BUS 374 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Product Differentiation, Organizational Culture, Competitive Advantage

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Business Administration
• Course: BUS 374
• Professor: Sara Graves

Document Summary

An organizational goal is a desired state of affairs that the organization attempts to reach. A goal represents a result or end point toward which organizational efforts are directed: responsibility of top management is to determine an organization"s goals, strategy, and design, therein adapting the organization to a changing environment. Middle managers do much the same thing for major departments within the guidelines provided by top management. Strategic intent means that all the organization"s energies and resources are directed toward a focused, unifying, and compelling overall goal. Three aspects related to strategic intent are: mission, core competence, competitive advantage. Mission (official goal) is the overall goal for an organization, or formally state the definition of business scope and outcomes the organization is trying to achieve. Competitive advantage refers to what sets the organization apart from others and provides it with a distinctive edge for meeting customer or client needs in the marketplace.