Important Concepts in Strategic Management

¶ … diversity encompasses a wide range of individual and community characteristics, spanning race, religion, gender, ethnicity, national and regional origin, sexual orientation, disability status, age, personal experiences, language, and even points-of-view. A diverse workplace celebrates these differences rather than regards them as obstacles to be overcome or asks employees to downplay them; it fosters an atmosphere of mutual respect. Using your own words, what does the U.S.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 outline? The Act barred discrimination in public places, schools and employment based upon race, ethnicity, and religion and also barred discrimination in federally-funded programs and in interstate commerce ("Civil rights," 2015). Q3. Identify and define each letter of an "S.W.O.T." analysis, then explain the reasoning and meaning of conducting such an analysis.

Strengths: Assets of the organization from an internal perspective Weaknesses: Deficits of the organization from an internal perspective Opportunities: Potential avenues to explore in the external environment Threats: Problematic issues on the horizon in the external environment SWOT is a strategic tool designed to enable the company to emphasize what it does well and correct problematic issues hampering future productivity while keeping an eye on potential avenues of growth which could affect it in the future as well as potential challenges from competitors. Q4.

What is task analysis? A task analysis involves observing employees in their everyday working environment to determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to perform the task. These may include physical tasks but also mental and intellectual activities, including the level of education demanded by the position. Q5. Name and describe three of the five barriers to effective interpersonal communications. External communication barriers include mental and physical distractions, such as someone who is preoccupied with another task or cannot hear what is being said because of external noise.

Internal/personal barriers include resistance to what is being said because of personal prejudices against the messenger or idea. Sematic barriers include an inability to understand the vocabulary or language or poor expression on the part of the communicator, including body language and tone ("Section 2," n.d., p. 81). Q6. Explain four reasons why employees steal.

Employees may feel underpaid and underappreciated; they may do so because it is so easy to do so (improper monitoring systems); because they do not appreciate the financial consequences of small acts of stealing (including time theft); or because the benefits of doing so outweigh the apparent penalties (such as employees that can make substantial income by selling high-demand stolen goods like jewelry and electronics). Q7. Identify and describe four of the seven steps of the interpersonal communications process.

The first step of the process is self-awareness or understanding why you are communicating in the first place -- before you can understand the other person you must be able to understand yourself; only then can you proceed to the second step of understanding what the other person needs and wishes to communicate; remaining calm is likewise essential; finally it is important not to have predetermined expectations about the conversation -- listen to what is said, not what you want to hear (Han). Q8.

Explain two advantages and two disadvantages to empowerment. The great advantage to employee empowerment is that it allows employees to use their knowledge to make a unique contribution to the organization in a manner managers may not necessarily anticipate; it also motivates workers to perform at a higher level. The disadvantage is that employees may take the initiative and become too autonomous, even defying orders they were specifically given. This can also create more conflict in the organization. Q9.

Describe two of the three common distortions/weaknesses in doing performance appraisals. Performance appraisals can be overly negative or positive -- supervisors may simply use them to critique employees, or conversely avoid giving negative feedback because of worries about having to justify it. They can be overly retroactive and not give employees feedback on how to change their performance in the future. They can also be so focused on benchmarks (like increasing sales) that the big picture of the employees' overall contribution is lost. Q10. Define culture.

A shared set of assumptions, values, experiences, art, stories, languages, and other means of self-definition. Q11. In verbal communication, what are four things that can distort the sending of a message? Tone of voice; choice of words; time of delivery (for example, talking when someone is in a rush rather than sitting down for a heart-to-heart); cultural differences regarding acceptable behavior. Q12. Explain the use and importance of body language in the communications process.

Body language can reinforce the verbally-expressed message (for example, standing tall to show dominance) or undercut it (shrinking back or looking at the ground and mumbling). Different cultures may have different expectations regarding the use of space and gestures which can impede communication. Q13. Explain how semantics affects communications. Semantics suggests that all meaning is contextual; words and phrases must be interpreted in a cultural context and in relation to the setting and relationship between the speaker and listeners. Communication does not take place in a vacuum. Q14.

What is meant by the term empowerment? Allowing employees to take the initiative to engage in problem-solving on their own and to direct their own work lives. Q15. Define the terms centralization and decentralization. As part of your definition, give a business/corporation example of each.

Decentralized organizations such as Google allow lower-level managers and teams much more autonomy to govern their working lives (Google famously allows engineers to pursue their own projects on company time); in contrast, Amazon exercises nearly dictatorial control over every facet of employees' working lives to maximize productivity in a top-down fashion with extreme oversight from corporate headquarters (Evans 2013). Q16. Explain the difference between strategic planning and strategic management. Strategic planning involves setting goals for the organization to achieve, strategic management involves coordinating resources to meet those goals ("Strategic planning," 2015). Q17.

Explain the term benchmarking. Benchmarking involves measuring organizational or employee output not only against the set targets for a particular period of time but by general industry or corporate standards of excellence.