Why is it difficult to imitate the organizational culture of firms like Southwest Airlines and Zappos?
A) Their culture reflects complex relationships with their employees, customers, and suppliers.
B) They produce products that cannot be copied easily because of their complex designs.
C) The employees in the organization themselves are unaware of the factors contributing to their organizational culture.
D) It is not commercially viable for other companies to implement the same culture.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Once it becomes clear that a firm's culture is a source of competitive advantage, some competitors will attempt to imitate that culture. Therefore, only a culture that cannot be easily copied can provide a competitive advantage. However, it can be difficult, at best, to imitate the cultures of successful firms, for two reasons: causal ambiguity and social complexity.

Why Is It Difficult to Imitate the Organizational Culture of Firms