Weber, J. (no date). A leader's guide to understanding complex organizations: An expanded 7-S perspective. SSRN.
This article discusses the concept of the superordinate goal within the 7-S framework. The superordinate goal, the author notes, is akin to the vision that many organizations work with. Wal-Mart does not have a stated vision so its superordinate goals need to be inferred. The company clearly wants to "save people money" and this goal appears to factor into a wide range of managerial decision-making at Wal-Mart. Supplier relations, employee relations and marketing all convey the superordinate goal of competing via offering the lowest prices. The company's actions and managerial decisions typically can be traced to a desire to increase efficiency and decrease costs.
The author notes that there should be a dynamic relationship among the superordinate goal, strategy, structure, systems, style,...
With a goal of lowering costs, Wal-Mart has a clear strategy to pursue cost leadership, invests heavily on systems and structures that encourage cost-cutting, and make the pursuit of lower costs a shared value throughout the organization. Staff are encouraged to seek lower costs through a policy of grass roots processes, where management takes ideas from the staff. The ideas that Weber puts forth in this article help to put the different elements of Wal-Mart's business into perspective of its superordinate goal to save people money.
Smith, C. (2013). Types of management goals. eHow Retrieved March 22, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/list_6692121_types-management-goals.html
In this article, Smith outlines different types of goals that organizations have. The superordinate goals are used to motivate people across different departments in the organization.…
