Deck 6: The Multicultural Environment

Question 1

A unique set of issues involving social culture can arises within the boundaries of an organization only when there is multiculturalism.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

As long as managers provide adequate communication to their employees,diversity should flourish.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Sexual harassment is unethical,but legal.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Organizations must hire and promote people today solely on the basis of their qualifications.

Question 5

The percentage of the population over 65 is growing at the fastest rate in China because the one child per couple law is decreasing the birthrate.

Question 6

Political differences in a group can lead to multiculturalism but not diversity.

Question 7

Empathy makes managers too concerned with people and not enough with tasks.

Question 8

Immigration into the United States is at its lowest rate since 1910.

Question 9

Effective managers control cultural forces to minimize the effect on organizations.

Question 10

As employees and managers move from assignment to assignment across national boundaries,organizations and their subsidiaries within each country thus become less diverse and multicultural.

Question 11

Treating everyone the same is the only fair way to manage.

Question 12

The glass ceiling applies to all minorities.

Question 13

An organization that follows the Equal Employment Opportunity law will not have problems or conflicts with diversity.

Question 14

By hiring the most qualified individual for the job,diversity in the workplace can be increased.

Question 15

The cost argument suggests that organizations with diverse workforces are generally more innovative than other organizations.

Question 16

Ginger has been with XYZ Products for over 30 years and has no intention of retiring.This is good for XYZ because the experience Ginger has is valuable to the company,and her costs to the company in terms of benefits continue to decrease the longer she stays with the firm.

Question 17

It is not just people born with disabilities who need assistive technology.More and more,technology is assisting people who acquire disabilities later in life.

Question 18

Organization policies are a starting point for how people are treated by the organization,but they don't give the whole picture.

Question 19

The minority group that is expected to have the highest growth rate in terms of workplace representation in the next few years is Latinos.

Question 20

Maria gets upset when Raj takes off every Hindu holiday,especially when he has to miss important meetings.If she had her way,he would be allowed to take only national holidays.Maria is showing a willingness to communicate with Raj about diversity.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a reason for rising diversity?

A)Changing demographics
B)Globalization
C)Legislative and judicial decisions in the United States
D)International travel
E)Competition to get a quality workforce

Question 22

Multicultural organizations have achieved high levels of diversity upon which they can capitalize,and they have few problems arising from this diversity.

Question 23

When an organization's composition reflects that of the external labor market,full structural integration has occurred.

Question 24

Diversity is more generally used to refer to

A)demographic differences among people within a culture.
B)cultural differences in the various regions of the United States.
C)psychographic differences among people, such as enjoying different hobbies.
D)all geographic, psychographic, and demographic differences.
E)differences in work ethics among people within an organization.

Question 25

Every group in a pluralistic organization tries to understand one another.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a method managers can use to change organization culture?

A)Reward people who behave in a manner consistent with the existing culture
B)Adopt new slogans
C)Hire outsiders into management positions
D)Stage new ceremonies
E)Break with tradition and host an annual awards banquet

Question 27

San Francisco County,California,is the most diverse county in the nation because people of different nationalities have long been attracted to the area.The proportions of major ethnic groups are closer to being equal than anywhere else.Which of the following factors most contributed to the diversity of this county?

A)Changing demographics
B)Globalization
C)Legislation
D)Downsizing
E)Desire to improve quality of workforce

Question 28

Diversity training can help employees who have received an overseas assignment get ready to live in a different culture.

Question 29

Which of the following does NOT typically shape an organization culture?

A)Past successes
B)The organization design
C)The history of the organization
D)Shared experiences
E)Symbols, stories, and slogans

Question 30

Diversity

A)is an absolute phenomenon.
B)can be defined in terms of a single dimension.
C)can be conceptualized as a continuum.
D)is a hypothetical concept.
E)is not important in most organizations.

Question 31

____ is the set of values that helps its members understand what the organization considers important.

A)Environmental uncertainty
B)Organization structure
C)Organization design
D)Organization culture
E)Environmental responsiveness

Question 32

People enter and exit the lunch groups,social networks,and grapevine at Chelsea Community Hospital.It has pluralism.

Question 33

Companies with federal government contracts must have a workforce that represents the demographics of their specific regions.This is an example of how ____ has(have)affected diversity.

