Discussion Questions

Use the discussion questions to engage further with the text – form debates with friends or formulate essay questions using them to open up new avenues of learning and help with revision.

  1. Give an example of an organization whose culture is appropriate for its strategy. Explain.

  2. Strategies involving mergers and acquisitions are particularly vulnerable to cultural problems. Mergers between two organizations often are easier to accomplish on paper than in reality. Reality may reveal that the cultures of the organization fail to mesh as easily as corporate assets. Research on the Internet the history of the DaimlerChrysler merger. Learn as much as you can about each original company’s organizational culture. What problems have the companies experienced in combining their cultures?

  3. Explain transformational and transactional leadership styles, and give examples of each. Identify the conditions under which each is likely to be effective.

  4. To what extent can leaders institute change in their organizations? Practically speaking, how is this accomplished?