Deck 6: Communication and Organizational Culture

Question 1

Cultural assumptions are the key principles or attitudes that organizational members hold.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Organizational cultures are manifested in a limited range of cultural artifact types.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Once set by management, organizational cultures are stable and unchangeable.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Organizational communication norms are the patterns of who says what to whom when, through what channel, for what duration, and by what decision procedure.

Question 5

As an organization declines, the organization can accurately be described as suffering from cultural fragmentation.

Question 6

A segmented perspective on organizational culture suggests that there are subgroups or subcultures within the organizations.

Question 7

Which of the following does not fit the general idea of organizational culture?

A) sharing a common frame of reference of language, values, and beliefs
B) sharing a similar idea of the mission for the organization
C) sharing similar understanding of organizational stories and events
D) sharing communication connections through workers' network of organizational contacts

Question 8

In general, the idea of organizational culture is that people in an organization share

A) a common frame of reference of language, values, and beliefs.
B) similar backgrounds and values before joining the organization.
C) communication during periods of organizational change.
D) communication through their network of organizational contacts.

Question 9

Which of the following is part of the way structuration theory would look at organizational culture?

A) Organizational leaders use rules and resources to create the organizational culture for other members.
B) Organizational culture enables and constrains organizational members.
C) Organizational culture is stable and enduring and not subject to change.
D) Organizational culture is powerful enough that individuals do not have agency or ability to change it.

Question 10

Which of the following is not part of the way structuration theory would look at organizational culture?

A) Organizational culture is relatively stable but also can change.
B) Organizational culture is something management can control.
C) Organizational members use rules and resources to create the organizational culture.
D) Organizational culture enables and constrains organizational members.

Question 11

Which of the following is not true about norms in relationship to organizational culture?

A) Norms are behaviors that represent some of the organizational values.
B) Norms are often implicit rather than written down as rules.
C) Norms are routinely and openly discussed with newcomers.
D) Norms are one of the resources used to create and recreate organizational culture.

Question 12

Which of the following is generally true about norms in relationship to organizational culture?

A) Norms are behaviors that represent some of the organizational values.
B) Most norms are often explicitly written down as rules for the culture.
C) Norms are routinely and openly discussed by organizational members.
D) Most norms are explicitly taught to newcomers.

Question 13

Which of the following would be an example of an implicit norm in an information technology group?

A) a rule that a meeting cannot occur unless at least 50 percent of the members are present
B) the use of PowerPoint by everyone when they make presentations
C) using Roberts Rules of Order to conduct all business in the group
D) a requirement that agenda items be submitted at least 24 hours before the meeting

Question 14

Which of the following is probably an example of a pivotal norm in the family restaurant in the scenario in chapter 6?

A) If your customer is a regular, spend more time at his or her table.
B) If your customer is a regular, you should know his or her name.
C) If you are going to miss a shift, you call in at least two hours ahead of time.
D) If you see someone is really busy, you should help out.

Question 15

Which of the following is probably an example of a relevant norm in the family restaurant in the scenario in chapter 6?

A) You should park your car in the parking spaces farthest away from the door.
B) You should wear black pants and a white shirt if you are a server or host.
C) If you are going to miss a shift, you should call in two hours ahead of time.
D) If the customer is a regular, you should know his or her name.

Question 16

Which of the following is probably an example of a peripheral norm in the family restaurant in the scenario in chapter 6?

A) Check your assigned schedule at the beginning of each work week.
B) You should park as far away from the front door as you can in the parking lot.
C) If you are going to miss a shift, you should call in two hours ahead of time.
D) Be courteous to customers even when they are rude to you.

Question 17

If a person accidentally violates a group norm the first time, which strategy would the group likely use at first?

A) try to persuade the person to follow the norm
B) exclude the person from activities
C) make fun of the person for violating the norm
D) delay and hope the person corrects the behavior in the future

Question 18

If a person continually violates a group norm after being talked to about what they should do, which strategy would the group likely use?

A) try to persuade the person to follow the norm
B) exclude the person from activities
C) make fun of the person for violating the norm
D) joke with the person about his or her norm violation

Question 19

Jay was excited to be interviewing with Sooner Creative Services. As he entered the building for his interview, he noticed that there was a game room located to the left of the foyer and that nearly everyone was wearing jeans and t-shirts. Jay was most likely noticing aspect of the organizational culture?

A) values
B) assumptions
C) cultural branding
D) artifacts

Question 20

Stories or narratives are an important part of an organization's culture because through storytelling

A) people get to form an informal network of friends.
B) certain people emerge as organizational storytellers.
C) people learn appropriate behaviors and values.
D) certain people can retell their history in the organization.

Question 21

Understanding metaphors used by organization members can be an important part of understanding an organization's culture because

A) they reflect an understanding of the way the organization works.
B) unlike similes, which describe what something is like, metaphors describe what it is.
C) they eliminate the need for subjective understanding of the culture.
D) we learn more from the use of language by members than from their actions.

Question 22

Christmas parties, company picnics, and student/faculty social events are all examples of which cultural rite?

A) rites of enhancement
B) rites of renewal
C) rites of passage
D) rites of integration

Question 23

A reflexive comment analysis of an organization's culture

A) examines how people respond to decisions and actions of the organization.
B) examines the explanations for decisions or actions of the organization.
C) analyzes the way that organizational members reflect on their jobs.
D) analyzes the way organizations reflect their values in their organizational reports.

Question 24

According to Martin, subcultures that consistently share their own unique values and assumptions about work reflect which perspective on culture?

A) integrated culture
B) differentiated culture
C) fragmented culture
D) holistic culture

Question 25

From an interpretive perspective, organizational culture is best understood as

A) a network of shared meanings.
B) the objective features of organizational participation.
C) the commitment of members to organizational goals.
D) the transmission of messages through organizational channels.

Question 26

From a post-positivist perspective, organizational culture is

A) something to be communicated and manipulated to help accomplish organizational goals.
B) something that creates assumptions that prevent some people from achieving in the organization.
C) the shared values and beliefs that people create as participants in the organization.
D) the way in which people learn to accomplish organizational goals without gaining any personal benefit.

Question 27

Differentiate between the cultural artifacts, cultural values, and cultural assumptions of an organization's culture.

Question 28

Using structuration theory, explain how organizations' cultures are generally quite stable, yet are also still susceptible to change.

Question 29

Explain the concept of norms. Then, explain how norms relate to organizational culture.

Question 30

Explain the difference between pivotal, relevant, and peripheral norms. Provide an example of each from one organization familiar to you (work, school, volunteer).

Question 31

Describe the different strategies groups use to pressure individuals who fail to follow group norms.

Question 32

Choose between a script analysis, ritual analysis, and a metaphor analysis. Describe the steps a researcher uses to complete this type of analysis.

Question 33

Explain the steps in completing an ethnography to study an organization's culture.