Deck 3: Organisational Culture and Environment

Question 1

In the symbolic view of management, managers are seen as directly responsible for an organization's success or failure.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

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

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Organizational culture is a perception, not reality.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In the omnipotent view of management, much of an organization's success or failure is due to forces outside management's control.

Question 5

An organization's founder has little influence on its culture.

Question 6

In the omnipotent view of management, a manager's role is to create meaning out of randomness, confusion, and ambiguity.

Question 7

Most organizations have very weak cultures.

Question 8

An organizational culture refers to a system of shared meaning.

Question 9

A strong ethical culture is likely to have a powerful positive influence on employee behavior.

Question 10

An increasing body of evidence suggests that strong cultures are associated with high organizational performance.

Question 11

Presently, there is no method for analyzing or assessing organizational culture.

Question 12

In the symbolic view of management, it is unreasonable to expect managers to have a significant effect on the organization's performance.

Question 13

The link between values and managerial behavior is fairly straightforward.

Question 14

Employee stock options are one example of a material symbol that might represent organizational culture.

Question 15

Strong cultures have more influence on employees than do weak cultures.

Question 16

Organizational stories typically contain a narrative regarding significant events or people.

Question 17

Organizational cultures influence how employees behave in an organization.

Question 18

The current dominant assumption in management theory suggests that managers are omnipotent.

Question 19

The view of managers as omnipotent is consistent with the stereotypical picture of the take-charge business executive who can overcome any obstacle in carrying out the organization's objectives.

Question 20

The symbolic view of management impact is useful in explaining the high turnover among college and professional sports coaches, who can be considered the "managers" of their teams.

Question 21

The symbolic view of management is based upon the belief that managers symbolize ________.

A) decisions of top management
B) ambiguity and confusion
C) control and influence
D) stakeholders' interests

Question 22

Arab countries were not , for the most part, impacted by the global economic crisis.

Question 23

The ________ view of management is consistent with the stereotypical picture of the take-charge business executive who can overcome any obstacle in carrying out the organization's objectives.

A) systems
B) symbolic
C) omnipotent
D) functional

Question 24

Customer service employees tend to provide better customer service when they are very clear about their employee roles.

Question 25

Companies that allow their employees freedom tend to encourage innovative cultures.

Question 26

To encourage a customer-responsive culture, organizations should formalize and enforce strict customer service policies.

Question 27

In the Arab world, an organization focused on positive results should place no importance on spirituality.

Question 28

Internal constraints that restrict a manager's decision options ________.

A) do not exist, as all managers have decision-making discretion
B) exist only to the extent that upper management imposes them
C) exist within every organization
D) exist only to the extent that followers won't do as they are told

Question 29

Which of the following represent the two views of managerial impact on the success or failure of the organization?

A) reflective and interactive
B) symbolic and interactive
C) omnipotent and symbolic
D) omnipotent and reflective

Question 30

Because certainty is a threat to an organization's effectiveness, managers try to minimize it.

Question 31

To increase customer responsiveness, organizations should hire employees who are outgoing and friendly.

Question 32

The part of the environment directly related to achievement of an organization's goals is the specific environment.

Question 33

The current dominant assumption in management theory suggests ________.

A) an emphasis on the view that managers are omnipotent
B) an emphasis on the view that managers are symbolic
C) a balanced view of managers as symbolic and omnipotent
D) that both the symbolic and omnipotent views are obsolete

Question 34

The general environment refers to environmental factors operating inside an organization.

Question 35

Which of the following most accurately reflects the symbolic view of management?

A) Managers have little or no responsibility for an organization's success or failure.
B) Managers are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure.
C) External forces are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure.
D) Employees are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure.

Question 36

The term suppliers includes providers of financial and labor inputs.

Question 37

Economic conditions are part of the organization's specific environment.

Question 38

Low risk tolerance generally leads to high ethical standards within an organization.

Question 39

Environmental uncertainty can be divided into two dimensions: degree of trust and degree of integration.

Question 40

The omnipotent view of management states that ________.

