Deck 10: Organizational Culture and Ethical Values

Question 1

All of the following are visible artifacts of culture, except:

A) feelings.
B) slogans.
C) behaviors.
D) ceremonies.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

____ refers to how the organization meets goals and deals with outsiders.

A) Internal adaptation
B) Culture strength
C) Internal integration
D) External adaptation

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Nordstrom's upside-down organization chart is an example of ____ being used to convey organizational culture to all employees.

A) a story
B) a myth
C) a symbol
D) language

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The mission culture places major emphasis on:

A) the external environment through flexibility and change to meet customer needs.
B) a shared vision of organization purpose.
C) the involvement and participation of the organization's members.
D) the internal environment and a consistency orientation for a stable environment.

Question 5

____ refers to the quality of interactions among people and whether they share a common perspective.

A) Social capital
B) Social audit
C) Culture
D) Clan culture

Question 6

Which of the following is not one of the four categories of culture?

A) Clan
B) Flexibility
C) Mission
D) Adaptability

Question 7

Culture exists at two levels called:

A) sub- and super-structure.
B) people and structure.
C) underlying values and visible artifacts.
D) social and psychological.

Question 8

When a student finishes his studies at a college, he goes through a graduation ceremony with the idea of soon finding a new social role. This is an example of a rite of:

A) passage.
B) enhancement.
C) renewal.
D) integration.

Question 9

The degree of agreement among members of an organization about the importance of specific values is referred to as:

A) adaptability.
B) culture strength.
C) internal integration.
D) social responsibility.

Question 10

Which of the following is (are) manifestation(s) of corporate culture?

A) Legends
B) Ceremonies
C) Stories
D) All of these

Question 11

____ means that members develop a collective identity and know how to work together effectively.

A) External adaptation
B) Socialization
C) Internal integration
D) Cultural identity

Question 12

The relationship of environment and strategy to corporate culture is plotted in our text on a matrix that has the following two dimensions:

A) (1) strategic focus: internal vs. external; (2) environment: flexible vs. stable
B) (1) strategic focus: prospector vs. defender; (2) environment: simple vs. complex
C) (1) human focus: flexible vs. stable; (2) task focus: internal vs. environmental
D) (1) human focus: open vs. closed; (2) task focus: strategic vs. operative

Question 13

Stories in organization which are used to perpetuate culture are based on:

A) anything that reeks of symbolism.
B) nothing in fact, but on the ideals of the organization.
C) true events.
D) unsubstantiated rumors.

Question 14

An example of the rite of integration in corporate culture is:

A) Awards given to employee-of-the-month
B) Unpaid three week orientation and training for prospective (new) employees
C) Office Valentine party
D) Organization development activities

Question 15

What type of culture exists in a stable environment with an external strategic focus?

A) Adaptability
B) Bureaucratic
C) Clan
D) Mission

Question 16

Organizational culture:

A) is usually written.
B) provides members with a sense of identity.
C) generates commitment to improving market share.
D) all of these.

Question 17

A leader who ____ would thrive in a clan culture.

A) creates values for social responsibility
B) embodies values
C) integrates people into action and responsibility through participation
D) can change culture

Question 18

The ____ culture has an internal focus and a consistency orientation for a stable environment.

A) organic
B) clan
C) traditional
D) bureaucratic

Question 19

The ____ culture is characterized by strategic focus on the external environment through flexibility and change to meet customer needs.

A) adaptability
B) mission
C) clan
D) bureaucratic

Question 20

Most managers are shifting away from bureaucratic cultures because of a need for:

A) greater flexibility.
B) better decision making techniques.
C) easier communication channels.
D) reducing employee participation.

Question 21

Legends are stories which are consistent with the values and beliefs of the organization but are not supported by facts.

Question 22

Internal integration, as it related to corporate culture, means that members develop a collective identity and know how to work together effectively.

Question 23

A(n) ____ arises in a situation concerning right and wrong where values are in conflict.

A) culture problem
B) legal issue
C) social responsibility issue
D) ethical dilemma

Question 24

It has been found that a learning organization has a strong organizational culture characterized by the following value(s):

A) the whole is more important than the part, and boundaries between parts are minimized.
B) external strategic focus with continual thoughts of what others are doing that's right.
C) life-time employment for workers at every level (unless a work rule is violated).
D) all of these.

Question 25

A symbol is something that represents another thing.

Question 26

Which of the following influences personal ethics?

A) Individual beliefs and values
B) A person's ethical decision framework
C) Moral development
D) All of these

Question 27

In interpreting culture, one of the important observable aspects of the culture would be rites and ceremonies such as the rite of passage.

Question 28

External adaptation is the term for members developing a collective identity and knowing how to work together effectively.

Question 29

A relationship between a leader and followers that is based on shared, strongly internalized values that are advocated and acted upon by the leader is referred to as:

A) mission culture.
B) values-based leadership.
C) clan culture.
D) servant leadership.

Question 30

When behavior is governed by a set of moral principles and values it is called:

A) the rule of law.
B) ethics.
C) a mission environment.
D) none of these.

Question 31

____ is an extension of the idea of managerial ethics and refers to management's obligation to make choices and take action so that the organization contributes to the welfare and interest of all organizational stakeholders.

A) Culture strength
B) Values-based leadership
C) Corporate Social Responsibility
D) External adaptation

Question 32

Which of the following types of corporate cultures have core values that managers care mainly about themselves, their immediate work group, or some product associated with that work group?

A) Bureaucratic
B) Adaptive
C) Mission
D) Nonadaptive

Question 33

____ are principles that guide the decisions and behaviors of managers with regard to whether they are right or wrong in a moral sense.

