UPDATE 2026
Institutional Environment - Answers packed with organizations
keeps changing all the time
nature of it is challenging
Organizations are.. - Answers social entities
goal directed (comes from purpose or vision)
designed as deliberately structured and coordinated activity systems (not random, well planned)
linked to external environments
Importance of an organization - Answers Bring together resources to achieve desired goals and
outcomes
Produce goods and services efficiently
Facilitate innovation
Use modern manufacturing and information technologies
Adapt to and influence a changing environment
Create value for owners, customers, and employees
Accommodate ongoing challenges of diversity, ethics, and the motivation and coordination of
employees
Value Creation Process or transformation process - Answers Focused on producing or delivering an
organization's primary goods or services.
competitive advantage - Answers Competitive advantage is achieved when an organization excels in
one or more attributes that allow it to outperform its competitors
When an organization enjoys a competitive advantage it will have a leading edge over it's
competitors...
To achieve this an organization has to manage it's internal and external organizational environment
3 types of competitive advantage - Answers 1. Cost (value creation process cheaply ie. dollarama)
2. Product/Service Differentiation (different and unique features)
3. Niche (small market, specific)
planned economy - Answers Economy that relies on a centralized government to control all or most
factors of production and to make all or most production and allocation decisions
Market economy - Answers Economy in which individuals control production and allocation decision
through supply and demand
mixed market economy - Answers economic system featuring characteristics of both planned and
market economies
labour - Answers One of the four factors of production. Includes all workers in an organization who
contributes their talents and strengths to create goods and services.
Leadership - Answers How people are managed within and organization
structure - Answers A deliberately planned network or pattern of relationships that exists among
individuals within an organization. It determines such things as division of labor, span of control, level
of formational and how centralized decision making is
strategy - Answers The decisions made by business managers about how the company will address
political, economic, global, societal, competitive, and technological forces.
specific/ task environment - Answers The Environment within which a particular organization
operates, which is ultimately shaped by the general environment.
Customers
Suppliers (bring raw materials)
Competitors
Unions (labour)
Government
Local Public
Creditors
Distributors
6 forces in the general environment - Answers Political forces
Economic forces
Technological forces
, Societal forces
Competitive forces
Global forces
general environment - Answers The sphere surrounding the organization's specific environment is
typically referred to as the general environment.
political - Answers Country stability
Laws and regulations
Taxes
Trade relationships (e.g. NAFTA)
Environmental fees
Business Incentives
Crown corporations
Deregulation/privatization
economic - Answers The state of the economy
Recession or growth
Interest rates
Currency rate
Unemployment
Inflation
National debt
technological - Answers Work approaches (e.g. video conferencing)
Equipment (e.g. manufacturing)
Electronics (e.g. smartphones, tablets)
Telecommunications (e.g. internet, phone service)
Processing systems ( e.g. data processing systems)
societal - Answers Customs, attitudes, values and ethics
Demographics
Consumer preferences
competitive - Answers How competitive is your industry?
Who are your competitors?
What type of competition does your industry operate in?
Global - Answers includes all forces
an employee exists when,, - Answers an employment contract exists.
there is an exchange of labour for compensation.
the employer has control over:
the methods of production
how much to produce and
the right to direct the employee in how to do his or her job.
employment contract - Answers A contract that defines the terms and condition of a contractual
relationship between an employee. The contact may include reference to services to be performed,
working hours, compensation and other work related obligation of the employer the employee.
independent contractors - Answers self employed provide labour services in exchange for
compensation. They run their own businesses rather than serving as an employee for another
organization or person.
4 legal factors that determine if they are an employee or not - Answers Degree of control.
Degree of economic risk.
Degree to which the worker performs an essential service for an organization.
Degree to which the organization provides the necessary tools.
Partners - Answers Individuals who share part ownership in a business. There can be two or more
partners in a partnership
temporary placement organizations - Answers A business that helps match workers looking for jobs
with businesses that require temporary help. Also called an employment agency
volunteers - Answers An unpaid individual who performs services for an organization voluntarily. A
volunteer is not an employee under the law
intern - Answers A worker who receives on the job training at a workplace. The internship may or
may not be a formal requirement of an educational program and can be paid or unpaid. Whether an
intern is considered an "employee" and is therefore entitled to legal entitlements available to