Deck 10: Organizational Culture and Change

Question 1

Change is a pervasive and persistent yet temporary condition in organizations.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Resisting change is natural, but in today's world, failing to change can be deadly.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Culture is the process of administering and coordinating resources effectively and efficiently and in an effort to achieve the goals of the organization.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Cultures evolve and change in even the most stable periods.

Question 5

Culture does not necessarily have to be aligned with the overall strategy or mission of the organization in order for the mission to be achieved.

Question 6

Whatever else a culture may value, it prizes survival most of all.

Question 7

The two components of culture are substance and form.

Question 8

Managers must recognize that it may not be possible to change the surface elements-the form without changing what lies below-the substance.

Question 9

Substance was defined by the authors as consisting of the observable ways that members of a culture express ideas.

Question 10

Form was identified by the authors as a shared system of beliefs.

Question 11

In the iceberg illustration, the cultural component "substance" is the surface element.

Question 12

At Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, employees are called "cast members. This is an example of the use of language systems as a means of supporting the company's culture.

Question 13

Metaphors use familiar elements or objects to make unfamiliar behavior or other processes or actions comprehensible.

Question 14

Sagas are historical accounts describing the unique accomplishments of a group and its leaders or heroes.

Question 15

While large-scale organizations rely upon events that tie into an operation's history to maintain culture, small-scale organizations rely upon personal interaction to maintain their culture.

Question 16

Most organizations that make Fortune magazine's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" have a common theme of celebrating success through rites, rituals, and ceremonies.

Question 17

In organizations with strong cultures, shared values and beliefs create a setting in which people are committed to one another and share an overriding sense of mission.

Question 18

To compete effectively, companies are increasingly hiring and retaining employees who "fit the culture."

Question 19

Companies with strong, formally articulated values that are focused on the needs of their constituencies have an important advantage over those without such values.

Question 20

To be successful, change must be consistent with important values in the culture and emerge from participants within the organization.

Question 21

Changing an organization's culture is typically fairly simple.

Question 22

Although change is a constant factor in the modern business environment, fortunately it is becoming less complex.

Question 23

There are four primary targets for organizational change: individual, group, organizational, and industry.

Question 24

Individual targets can be accomplished through employee training or development programs.

Question 25

Individual targets are accomplished through employee training or development programs.

Question 26

A systematic process for examining the pressures likely to support or resist a proposed change is called force-field analysis.

Question 27

A driving force is a push for change of the status quo.

Question 28

Force-field analysis guarantees that introducing a change will make the change process successful.

Question 29

The first aspect in force-field analysis, unfreezing, involves developing an initial awareness of the need for change and the forces supporting and resisting it.

Question 30

Restraining is the process that focuses on learning new required behaviors.

Question 31

Forces that promote organizational stability or the status quo and resist change are called internal/external forces.

Question 32

Environmental forces that are fundamentally beyond the control of management are referred to as external forces.

Question 33

Skill training is one strategy for dealing with resistance to change when proposed changes are going to require new skills.

Question 34

External and internal driving forces in change can be highly interrelated.

Question 35

Refreezing is synonymous with institutionalizing.

Question 36

The act of applying the new approaches and behaviors is refreezing.

Question 37

Evaluation is the step where new approaches and behaviors are institutionalized.

Question 38

Organizations have built-in resistance to change with policies, rules, and standard operating procedures.

Question 39

The fourth phase in the change process, refreezing, centers on reinforcing new behaviors.

Question 40

Unfreezing focuses on reinforcing new behaviors.

Question 41

Which of the following statements is not suggested by the authors of your text?

A) Change is pervasive, persistent, and a temporary condition facing businesses today.
B) Transition involves a deliberate disturbance of the equilibrium and status quo and is a major event in the life of the organization.
C) Cultures evolve and change in even the most stable periods.
D) Resisting change is natural, but failing to change can be deadly in today's world.

Question 42

The system of shared beliefs and values that develops within an organization is referred to as its

A) climate.
B) structure.
C) control philosophy.
D) culture.
E) persona.

Question 43

Don Tyson, the CEO of Tyson Foods, is very concerned about how people act in his organization, as is manifested by the way they view their jobs, work with colleagues, and look at the future. The most important variable that influences these concerns is an organization's

A) hierarchy.
B) control philosophy.
C) mission statement.
D) structure.
E) culture.

Question 44

Typically, when a new organization is formed, the __________, or initial set of norms, values, and beliefs, reflects the drive and imagination of the founding individual and group.

A) planning system
B) control philosophy
C) culture
D) hierarchy
E) structure

Question 45

Cultural routines that form the substance of public functions and events staged by the organization are referred to as

A) organizational habits.
B) organizational artifacts.
C) organizational policies.
D) organizational processes.
E) organizational products.

Question 46

The two components of an organization's culture's are substance and

A) control systems.
B) strategies.
C) form.
D) planning systems.
E) procedures.