A)demographics
B)monoculturalism
C)globalization
D)legislation
E)organization culture

Question 34

____ is defined as the broad issues associated with differences in values,beliefs,behaviors,customs,and attitudes held by people in different cultures.

A)Diversity
B)Multiculturalism
C)Organization culture
D)Global culture
E)The cultural environment

Question 35

Which of the following describes a determinant of organization culture?

A)The story of how the founder of the company mixed cosmetics at her kitchen table
B)Its slogan, "We are what every woman desires."
C)The memory of when the company was merged with another cosmetics manufacturer
D)Its success in developing and marketing a line of hypoallergenic cosmetics
E)All of these choices

Question 36

Princeton Alliance Church attendance appears to be 30% white,30% Asian,25% black and 15% Latino.The congregation is

A)diverse.
B)heterogeneous.
C)homogeneous.
D)diverse on the basis of political ideology.
E)using a poor recruitment system.

Question 37

When a group's members differ from each other by ethnicity they have

A)a cultural environment.
B)multiculturalism.
C)organization culture.
D)global culture.
E)diversity.

Question 38

Which of the following statements about the nature of an organization is TRUE?

A)An organization's culture is unrelated to its diversity because diversity is typically legally mandated.
B)Significant multiculturalism exists no matter what type of organization culture exists.
C)Total diversity is more likely to exist than no diversity.
D)Diversity within an organization should be conceptualized as a continuum.
E)An organization's diversity is unrelated to its social culture.

Question 39

Problems that arise from diversity should not be handled with policies,but rather on an individual basis.

Question 40

Which of the following statements about organization culture is TRUE?

A)Culture determines the feel of an organization.
B)Organization culture is the foundation of the internal environment of an organization.
C)Organization culture defies objective measurement or observation.
D)Companies that have a strong culture tend to be more effective than companies that have a weak culture.
E)All of these choices

Question 41

The biggest predicted change with respect to ethnicity will be for

A)whites and Hispanics.
B)whites and Asian Americans.
C)whites and African Americans.
D)Hispanics and Asian Americans.
E)African Americans and Hispanics.

Question 42

Over the past ten years,more than 50 percent of the promotions to partner at the law firm of Smithers and Johnson have been given to women.This trend could be explained by

A)the firm's realization that women would improve the quality of the legal service provided by the firm.
B)affirmative action legislation.
C)an increase in the number of female lawyers graduating from law school.
D)the increased number of women in the labor force.
E)All of these choices

Question 43

The overall age of the workforce is growing older because

A)the number of workers retiring early is increasing.
B)the proportion of high school students going to college before entering the workforce is increasing.
C)unemployed workers are waiting until the economy improves to reenter the workforce.
D)employers have become more cautious about hiring older workers.
E)the number of new entrants into the workforce is decreasing, and the baby boomers are moving into the over-45 age range.

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT a dimension of diversity?

A)Obesity
B)Dietary preferences
C)Single parent
D)Astrological sign
E)Dual-career couples

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT an argument that has been proposed for how multiculturalism contributes to competitiveness?

A)Cost argument
B)Management argument
C)Marketing argument
D)Problem-solving argument
E)Systems flexibility argument

Question 46

Which of the following statements is NOT a reason why managers should pay attention to the aging workforce?

A)Older workers tend to be more stable, leaving their organizations less frequently.
B)Older workers have more experience that could be of value to the organization.
C)Older workers may make greater contributions to their organization's productivity.
D)Older workers may need additional insurance and medical benefits.
E)Older workers are less able to learn new skills and adapt more slowly to new technology.

Question 47

PepsiCo consistently ranks as a great place for minorities to work.PepsiCo is thus better able to attract qualified employees.This illustrates the ____ argument.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)problem-solving

Question 48

Which of the following statements does NOT describe one of the results of the declining pool of younger workers?

A)A greater number of older workers mean that a company's workforce will be less stable.
B)Productivity should increase since older workers make greater contributions to productivity.
C)Insurance and medical costs to organizations are likely to increase.
D)Obtaining new workers will be increasingly difficult.
E)There will be fewer potential entrants into the labor force.

Question 49

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the average age of the American workforce?

