Practice Flashcards
Power culture = ___
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All Flashcards in Topic 2.5
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2.5.111 cards
Power culture = ___
Control from a central figure — fast decisions but dependent on one person. Common in small businesses.
Central leader
What is organizational culture?
Shared values, beliefs, norms and behaviours — 'the way we do things here'. Often unwritten, felt rather than stated.
Values + norms + 'how we do things'
No culture type is inherently better — it depends on ___
The business context — size, industry, strategy, environment.
Context
Role culture = ___
Defined by rules, procedures, job descriptions — stable but slow to adapt. Common in bureaucracies.
Rules + procedures
Culture links to leadership, motivation, and ___
Organizational structure — all interconnect and affect each other.
Structure
Culture can be a competitive ___ or a barrier to ___
Advantage; change — strong culture aligns everyone, but can resist new ideas.
Advantage vs barrier
Task culture = ___
Teams form around projects — flexible and creative but can lack structure. Common in consulting/tech.
Teams + projects
Apple culture example?
Innovation, secrecy and design excellence — drives quality but creates intense pressure.
Innovation + secrecy + pressure
Person culture = ___
Individuals see themselves as more important than the organization — common in law firms, medical practices.
Individual expertise
Culture affects: decisions, interactions, and ___
Change management — how easily the business adapts to new circumstances.
Change management
Mnemonic: Power = one ___. Role = ___. Task = ___. Person = individual ___
Leader; rules and structure; teams and projects; expertise.
Leader, rules, teams, expertise
2.5.29 cards
Culture affects six business areas:
Motivation, recruitment, decision-making, innovation, customer service, change management.
M-R-D-I-C-C
Changing culture is ___ and ___ — requires leadership commitment
Slow and difficult — takes years, not months.
Slow + difficult
Culture clash happens when ___
Two businesses merge and their cultures conflict — different styles, norms, values.
Mergers + conflicting cultures
Open cultures encourage ___; rigid cultures ___
New ideas/innovation; stifle them.
Ideas vs stifle
Culture-clash is a major risk in ___
Mergers and acquisitions — often underestimated.
M&A
Many mergers fail because of ___, not financial reasons
Culture clash — employees resist, turnover rises, productivity drops.
Culture clash
In exams, don't just describe culture — explain how it ___ the business
Helps or hinders — link to specific outcomes like profit, retention, growth.
Helps or hinders
Daimler-Chrysler example?
German engineering precision met American flexibility — widely considered a failure due to cultural differences.
German vs American culture
Flexible culture adapts more easily to ___
Change — crucial in fast-moving industries.
Change
2.5.36 cards
Methods: leadership modelling, recruitment, rewards, ___, ___
Communication and training — all must reinforce the new culture consistently.
Communication + training
Five triggers for culture change?
Poor performance, merger/acquisition, new leadership, external changes (tech, regulation), ethical crisis.
Performance, merger, leader, external, crisis
Five methods to change culture?
Leadership modelling, new recruitment, revised rewards, clear communication, training. And patience.
Model, recruit, reward, communicate, train
Culture change is often ___ by employees
Resisted — people are comfortable with familiar ways of working.
Resisted
'Walk the talk' means ___
Leadership must model the new values — employees follow what leaders DO, not just what they say.
Leaders model values
Culture change takes ___, not ___
Years; months — consistent, long-term commitment is essential.
Years, not months
Topic 2.5 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Organizational culture (HL only)
BM exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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