A) Managerial ethics
B) Social responsibility
C) Codes of ethics
D) Organization culture

Question 34

Ethical training programs may include:

A) ethical frameworks such as the utilitarian approach.
B) may include the stages of moral development.
C) give ethical dilemmas for discussion.
D) all of these.

Question 35

Formal structure and formal systems that can be used to shape ethical values include all except:

A) ethics committee.
B) repetition of words such as those ending Wal-Mart's cheer: "Who's No. 1? The Customer!"
C) whistle-blowing disclosure mechanism.
D) code of ethics.

Question 36

Symbols are narratives based on true events that are frequently shared among organizational employees and told to new employees to inform them about an organization.

Question 37

____ develop to reflect the common problems, goals, and experiences that members of a team, department, or other unit share.

A) Learning organization
B) Ethical committees
C) Subcultures
D) Ethics hotlines

Question 38

The ____ arises from a set of codified principles and regulations that describe how people are required to act, are generally accepted in society, and are enforceable in the courts.

A) code of ethics
B) rule of law
C) core values
D) managerial ethics

Question 39

Written rules and policies are an integral part of corporate culture.

Question 40

In studies of culture and effectiveness, it has been found that two factors form the basis of the fit: (1) the extent to which the environment requires change or stability and (2) the extent to which the technology is analyzable or unanalyzable.

Question 41

Most managers today are moving towards bureaucratic cultures because of a need for greater flexibility.

Question 42

In successful organizations, cultures becomes set and therefore does not require adaptation to the environment.

Question 43

Learning ethical frameworks helps managers to act autonomously and still think their way through a difficult decision.

Question 44

If the rule of law and ethical standards were drawn as a Venn Diagram, the two circles would overlap completely.

Question 45

Several subcultures may exist within large organizations, each differing from each other and from the culture as a whole.

Question 46

The adaptability culture encourages entrepreneurial values, norms, and beliefs that support the capacity of the organization to detect, interpret, and translate signals from the environment into new behavior responses.

Question 47

The three sources of ethical values in organizations are: worker ethics, managerial ethics, and social responsibility.

Question 48

Values-based leadership is best instituted throughout the management hierarchy via an authoritative directive.

Question 49

A clan culture exists in a stable environment with an internal strategic focus.

Question 50

In a mission culture, managers shape behavior by envisioning and communicating a desired future state for the organization.

Question 51

All legal requirements are ethical standards.

Question 52

Companies that put ethics on the back burner in favor of fast growth and short-term profits succeed in the long-run.

Question 53

Top leaders are responsible for creating and sustaining a culture that emphasizes the importance of ethical behavior for every employee.

Question 54

Whistle-blowing is a disclosure mechanism.

Question 55

Culture strength refers to there being a low number of different subcultures within the culture as a whole.

Question 56

The bureaucratic culture has a primary focus on the involvement and participation of the organization's members and on rapidly changing expectations from the external environment.

Question 57

The culture encouraging risk taking, change, and improvement is a value of a learning organization with a strong adaptive culture.

Question 58

A strong organization culture is a primary characteristic of a learning organization.

Question 59

In a bureaucratic culture, an important value is taking care of employees and making sure they have whatever they need to help them be satisfied as well as productive.

Question 60

All ethical standards are legal requirements.

Question 61

What kinds of leadership symbols are important in the creation of a positive corporate culture? Give specific examples.

Question 62

Explain the differences between the various types of rites--passage and integration.

Question 63

Give an example of an ethical dilemma that would perplex you as a manager if it were to occur in an organization where you work. What makes the situation you describe meet the definition of "ethical dilemma?"

Question 64

Explain why ethical behavior of companies is as much an issue of organization culture as it is an issue of personal ethics.

Question 65

Discuss how organizations are managing and coordinating ethics activities.

Question 66

Why should whistle-blowers be protected in an organization? In your opinion, where does protection of the whistle-blower fall in the relationship between legal requirements (or rule of law) and ethical standards?

Question 67

Describe the characteristics that define values-based leaders.

Question 68

Take a position on the following statement: A bureaucratic culture is less employee-oriented than a clan culture. Defend your position.

Question 69

Explain social capital and its benefits to an organization.

Question 70

Discuss and draw a diagram of the relationship between ethical standards and legal requirements.

Question 71

Assume that you have just been promoted to a plant manager's position in a city 500 miles from your previous position. As you become acquainted with the workers, supervisors, and procedures of the plant, you come to the conclusion that the values and attitudes of the workers and supervisors are the source of the low morale in the plant, as well as the apathetic attitude toward production. Quality inspections have shown that there are a large number of defects in the finished product. Explain the kinds of things you might do to change the organizational culture to one that will be more conducive to positive morale and higher production with better quality.

Question 72

What is values-based leadership? Give an example.

Question 73

Explain corporate social responsibility and why so many companies are embracing it. Give some examples of ways companies are good corporate citizens.

Question 74

List and describe the three values incorporated into a strong adaptive culture.

Question 75

Some organizations have dress codes that limit individual freedom in the workplace. Do such rules inhibit the establishment of corporate culture?

Question 76

What are the major differences between the adaptability culture and the mission culture? Which of these two would be most appropriate for a company in a high tech industry and why?

Question 77

Identify a specific organization that has a culture you know enough about to discuss. Then describe that organization's culture at both of its levels. In your answer, let it be clear what makes up each of the two levels.

Question 78

The president of a college once said in a guest lecture to a management class on his campus that, "The only important facet of leadership is symbolism." Although many people on his campus would disagree with his views on leadership because of mismanagement that occurred during his presidency, his claim about the importance of symbolism lives on. Explain his view in light of our text's discussion of values based leadership.

Question 79

Discuss culture strength and organizational subcultures.

Question 80

What are the important functions of corporate culture in an organization?