Question 1

A well-managed network structure typically includes one firm in a more central role,with
A) the responsibility of ensuring that the right partners are included and the activities are coordinated.
B) more effective collaboration and cooperation among partners.
C) a hand-picked, integrated network of suppliers.
D) an arrangement of independent organizations involved in a common undertaking.
E) All of these.

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Question 2

Describe at least 3 traits or characteristics of a core competence-where in an organization can a core competence be found and what is involved in building and strengthening a core competence.Give three examples of a core competence.

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Question 3

Identify and discuss the basic tenets,the chief advantages,and the chief disadvantages of centralized organizational structures.

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Question 4

What is meant by empowerment of employees? How does it differ from delegation of authority? In what ways can empowerment of employees aid the cause of good strategy execution?

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Question 5

When it proves infeasible to outcompete rivals by crafting a superior strategy,the next best avenue to beating them out for industry leadership is to out execute them-that is,beat them with superior strategy execution.  Explain.

Accepted Answer

When it becomes infeasible to outcompete rivals by crafting a superior strategy, the next best avenue to beating them for industry leadership is indeed to out-execute them—that is, to beat them with superior strategy execution.

Question 6

Identify and briefly discuss the three facets of building an organization capable of proficient strategy execution.

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Question 7

Building competitively valuable core competencies,resource strengths,and organizational capabilities can be a fruitful avenue to achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Explain.

Accepted Answer

Building competitively valuable core competencies, resource strengths, and organizational capabilities is indeed a fruitful avenue to achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This statement is grounded in the resource-based view of the firm, which suggests that in order to gain and sustain a competitive advantage, a company must possess resources and capabilities that are valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable (VRIN criteria).

Question 8

Identify and briefly discuss four of the recommended practices companies have used to recruit and retain the best employees.

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Question 9

What are the advantages of outsourcing non-critical and sometimes even critical value chain activities?

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Question 10

Identify and discuss the basic tenets,the chief advantages,and the chief disadvantages of decentralized organizational structures.

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Question 11

Which one of the following must a company do to match structure to strategy?
A) Choose a basic design to fit the company's particular business.
B) Supplement the design structure with coordinating mechanisms.
C) Institute networking and communication arrangements to support strategy execution.
D) None of these.
E) All of these.

Accepted Answer

To match structure to strategy, a company must choose a basic design that fits its particular business (A), supplement the design structure with coordinating mechanisms (B), and institute networking and communication arrangements to support strategy execution (C). Therefore, all of the options listed (E) must be done to match structure to strategy.

Question 12

Explain what is involved in building an organization capability? What steps are required? How much time does it take? How hard is it? Support your answer.

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Question 13

One of the big weaknesses of organization structures that do not have cross-business collaboration is
A) making it hard to effectively empower employees.
B) making it difficult to have closely related activities report to a single executive.
C) that pieces of strategically relevant activities and capabilities often end up scattered across many departments each pursuing its own priorities, projects and agendas.
D) impeding the use of outsourcing.
E) making it hard to fix managerial accountability for poor results.

Accepted Answer

Organization structures that do not have cross-business collaboration can result in strategically relevant activities and capabilities being scattered across many departments, each pursuing its own priorities, projects, and agendas. This can hinder the effectiveness of the organization as a whole and make it difficult to achieve overall strategic goals.

Question 14

Identify and briefly discuss the three stages involved in building core competencies and capabilities.

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Question 15

Identify and briefly discuss/explain three components of structuring a company's work effort to promote successful strategy execution.

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Question 16

What are the ten principal managerial components of the strategy-implementing/strategy-executing process?

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Question 17

The classic way to coordinate the work efforts of internal organization units is to
A) establish a corporate culture where teamwork is a core value and decisions are made by general consensus among team leaders in the affected work units.
B) have closely related activities report to a single executive who has the authority and organizational clout to coordinate, integrate, and arrange for the cooperation of units under their supervision.
C) have the heads of support activities report to the heads of primary, strategy-critical activities.
D) establish monetary incentives that reward people for being cooperative team players.
E) have frequent meetings among the heads of closely related activities and work units to establish mutually agreeable deadlines.

Accepted Answer

The best way to coordinate the work efforts of internal organization units is to have closely related activities report to a single executive who has the authority and organizational clout to coordinate, integrate, and arrange for the cooperation of units under their supervision. This ensures that there is a clear chain of command and accountability, as well as a centralized decision-making structure. It also makes it easier to resolve conflicts and ensure that all departments are working towards the same organizational objectives.

Question 18

Explain the difference between a centralized and a decentralized organization structure.Which one is more likely to further the cause of good strategy execution? Why?

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Question 19

A decentralized organization structure is more likely to further the cause of good strategy execution than is a centralized organization structure. Justify your answer.

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Question 20

Who is involved in the strategy execution process and who is ultimately responsible for making sure that the task of implementing and executing the strategy goes well?

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Quiz 10: Building an Organization Capable of Good Strategy Execution: People, Capabilities, and Structure

A well-managed network structure typically includes one firm in a more central role,with