Exam 7: Constraints Onmanagers

________ help anchor the present in the past, provide explanations and legitimacy for current practices, exemplify what is important to the organization, and provide compelling pictures of an organization's goals.

Environmental uncertainty refers to the number of components in an organization's environment and the extent of the knowledge that the organization has about those components.

Assume that medical science is able to extend the life expectancy in the United States by 20 years, on average. Give examples of how this will affect the decisions managers make. Respond in terms of the economic, demographic, political/legal, and sociocultural contexts.

Elmo Research & Development has been going through a rough patch lately. Turnover has been high and employee morale is at an all-time low. Though employees and competitors hold management responsible for the decline, the CEO does not let the managers go or change the management style. Which of the following could explain this attitude?

An organization's competitors and employees are considered to be stakeholders who are affected by the organization's decisions and actions.

Martha is concerned with the degree to which managers focus on results rather than the techniques and processes used to achieve those results. In other words, Martha is concerned that the company will emphasize ________ over other dimensions of the organizational culture.

Marriott hotels are noted for their fantastic service. Their motto is "Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." To build and maintain this level of service, which of the following guidelines should managers follow?

Corporate rituals are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the key values of an organization.

The term ________ refers to repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the important values and goals of the organization.

In which one of the following environments do managers in an organization have the greatest influence on organizational outcomes?

According to the symbolic view, managers have a(n) ________ effect on substantive organizational outcomes.

Sam Walton was noted for his dedication to helping customers by offering products at the lowest possible price. He strongly emphasized this to his store employees as the reason for Walmart's existence. In this sense, we could describe Walmart's culture as ________.

Which of the following factors is a demographic component of an organization's external environment?

Which of the following describes a dynamic environment?

Managers of high-performing companies tend to consider the interests of the most profitable stakeholder groups as they make decisions.

Employees either agree with the concept of sustainability or they don't; it is costly and ineffective to try to create a culture of sustainability.

Calvin's goals for the coming year include specific targets for increasing market share and quantity of units shipped. If he succeeds, he will be handsomely rewarded. If he fails, he is likely to be replaced. Judging from this, it would appear that Calvin's employer subscribes to the ________.

Giving service-contact employees the discretion to make day-to-day decisions on job-related activities is instrumental in creating a customer-responsive culture.

Which one of the following is an example of a material artifact or symbol?

If ABC Company wanted to create an innovative culture, which of the following actions should it take?