Question 47

The Coca-Cola Company has a number of cultural routines that form the substance of public functions and events staged by the organization. These routines are referred to as

A) artifacts.
B) stories.
C) metaphors.
D) myths.
E) control systems.

Question 48

A component of culture which consists of the observable ways that members of a culture express ideas.

A) Form
B) Belief
C) Value
D) Expectation
E) Norm

Question 49

Which of the following are NOT considered by the authors to be a constituent of the substance component of culture?

A) A shared system of beliefs.
B) Values
C) Forms
D) Expectations
E) Norms

Question 50

According to our textbook, which of the following is a visible element that constitutes the organization's culture as visualized in the iceberg diagram?

A) beliefs
B) shared values
C) artifacts
D) norms
E) expectations

Question 51

__________ are a relatively dramatic, planned set of recurring activities used at special times to influence the behavior and understanding of organizational members.

A) Refreezings
B) Metaphors
C) Myths
D) Control systems
E) Rites

Question 52

At the end of each quarter Johnson Office Supply holds a special luncheon to hand out bonus checks to employees who have done something exceptional to help the company meet its quarterly objectives. This relatively dramatic, planned quarterly luncheon is called a/an

A) rite.
B) artifact.
C) metaphor.
D) myth.
E) norm.

Question 53

At West Coast Chemical, the first Friday of every month is set aside for the company to have what many people would call a "pep rally to talk about company successes, upcoming events, and other uplifting issues. This relatively dramatic, planned monthly activity is called a/an

A) norm.
B) artifact.
C) rite.
D) story.
E) metaphor.

Question 54

At the annual convention in New Orleans, the ten sales associates who have amassed the largest sales volumes for the year are brought out onto the stage and publicly awarded their bonuses. In this example, the ABC company is hoping that all the salespeople in attendance will gain an understanding that sales are important to the company's culture and that, by placing these people on stage, they are cementing these beliefs. This practice of publicly rewarding salespeople is consistent with which of the following?

A) practices and routines
B) artifacts and control system
C) language systems and metaphors
D) rituals and ceremonies
E) cultures and customs

Question 55

At Goodyear Tire, every time an employee who has been with the firm for twenty years or more leaves the company, a farewell party is held. This practice is an example of a/an

A) ritual or ceremony.
B) artifact or story.
C) metaphor or myth.
D) observance or custom.
E) practice or routine.

Question 56

At Lake Mead Buick, a banquet is held every January to honor the salespeople who sold the most cars the previous year. This practice is an example of a/an

A) practice or routine.
B) ritual or ceremony.
C) observance or custom.
D) artifact or story.
E) metaphor or myth.

Question 57

Every March, Stacey's Women's Wear holds a fashion show to give its customers a preview of the store's new fashions for spring and summer. This practice is an example of a/an

A) ritual or ceremony.
B) metaphor or myth.
C) artifact or custom.
D) observance or custom.
E) control or routine.

Question 58

In a hospital emergency room, speed and accuracy are paramount. To assist doctors and nurses, unique terminology, jargon and slang are used to expedite the care given to each patient. This method that physicians and nurses express themselves and communicate with each other is referred to as

A) rites.
B) myths.
C) sagas.
D) stories.
E) metaphors.

Question 59

Which of the following includes special terminology, abbreviations, jargon, slang, and gestures that are almost unintelligible to outsiders?

A) stories
B) metaphors
C) artifacts
D) rites
E) scripts

Question 60

At Microsoft, employees use special terminology, abbreviations, jargon, slang, and gestures that are almost unintelligible to outsiders, but are used inside the organization to convey a sense of belonging or community. This practice is an example of the use of

A) language systems and metaphors.
B) stories, sagas, and myths.
C) rituals and ceremonies.
D) structure and hierarchy.
E) artifacts and customs.

Question 61

At Walt Disney World, employees are referred to as "cast members. This term is a part of the __________ of the Disney culture.

A) rites, rituals, and ceremonies
B) accounts, activities, and expressions
C) events, activities, and promotions
D) stories, sagas, and myths
E) language systems and metaphors

Question 62

Which of the following was not identified in the textbook as a component of organizational culture?

A) rites, rituals, and ceremonies
B) artifacts
C) structure and hierarchy
D) stories, sagas, and myths
E) language systems and metaphors

Question 63

All of the following were identified in the textbook as components of organizational culture except

A) rites, rituals, and ceremonies.
B) artifacts.
C) language systems and metaphors.
D) stories, sagas, and myths.
E) organizational control systems.

Question 64

Accounts based on true events that often contain both truth and fiction and are passed on from seasoned employees to new hires are called

A) organizational stories.
B) organizational metaphors.
C) organizational allegory.
D) organizational rituals.
E) organizational rites.

