Gangplank Horizontal communication line between different branches of the scalar chain, which does not go up or down the hierarchy.

Gap analysis is the comparison of an entity's ultimate objective with the sum of projection and already planned projects, identifying how the consequent gap might be filled.

Gap analysis proposes that customer perception of the quality of a product or services are determined by degree to which they believe it meets their expectations. Gap analysis set out to measure levels of satisfaction, to identify the source of dissatisfaction when it occurs and to eliminate it.

The 'gaps', which can cause dissatisfaction, are between: 1) customer expectations and marketers' perceptions; 2) marketers' perception and (service or product) quality specifications; 3) quality specifications and delivery; 4) delivery and external communications; 5) perceived service/product and expected service/product.

Gatekeepers see Decision Making Unit.

GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade - organization which exists to promote free trade on a multilateral basis between members. Shortly to be superseded by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Gearing ratio Prior charge capital / Total capital
Sometimes called a financial status ratio, gearing indicates the proportion of shareholders' funds in a company compared with the amount of borrowed funds. If the proportion of shareholders' funds is low and therefore the interest bearing debt high, interest costs will absorb a large proportion of profit before ordinary dividends can be paid and the company may be vulnerable if interest rates rise.

General Electric Business Screen is a product for portfolio analysis that overcomes some of the limitations of the growth/share matrix [the Boston classification].

Generalized models Models designed to be applicable to a wide range of markets.

Geocentrism The organization views the whole world as a market and standardizes accordingly.

Geodemographics databases link together data from the national census with other information, relating to credit ratings for example, to enable identification of different types of households. Using cluster analysis, the country is broken down into neighborhoods of around 150 households. The basic assumption is that two people living in the same neighborhoods are more likely to be similar than two people chosen at random.

Examples of geodemographics databases are:
1. CACI's ACORN. (A Classification Of Residential Neighborhoods) which divides up the entire UK population in terms of the type of housing in which they live. For each of these areas, a wide range of demographic information is generated and the system affords the opportunity to assess product usage patterns, dependent upon the research conducted within national surveys. There are 54 separate groupings including for example: (i) wealthy suburbs, large detached houses; (ii) private flats, elderly people, (iii) gentrified multi-ethnic areas, (iv) rural areas, mixed occupations, (v) council areas, resident with health problems.
2. CCN's MOSAIC. This system also analyses information from various sources including the census, which is used to give housing, socioeconomic, household and age data; the electoral roll, to give household composition and population movement data; post code address files to give information on post 1991 housing and special address types such as farms and flats; and CCN files/Lord Chancellor's office to give credit search information and bad debt risk respectively.
3. PINPOINT. Pinpoint Identified Neighborhoods utilizes information from disparate sources and overlays this with Ordnance Survey to target individual houses the 150 houses denoted by an enumerated district.
4. FiNPiN. Financial PIN, uses data not only from census, but data from the Financial Research Survey which comprises 30,000 respondents. Information concentrates upon details of financial holdings and usage patterns, so that FiNPiN neighborhoods are able to describe financial activity as well as demographics.
Geodemographics databases have only been around for just over a decade, but in that time they have matured and become more sophisticated in their applications.

Applications of geodemographics databases: 1) Sampling, 2) Store location, 3) Direct mail, 4) Marketing planning (segmentation, market potential etc.)

Limitations of geodemographics databases: 1) Outdated information after the two or three or three years after data have been released, 2) Narrow information, 3) People don't always fit the typical profile.

Generic strategies is based on the attractiveness of the segment market and the business strengths of the company (Porter):
1. High market attractiveness and high competitiveness (business strengths) - Investment and growth: 1.1 Grow, 1.2 Seek dominance, 1.3 Maximize investment;
2. High market attractiveness and high competitiveness - Selective growth - 2.1 Build selectively on strengths, 2.2 Reinforce vulnerable areas, 2.3 Challenge for leadership;
3. High market attractiveness and low competitiveness - Selectivity: 3.1 Specialize on limited strengths, 3.2 Seek ways to overcome weakness, 3.3 Consider cooperations
4. Medium market attractiveness and high competitiveness - Selective growth: 4.1 Identify growth segments and invest strongly, 4.2 Maintain position elsewhere;
5. Medium market attractiveness and medium competitiveness - Selective growth: 5.1 Identify growth segments and specialize, 5.2 Invest selectively where profitability is good and risk low;
6. Medium market attractiveness and low competitiveness - Harvest/Divest: 6.1 Specialize, 6.2 Seek niches, 6.3 Consider selling business unit;
7. Low market attractiveness and high competitiveness - Selectivity: 7.1 Maintain overall position, 7.2 Seek cash flow, 7.3 Invest at maintenance level;
8. Low market attractiveness and medium competitiveness - Harvest/divest: 8.1 Prune lines, 8.2 Minimize investment, 8.3 Position to divest;
9. Low market attractiveness and low competitiveness - Harvest/divest: 9.1 Cut fixed cost and avoid investment, 9.2 Sell business unit if possible.
See also Competitive strategies, Ansoff matrix and Product life cycle.