A)It is much younger than it was 20 years ago.
B)It is much younger than Japan's workforce.
C)There are equal numbers of workers in each age category.
D)It is increasing.
E)It is not influenced by baby boomers.

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT listed as a reason for the increase in the age of the American workforce?

A)The baby-boom generation
B)Fewer children being born to the baby-boom generation
C)Better medical care
D)Globalization
E)Insufficient savings

Question 51

Which of the following ethnic groups is expected to experience a drop in the percentage of workers in the workforce by the year 2025?

A)Hispanics
B)Asian Americans
C)African Americans
D)Whites
E)Native Americans

Question 52

Members of the ____ group are generally overrepresented in the executive ranks of most organizations today.

A)African American
B)Latino
C)Asian
D)White male
E)Female

Question 53

Which of the following statements about the resource acquisition argument for diversity is TRUE?

A)Organizations that manage diversity and multiculturalism effectively are better able to attract qualified employees from women and minorities.
B)A manager can reduce employee absenteeism and turnover by learning how to manage diversity and multiculturalism.
C)Diversity and multiculturalism are accompanied by an increased pool of information.
D)Organizations with diversity and multiculturalism are generally more creative and innovative than other organizations.
E)Organizations with diversity and multiculturalism are better able to understand different market segments than are less diverse organizations.

Question 54

There are many reasons the median age of workers in the United States is increasing.Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A)Aging baby boomers
B)Declining birthrates
C)Improved health care
D)Younger workers attending college
E)Higher legal limits for mandatory retirement

Question 55

Debra Lee was COO at Black Entertainment Television before she became CEO.However,only 1% of black female executives reach top management.What are many of them experiencing?

A)Limited promotion mentality
B)Lack of organizational fit
C)Lack of skills needed for advancement
D)Glass ceiling
E)Closed door policy

Question 56

One cause of the glass ceiling is that

A)women have fewer managerial skills than men.
B)women do not seek to be promoted.
C)women do not possess the qualifications for higher positions.
D)men are less likely to recognize and appreciate the contributions and qualifications of women as potential top executives.
E)there are more qualified women than men in the workforce.

Question 57

When an organization effectively manages diversity,absenteeism decreases,turnover is reduced,and productivity increases.These results are suggested by the ____ argument.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)problem-solving

Question 58

The growth of multinational corporations has left little room for distinction.Any perceived competitive advantage is quickly copied.However,an area for competitive advantage remains in the level of ____ organizations attract,motivate,and retain.

A)human resources
B)talent
C)ethnicity
D)demographics
E)pluralism

Question 59

A gender-related problem that many organizations face today is called

A)the macho syndrome.
B)Mars and Venus.
C)the glass ceiling.
D)"the good old boy" network.
E)None of these choices

Question 60

Which of the following statements about the cost argument for diversity is TRUE?

A)Organizations that manage diversity and multiculturalism effectively are better able to attract qualified employees from women and minorities.
B)A manager can reduce employee absenteeism and turnover by learning how to manage diversity and multiculturalism.
C)Diversity and multiculturalism are accompanied by an increased pool of information.
D)Organizations with diversity and multiculturalism are generally more creative and innovative than other organizations.
E)Organizations with diversity and multiculturalism are better able to understand different market segments than are less diverse organizations.

Question 61

Suranga Chandratillake started Blinkx,an Internet video search company.He created Blinkx to be flexible and ready to respond to environmental change.The diverse culture at Blinkx supports this need.Suranga subscribes to the ____ argument.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)creativity

Question 62

Which of the following is an organizational approach used to manage diversity?

A)Providing managers and employees with diversity training
B)Developing a supportive organization culture
C)Having mentoring programs for women and minorities
D)Creating a diversity task force
E)All of these choices

Question 63

The staff at Nassau Swim Club is supportive of each other.When the work schedule comes out they swap with each other and volunteer to take shifts that help others observe their religious practices.They demonstrate ____.

A)understanding
B)a willingness to communicate
C)tolerance
D)empathy
E)management skills

Question 64

Paula is an American working in a German company.She gets frustrated with the German tendency to really analyze decisions.The company has been very successful for over 100 years,so Paula is practicing

A)conflict resolution.
B)tolerance.
C)empathy.
D)entropy.
E)synergy.

