The situational environment

Richard M. Steers; Luciara Nardon; Carlos J. Sanchez-Runde

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139343190.009

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5 - The situational environment

from Part II - Developing Global Understanding

Richard M. Steers ,

Luciara Nardon and

Carlos J. Sanchez-Runde

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Richard M. Steers: Affiliation:
University of Oregon
Luciara Nardon: Affiliation:
Carleton University, Ottawa
Carlos J. Sanchez-Runde: Affiliation:
IESE Business School, Barcelona

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Summary

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE

In Chapter 3 we discussed how the cultural environment exerts pressures on individuals and organizations. In Chapter 4 we discussed how the organizational environment can also influence managerial behavior. In this chapter we explore the third environment influencing managerial success or failure: the situation. This environment consists of a combination of individual differences and contextual factors that collectively define the situation in which managers find themselves. The challenge for managers is that they typically face different situations every time they go out into the field. These differences may be as simple as working with people with different personalities or as complicated as attempting to meet their responsibilities or goals in a highly competitive environment. In all cases, the challenge is to understand the particular situation in which managers are working and how the present situation may differ from the previous ones. Once this is understood, the challenge is to develop a model that integrates these three factors – cultures, organizations, and situations – in way that helps managers better understand their options and opportunities.

Chapter outline

▪ People, cognition, and behavior page 153

▪ Goals and plans 168

▪ Individual roles and responsibilities 170

▪ Location, location, location 174

▪ Manager’s notebook: The situational environment 177

▪ Choices for the manager: putting it all together 180

▪ Summary points 182

Applications

5.1 Carlos Ghosn 156

5.2 Symbolism of chairs 160

5.3 Interpreting messages 161

5.4 What is a supervisor? 163

5.5 Customer service 167

5.6 Work rules at Air France 169

5.7 Perils of being a junior manager 172

5.8 Tata’s new factory 175

5.9 Rethinking the BP–Rosneft partnership 176

Type: Chapter
Information: Management across Cultures
Developing Global Competencies
, pp. 150 - 186

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139343190.009 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2013

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