Deck 2: Organizational Culture and the Organizational Environment

Question 1

Organizational culture is a perception, not a reality.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Organizations help employees adapt to the culture through socialization.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Aggressiveness and attention to detail are two key dimensions of organizational culture.

Question 5

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

Question 6

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

Question 7

Strong cultures have a greater influence on employees' behaviours than weak ones.

Question 8

The symbolic view of management helps to explain the high turnover among college/university and professional sports coaches, who are often fired and replaced when their teams perform poorly.

Question 9

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

Question 10

The organizational culture has very little influence on the way employees analyze and resolve work-related issues.

Question 11

The degree to which employees are expected to exhibit precision and attention to detail is called "outcome orientation".

Question 12

Organizational culture is a system of shared meaning and beliefs held by organizational members.

Question 13

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

Question 14

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

Question 15

In "aggressive" cultures, employees exhibit competitiveness.

Question 16

The shared aspect of culture implies that all employees in an organization approve of the culture.

Question 17

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

Question 18

The degree to which managers focus on results rather than on how the results are achieved is typical of innovative cultures.

Question 19

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

Question 20

Subcultures give the organization its distinct personality.

Question 21

Internal constraints that restrict a manager's decision options arise from __________.

A) the organization's environment
B) the activities of industry competitors
C) the rules and policies implemented by top managers
D) the laws and regulations governing workplace practices
E) the organization's culture

Question 22

A degree of playfulness and a sense of humour are often characteristics of innovative cultures.

Question 23

The symbolic view of management means that __________.

A) managers are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure
B) managers have only a limited effect on organizational outcomes
C) successful managers become role models for employees
D) employees are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure
E) managers are only responsible for those factors that influence organizational performance

Question 24

An organizational culture that is most likely to shape high ethical standards is one that is low in risk tolerance and focused primarily on outcomes.

Question 25

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

Question 26

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

Question 27

The reality in management theory suggests that ________.

A) an organization's success or failure is due to external forces outside managers' control
B) managers' roles are increasingly becoming peripheral and staff manage their own areas of expertise
C) managers are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure
D) managers operate with constraints that influence an organization's performance
E) employees have more influence on success than managers

Question 28

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

Question 29

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

Question 30

A dynamic environment is characterized by the absence of new competitors, few technological breakthroughs by current competitors, and little activity by pressure groups to influence the organization.

Question 31

To a national television network such as the CBC, your home DVD player could be considered a competitor.

Question 32

Material symbols include the size of offices, the elegance of furnishings, and executive perks such as health club memberships.

Question 33

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

Question 34

Giving service/contract employees the discretion to make day-to-day decisions on job-related activities is instrumental in creating in a customer-responsive culture.

Question 35

The general environment refers to the broad internal conditions affecting the organization.

Question 36

A good example of an organizational story is the process that college/university faculty members go through in their quest for tenure.

Question 37

Environmental uncertainty looks at the number of components in an organization's environment and the extent of the knowledge that the organization has about those components.

Question 38

The omnipotent view of management means __________.

A) the top manager is the only person in charge
B) managers are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure
C) managers are directly responsible for all internal factors within their control
D) managers have little or no responsibility for an organization's success or failure
E) outside forces have the most influence on organizational outcomes

Question 39

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) dynamic
B) symbolic
C) omnipotent
D) reflective
E) interactive

Question 40

Industry conditions are an example of an organization's general environment.

Question 41

The soccer league in England is notorious for the number of team managers fired over the course of a single season, which stands at no fewer than eight managers on average, owing to poor team form and consequently, poor results. It is evident from this information that the league endorses a(n) ________ view of management.

A) symbolic
B) omnipotent
C) laissez-faire
D) democratic
E) autocratic

Question 42

Despite the existence of both internal and external constraints, managers can still improve organizational performance by ____________________.

A) delegating more responsibility to employees
B) influencing the organization's culture and environment
C) electing new government officials at the federal and provincial levels
D) redesigning the organization's structure
E) introducing new rules and procedures

Question 43

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

A) high employee turnover
B) decreased organizational performance
C) low loyalty towards the organization
D) inability to respond to changing conditions
E) restraints on individual creativity

Question 44

Managers operate within the internal and external constraints imposed by __________.

