After you have completed the reading, briefly, and completely, answer the following questions. Place your answers into a file (text, doc, or html format) and bring the file, and a hard copy, with you to our next class. (In that class we will upload your file to your online portfolio.)
- In the seventeenth century, why were the Spaniards unable to defeat the Apaches? What implications does this have concerning current, or future organizational competition?
The Spaniards were unable to defeat the Apaches because the Apaches had a decentralized civilization. The Spaniards utilized a strategy that consisted of killing a single central leader, but the Apache did not have such a leader. Current and future organizations with a clear set hierarchy are easier to target and be taken down by competitors. Organizations that utilize a decentralized setup will be more difficult to target and even more difficult to try and take out because competitors do not have a clear understanding of where to strike the organization. - Briefly compare and contrast centralized and decentralized organizations.
Centralized organizations have a clear hierarchy. They have a set management group and the way they are set up and run is easy to follow. Decentralized organizations on the other hand often are run by a group of people with the same common goals.
- List a few of the traits of a decentralized organization.
- No Leader
- Span of control is relatively small
- Puts up a greater resistance when opposed
- Information and ideas are flowing from the bottom to the top
- From a technical perspective, what is the primary difference between Napster and Kazza?
Napster was a centralized service with everything at a central server. Kazza was a decentralized service allowing people to connect to each other. - Is this reading relevant to the current competition between new organizations such as Uber and Lyft and existing taxi companies? Why or why not?
Yes, Uber and Lyft are decentralized. The drivers own and operate the vehicle with the company. Taxi services are centralized. The companies own the vehicles. Both companies are provided clients by the companies