Question 65

Eric,an American,is an executive coach at Boeing.One of the executives he coaches is from India.Their diverse backgrounds add variety and create more solutions for management challenges.This illustrates the ____ argument.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)problem solving

Question 66

Which of the following practices indicates an organization that does NOT value diversity?

A)The benefits packages are tailored to individual needs.
B)Work hours are flexible.
C)Committee assignments are diverse.
D)Multicultural training is provided.
E)Policies and procedures follow the letter of the EEO law.

Question 67

The ____ argument supports the idea that if managers work effectively with a diverse group the organization as a whole will respond more effectively to its changing environment.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)creativity

Question 68

The starting point for managing diversity in an organization is

A)diversity training.
B)organizational policies.
C)federally sponsored affirmative action programs.
D)selective recruitment.
E)the development of supportive organization culture.

Question 69

Which of the following arguments for diversity are related?

A)Cost and resource acquisition
B)Problem solving and marketing
C)Marketing and cost
D)Systems flexibility and cost
E)Problem solving and creativity

Question 70

Lynne is an extrovert.Kyle is an introvert.Lynne has been trying to "bring Kyle out of his shell." Kyle is happy the way he is and wishes Lynne would demonstrate more ____ for others.

A)conflict
B)empathy
C)entropy
D)pluralism
E)monoculturalism

Question 71

The election of President Obama,the first African American president,shows that personal ____ is(are)decreasing among people today.

A)bias and prejudices
B)tolerance
C)empathy
D)entropy
E)synergy

Question 72

The ____ argument for diversity suggests that diverse and multicultural workforces are generally more innovative than other organizations.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)creativity

Question 73

Which of the following statements about the marketing argument for diversity is TRUE?

A)Organizations that manage diversity and multiculturalism effectively are better able to attract qualified employees from women and minorities.
B)A manager can reduce employee absenteeism and turnover by learning how to manage diversity and multiculturalism.
C)Diversity and multiculturalism are accompanied by an increased pool of information.
D)Organizations with diversity and multiculturalism are generally more creative and innovative than other organizations.
E)Organizations with diversity and multiculturalism are better able to understand different market segments than are less diverse organizations.

Question 74

Which of the following statements regarding diversity in organizations is FALSE?

A)Diverse groups may generate significantly more productivity than homogeneous groups.
B)Organizations that manage diversity well may attract a better-qualified set of job applicants.
C)Heterogeneous groups tend to be more cohesive than homogeneous groups.
D)Organizations with diverse workforces are better able to understand different market segments.
E)Diverse organizations have a larger pool of information for problem-solving purposes.

Question 75

Which of the following is NOT a strategy for managing diversity?

A)Organizational policies
B)Diversity training
C)Selective recruitment
D)Supportive organization culture
E)Organizational practices

Question 76

Which of the following statements does NOT describe a reason why interpersonal communication can be difficult in a diverse workforce?

A)Employees with different backgrounds may encode and decode messages similarly.
B)Words may have different meanings in different cultures.
C)Words may have different meanings to younger workers than to older workers.
D)Workers may speak a different language than their supervisor.
E)Symbols of respect may differ from generation to generation.

Question 77

Working Mother magazine recognized General Mills as one of the top ten companies for working families.General Mills was described as a leader in responding to employee needs for child care,flexible scheduling,and women's advancement.You can infer that General Mills agrees with the ____ argument.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)All of these choices

Question 78

The makers of Zestra,an ointment for women,used an all male marketing team.Sales were disappointing and the company filed for Chapter 11.Two women arranged financing and bought the company,changed the name,packaging,and message.Semprae is now selling well.This illustrates the ____ argument.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)creativity

Question 79

A change in the demographics around Detroit prompted a real estate company to hire agents that more closely reflected the buying market.In doing so the entire office became more flexible and able to adapt to its changing environment.This is an example of the ____ argument for diversity.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)financing
E)creativity

Question 80

Historically African Americans have voted more for Democrats than for Republicans.Michael Steele,Chairman of the Republican National Committee,is African American.As the leader of the party he is in a position to address concerns of all segments of the population.This illustrates the ____ argument.

A)resource acquisition
B)systems flexibility
C)cost
D)marketing
E)creativity