ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · Organisational culture
Zenith Logistics has a strong role culture: authority is based on job titles, procedures are detailed and decisions follow formal rules. The company now wants to enter a fast-changing digital delivery market where quick, creative responses to customer needs are essential. Which of the following is the most likely cultural problem for Zenith?
The most likely problem is slow adaptation. A role culture relies on formal rules, job titles and hierarchy, which suits stable conditions but discourages initiative and quick change, so it fits poorly with a fast-changing digital market that demands flexible and creative responses.
- AThe culture will encourage rapid, informal decision-making that exposes the company to excessive risk
- BThe culture will be slow to adapt because rules and hierarchy discourage initiative and rapid changeCorrect
- CThe culture will give individual experts too much power, causing inconsistent service across regions
Explanation
A role culture (Handy) is stable and efficient in predictable environments but responds slowly to change because decisions follow formal procedures and hierarchy. A fast-changing market needs flexibility and initiative, so there is a poor fit. The first option describes a weakness of a task or power culture, not a role culture, and the third describes a person culture.
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