A) that there is only one boss in the organization, and she or he is responsible for delegating orders
B) managers are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure
C) the top manager is the only person in charge
D) managers have little or no responsibility for an organization's success or failure

Question 41

Which of the following is not considered to be a dimension of organizational culture?

A) aggressiveness
B) attention to detail
C) purchasing policies
D) people orientation

Question 42

In reality, managers are most accurately viewed as ________.

A) ultimately responsible for organizational outcomes
B) neither helpless nor all powerful
C) powerless to influence an organization's performance
D) dominant over an organization's environment

Question 43

Which of the following represent the most significant ways through which corporate cultures are transmitted to employees?

A) stories, rituals, symbols, and language
B) rituals, myths, competitions, and language
C) symbols, rituals, language, and business systems
D) language, stories, rituals, and rewards

Question 44

Which of the following phrases is associated with the definition of organizational culture?

A) diversity of thought
B) individual response
C) shared meaning
D) explicit directions

Question 45

In learning an organization's specific language, members are displaying their ________.

A) willingness to help preserve the culture of the organization
B) consent to share material symbols with the other members of the organization
C) confidence that they will soon be promoted to greater responsibility
D) willingness to communicate with the organization's stockholders

Question 46

The original source of an organization's culture usually ________.

A) reflects the vision or mission of the organization's founder
B) is formulated by the board of directors when the organization is formed
C) is shared among the first workers hired into the organization
D) identifies what the organization is successful doing

Question 47

Which of the following dimensions of organizational culture is defined as the degree to which an organization's actions and decisions emphasize maintaining the status quo?

A) outcome orientation
B) innovation and risk taking
C) team orientation
D) stability

Question 48

A company whose managers focus on results, rather than how results are achieved, most likely possesses a high degree of which of the following?

A) aggressiveness
B) team orientation
C) outcome orientation
D) people orientation

Question 49

The culture of an organization is analogous to the ________ of an individual.

A) skills
B) ability
C) motivation
D) personality

Question 50

All of the following are mentioned in the textbook as examples of material symbols except ________.

A) employee dress attire
B) reserved parking spaces for certain employees
C) availability of stock options
D) size of employee offices

Question 51

Which of the following most accurately reflects the difference between strong cultures and weak cultures?

A) Strong cultures have less of an influence on employee behavior than do weak cultures.
B) Strong cultures tend to encourage employee innovation, while weak cultures do not.
C) Weak cultures are found in most organizations, whereas strong cultures are relatively rare.
D) Company values are more deeply held and widely shared in strong cultures than in weak cultures.

Question 52

Organizational ________ typically contain narratives about significant events or people in the organization.

A) rituals
B) charts
C) stories
D) material symbols

Question 53

When employees at Microsoft use terms such as work judo, eating your own dog food, and flat food, they are using organizational ________.

A) ceremonies
B) symbols
C) languages
D) rituals

Question 54

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

A) rituals
B) ceremonies
C) symbols
D) languages

Question 55

Sony Corporation's focus on product innovation is an example of which of the following dimensions of organizational culture?

A) people orientation
B) outcome orientation
C) aggressiveness
D) attention to detail

Question 56

Strong cultures ________.

A) have a greater influence on employees than do weak cultures
B) have a minimal influence on employee decision making
C) are found in organizations with high employee turnover
D) can be found in all organizations that exist

Question 57

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

A) neutral
B) limited
C) unlimited
D) controlling

Question 58

All organizational cultures consist of each of the following except ________.

A) innovation
B) principles
C) shared values
D) traditions

Question 59

Employees in organizations with strong cultures ________.

A) are more likely to follow directives from peers
B) are more likely to leave their organizations
C) are more willing to perform illegal activities
D) are more committed to their organizations

Question 60

Most organizations have ________ cultures.

A) very weak
B) moderate
C) weak to moderate
D) moderate to strong

Question 61

Workplace spirituality has become important in the contemporary workplace because it helps to ________.