Question 65

According to Maytag commercials, the Maytag repairman is a rather lonely person and has nothing to do because Maytag appliances rarely break down. This commercial supports the Maytag image (i.e., of high quality products) and is a component of the firm's culture referred to as

A) organizational stories.
B) organizational metaphors.
C) organizational allegory.
D) organizational rituals.
E) organizational rites.

Question 66

When discussing with colleagues how, under his leadership, PTC Petroleum fought off bankruptcy and managed to turn profitable despite a myriad of external threats, Ron Pitisci often intermingles fact and fiction. Mr. Pitisci's use of __________ helps him to tell new employees the real mission of PTC Petroleum.

A) stories
B) sagas
C) artifacts
D) rites
E) metaphors

Question 67

Mr. Herb Kelleher often tells employees and others about the table napkin upon which his airline, Southwest, was originally conceived. Through the use of such symbols and __________, Mr. Kelleher hopes to express Southwest's entrepreneurial orientation and promote values that unify employees from diverse organizational units.

A) rites
B) language systems
C) controls
D) stories
E) structure

Question 68

When IBM insiders discuss historical accounts describing the unique accomplishments of founder Thomas Watson, they are utilizing

A) organizational rites.
B) organizational metaphors.
C) organizational allegory.
D) organizational sagas.
E) organizational rituals.

Question 69

When Disney insiders discuss the historical accounts of the unique accomplishments, ideas, and philosophies of founder Walt Disney, they are utilizing __________ as a means of supporting the Disney culture.

A) organizational rites
B) organizational metaphors
C) organizational allegory
D) organizational sagas
E) organizational rituals

Question 70

Historical accounts that describe the unique accomplishments of a group and its leaders or heroes are referred to as

A) sagas.
B) rites.
C) artifacts.
D) rules.
E) myths.

Question 71

Once a month, the Advantage Software Company stages an elaborate awards banquet to honor innovative employees. These awards banquets are examples of organizational

A) parties.
B) rites.
C) charities.
D) requirements.
E) limitations.

Question 72

Which of the following was identified by the authors as the use of familiar elements or objects to make behavior or other unfamiliar processes or actions comprehensible?

A) Similes
B) Allegories
C) Analogies
D) Metaphors
E) Acronyms

Question 73

According to the authors, which of the following are "becoming ever more popular" as a result of the increasing use of electronic communication?

A) Similes
B) Allegories
C) Analogies
D) Metaphors
E) Acronyms

Question 74

General Motors decided to establish a new division (Saturn) because it had experienced enormous problems in adapting its existing divisions to the dynamic and highly competitive automobile market. Which of the following had the greatest impact on GM's decision to create a new division rather than simply adapt its existing divisions?

A) rites
B) organizational culture
C) metaphors
D) routines
E) leadership

Question 75

Which of the following is not true regarding the impact of culture on an organization?

A) In organizations with a strong culture, shared values and beliefs create a setting in which people are committed to one another.
B) Unique shared values can provide a strong corporate identity.
C) Unique shared values can enhance collective commitment.
D) Unique shared values can reduce the need for formal and bureaucratic controls.
E) A strong culture in an organization is usually easier to change than is a weak one.

Question 76

In organizations with __________ cultures, shared values and beliefs create a setting in which people are committed to one another and share an overriding sense of mission.

A) strong
B) weak
C) frail
D) delicate
E) fragile

Question 77

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a strong organizational culture?

A) A strong culture can facilitate a strong corporate identity.
B) A strong culture can cause resistance to change.
C) A strong culture can be a source of competitive advantage.
D) A strong culture can engender commitment among employees.
E) A strong culture can create a setting in which employees share an overriding sense of mission.

Question 78

According to the authors, the basic issue in company "boot camps" and company "universities" is that

A) employees must be thoroughly trained in critical job elements in order for the organization to retain a competitive advantage.
B) the attitudes of new employees must be modified to reflect the values of the organization.
C) training is an ongoing process that enables employees to develop skills to continuously benefit the organization and employees alike.
D) culture must be aligned with the overall strategy and mission of the organization.
E) new managerial concepts must be continuously researched and developed within the organization.

Question 79

Which two important issues did the authors identify as being embedded in an organization's culture?

A) Commitment and loyalty.
B) The desire to learn and achievement goals.
C) Ethics and diversity of employees.
D) Foresight and persistence.
E) Fairness and loyalty.

Question 80

Sometimes managers attempt to revitalize an organization by dictating minor changes rather than building on shared beliefs and values. What pitfall do the authors see in this approach?

A) It becomes more difficult later to implement additional changes because employees eventually become wary of continuous change.
B) While things may change a bit on the surface, a deeper look often finds whole departments and key people resisting change.
C) Employees will not fully commit to changes, however minor, in which they have not had a chance to voice their opinions.
D) The accumulation of minor changes affect the workforce more dramatically because the employees perceive many minor changes as more problematic than a few large changes.
E) Attempts to revitalize and organization require major culture shifts rather than incrementally minor changes to beliefs and values.