled Hewlett-Packard
(HP) from investing in Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak’s original idea for a personal
computer. With infinite resources of money, time, and technical and managerial
expertise, HP might have entered this market early. Because the firm did not have
this flexibility, however, it had to make some difficult choices regarding in which inno-
vations to invest.30
Failure to Recognize Opportunities Because firms cannot pursue all innovations,
they need to develop the capability to carefully evaluate innovations and to select the
ones that hold the greatest potential. To obtain a competitive advantage, an organi-
zation must usually make investment decisions before the innovation process reaches
the mature stage. The earlier the investment, however, the greater the risk. If organi-
zations are not skilled at recognizing and evaluating opportunities, they may be
overly cautious and fail to invest in innovations that later turn out to be successful
for other firms.<