Global company The global corporation is an organizational form that makes no distinction between domestic and international businesses. (Terpstra)

Global congruence In a control system, the state which leads individuals or groups to take actions which are in their self-interest and also in best interest of the entity.

Global environment embraces world markets and developments including changes in the distribution of economic activity and spending power.

Globalizationterm which refers to a number of trends in world trade, including 1) global products and services (e.g. foreign exchange which can be bought anywhere,) 2) global markets (i.e. no effective boundary between the domestic and international market, so that domestic firms enjoy no particular advantage in their own country) and 3) global companies (which supposedly have no national basis).

Factors contributing towards the globalization of markets: 1. More sophisticated consumers who holiday outside their home country and are willing to experiment with non domestic product and services; 2. The trend toward elimination of political, trade and travel barriers; 3. The internationalization of broadcast and print media; 4. The saturation of domestic markets, leading companies to search for growth for their goods and services in new markets.

Goal congruence is the state which leads individuals or groups to take actions which are in their self-interest and also in the best interest of the entity.

Goals
Definition #1. Goals provide the broad direction to organizational activities and are the driving force behind its strategies and actions, e.g. to achieve No. 1 market position.
Definition #2. Goals often not quantified, these interpret the mission to the needs of different stakeholders. Non-operational goals cannot be quantified as objectives; operational goals can.

Goingrate pricing Setting price based largely on following competitors' prices rather than on company costs or demand. (Philip Kotler)

Good faith Fair and open action without any attempt to deceive or take advantage of knowledge of which the other party is unaware.

Goods Tangible products that customers can evaluate by touching, seeing, tasting, or hearing. (Courtland L. Bovee, John V. Thill)

Government markets see Organizational markets.

Grapevine Informal communications network within the organization.

Green environment is a term colloquially used to designate the natural environment and implicitly its protection.

Green marketing
4 S's of green marketing mix: 1) Satisfaction of customer needs; 2) Safety of product and production for consumers, workers, society and the environment; 3) Social acceptability of a product, its production and the other activities of the company; 4) Sustainability of the product, their production and other activities of the company

Internal green Ps are an extension of the marketing mix's 4 Ps to include environmental matters. The 8 Ps are: Product, Promotion, Place, Price, Providing information, Processes, Policies, People.

External green Ps: 1) Paying customers. What are their needs in relation to green products and services? What information are they receiving about green products?; 2) Providers. How green are suppliers of services and the materials to the company? 3) Politicians. Public awareness and the concern over green issues are beginning to have a strong influence on the legalization, which appears, and this directly impacts on the conduct of business. A modern organization must make this part of its concern; 4) Pressure groups. What are the main issues of concern? Which groups are involved and what new issues are likely to concern them? 5) Problems. Which environmental issues have been a problem for the company, or part of the area in which it works, in past? 6) Predictions. What environmental problems loom in the future? Awareness of scientific research can be strategically vital. 7) Partners. How green are my allies? How are business partners perceived? Will these pose problems?

Also see Natural environment, Sustainability.

Green product is a descriptive idiom to distinguish a product that has been designed to have minimal impact on the environment.

Greenhouse effect Carbon dioxide absorbs and radiates back heat which would otherwise escape into space, causing temperature rises.

Gross domestic product (GDP)
Definition #1. Gross domestic product (GDP) is a sum of market values of all final goods an services that are produced during are produced during one year in a country by domestically and foreign owned firms. It does not include net income from the activities of national abroad.
Definition #2. Gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the value of the goods and services produced by an economy in a given period.

Gross margin The difference between net sales and the cost of goods sold. (Philip Kotler)

Gross national product (GNP) is GDP plus the income accruing to domestic residents from investments abroad less income accruing to foreign residents from investments in the domestic firms.

Gross profit is a profit calculation derived by deducting the cost of all goods purchased for resale and the cost associated with putting those goods into a saleable state, from sales income. It specially excludes selling and distribution expenses, although there are different opinions as to the correct treatment for the wages for sales assistants.
Comparisons can usefully be made by the following means: 1. Comparing one period with an earlier period for the same company or decision. This should be seasonally similar if applicable. 2. Comparing the results for one business with those of another of a similar type. This should be an internal comparison between similar divisions or external, between similar companies in the same sector. 3. Comparing the results for one period with the expected results from the budget.

Gross profit margin Gross profit / Sales

Gross rating point (GRP)

Gross sales The total amount that a company charges customers for merchandise purchased during a given time period. (Philip Kotler)

Group development: 1) Form, 2) Storm, 3) Norm, 4) Perform.

Group think Tendency for groups to reach consensus at any cost, thereby filtering out any views which might conflict with the prevailing consensus.

Growth Organizational goal, sometimes quantified suggesting an increase in organizational activities and profits.

Guarantee An assurance, written or implied, that a product is as represented and will perform satisfactorily. (Courtland L. Bovee, John V. Thill)