A) bring religion into business
B) restore a sense of community
C) reduce unemployment rates
D) boost company profits

Question 62

Which of the following is not an example of a specific environmental factor?

A) country laws
B) population demographics
C) political conditions
D) all of the above

Question 63

The link between organizational values and managerial behavior is ________.

A) fairly straightforward
B) usually uncertain
C) relatively dynamic
D) often highly complex

Question 64

When you think of an organization's suppliers, you ________.

A) know that they are the main customers of the organization
B) typically think of governments that pass the laws the organization must follow
C) typically think in terms of organizations that provide materials and equipment
D) know that they are located close to the organization itself

Question 65

Organizations exist to meet the needs of which of the following constituencies?

A) suppliers
B) legislators
C) customers
D) competitors

Question 66

Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between spirituality and business profitability?

A) High productivity has been extensively documented in spiritual workplaces.
B) Evidence shows that spirituality and business profitability are incompatible.
C) Research shows that workplace spirituality constrains employee performance.
D) Limited evidence suggests that spirituality may be compatible with profitability.

Question 67

An innovative organizational culture is characterized by all of the following characteristics except ________.

A) conformity
B) debates
C) risk taking
D) freedom

Question 68

According to the textbook, the ________ environment includes those forces that have a direct and immediate impact on managers' decisions and actions and are directly relevant to the achievement of the organization's goals.

A) secondary
B) specific
C) forward
D) general

Question 69

Which of the following is most characteristic of an organization with a strong spiritual culture?

A) Employees are required to join organized religions.
B) Employees are encouraged to express themselves.
C) Employees are rewarded for innovation and risk taking.
D) Such companies experience high employee turnover.

Question 70

An organization's specific environment ________.

A) is determined by the top level of management
B) must be quantified to establish its existence
C) is the same regardless of the organization's age
D) is unique and changes with conditions

Question 71

The internet is having an impact on determining whom an organization's competitors are because it has ________.

A) virtually eliminated geographic boundaries
B) defined the common markets for organizations
C) virtually eliminated the need for shopping malls
D) made certain products invaluable to customers

Question 72

Conscientious employees with good listening skills are highly valuable for building a(n) ________ organizational culture.

A) customer-responsive
B) spiritual
C) innovative
D) ethical

Question 73

Which of the following is most likely to have a highly ethical organizational culture?

A) a highly aggressive, competitive business
B) a business with outgoing and friendly employees
C) a company with high risk tolerance
D) a business that focuses strictly on outcomes

Question 74

The main forces that make up an organization's specific environment are ________.

A) customers, suppliers, competitors, and pressure groups
B) employees, competitors, pressure groups, and regulators
C) suppliers, legislators, customers, and employees
D) suppliers, employees, competitors, and legislators

Question 75

A company that primarily values a strong sense of purpose through meaningful work has a(n) ________ organizational culture.

A) customer-responsive
B) ethical
C) spiritual
D) innovative

Question 76

To encourage ethical cultures, managers should ________.

A) act in their own self-interest
B) serve as visible role models
C) encourage employees to compete
D) enforce strict discipline policies

Question 77

Each of the following is considered an organizational supplier except providers of ________.

A) financial inputs
B) materials
C) labor inputs
D) political pressure

Question 78

Which of the following accurately reflects four values of the Saudi conglomerate, Savola?

A) Honesty, Conscientiousness, caring justice, and personal control
B) Honesty, perseverance, corporate responsibility, and organizational control
C) Honesty, Conscientiousness, caring justice, and organizational control
D) Honesty, Conscientiousness, corporate responsibility, and personal control

Question 79

External environment refers to ________.

A) factors and forces outside the organization that affect the organization's performance
B) forces inside the organization that increase the organization's performance
C) forces and institutions inside the organization that affect the organization's performance
D) forces outside the organization that limit the organization's performance

Question 80

An organization's culture affects managers by ________.

A) encouraging them to bend or even break company rules
B) establishing what is appropriate and expected behavior
C) providing them with additional decision-making power
D) restricting them from disciplining certain employees