A) federal and provincial governments
B) the employees of the organization
C) the organization's culture and environment
D) the organization's board of directors
E) industry regulation

Question 45

The degree to which managers focus on results rather than how the results are achieved relates to which dimension of organizational culture?

A) attention to detail
B) innovation and risk-taking
C) outcome orientation
D) aggressiveness
E) stability

Question 46

Google has often been cited as a model for employee satisfaction. Google takes extensive care to ensure employees have the best available conditions to perform, ranging from free snack bars, free massages, innovation rooms, spas-on-site, and many more such measures. Which dimension of organizational culture is Google said to emphasize through such measures?

A) stability
B) attention to detail
C) aggressiveness
D) people orientation
E) innovation

Question 47

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

A) is shared among the first workers hired into the organization
B) is formulated by the board of directors when the organization is formed
C) identifies what the organization is successful at doing
D) reflects the vision or mission of the organization's founders
E) can be traced to the national culture of the first organizational members

Question 48

________ has been described as the shared values, principles, traditions, and ways of doing things that influence the way an organization's members act.

A) Corporate hierarchy
B) Business configuration
C) Organizational culture
D) Industrial psychology
E) Business culture

Question 49

An organization's culture is __________.

A) represented in organizational meetings by the top manager of the organization
B) represented by a common perception held by interest groups that watch the organization
C) represented by a common perception held by the organization's members
D) changed when the organization is purchased by new owners
E) determined by the nationality of its employees

Question 50

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

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

Question 51

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

A) Managers are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure.
B) Managers have to ensure that every obstacle is overcome on the way to achieving the organization's goals.
C) External forces are responsible for an organization's success or failure.
D) Employees are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure.
E)

Question 52

The process that adapts employees to the organization's culture is called __________.

A) indoctrination
B) assimilation
C) socialization
D) cooperation
E) association

Question 53

Which of the following statements highlights the shared aspect of culture?

A) Organizational culture is concerned with how members perceive the culture and describe it, not with whether they like it.
B) Organizational culture is not something that can be physically touched or seen, but employees perceive it on the basis of what they experience within the organization.
C) The original source of the culture of an organization reflects the vision of the organization's founders.
D) Even though individuals may have different backgrounds or work at different organizational levels, they tend to describe the organization's culture in similar terms.
E) The dominant source of the culture of an organization reflects the vision of the organization's most prominent managers.

Question 54

The degree to which employees are expected to exhibit precision in their work relates to which dimension of organizational culture?

A) outcome orientation
B) stability
C) innovation and risk-taking
D) conformance
E) attention to detail

Question 55

Organizational culture is most similar to an individual's __________.

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

Question 56

Elmo Research & Development has been going through a rough patch lately. Turnover has been high and employee morale is at an all-time low. Though employees and competitors hold management responsible for the decline, the CEO does not let the managers go or change the management style. Which of the following could explain this attitude?

A) The CEO holds the omnipotent view of management, which believes that external factors have a significant effect on performance outcomes.
B) As the organization has an autocratic management style, the employees are responsible for organizational policies.
C) The organization has a participative management style and decisions are guided by consensus.
D) The CEO holds the view that managers have only a limited role in organization success or failure.
E) The CEO does not have the authority to let the managers go or change the management style.

Question 57

Most organizations have __________ cultures.

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

Question 58

Strong cultures __________.

A) are found in organizations with strong leaders
B) have a minimal influence on employee decision-making
C) exist in all organizations
D) have a greater influence on employees than do weak cultures
E) always yield positive results

Question 59

Which of the following views of managerial impact is useful in explaining the high turnover among college/university and professional sports coaches who are often fired or replaced when their teams perform poorly?

A) symbolic
B) omnipotent
C) reflective
D) interactive
E) dynamic

Question 60

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

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

Question 61

By learning organizational language, members __________.

A) can communicate with the shareholders of the organization
B) show their commitment to the organization and their willingness to accept responsibility
C) attest to their acceptance of the culture and their willingness to help preserve it
D) can share material symbols with other members
E) can provide explanations and legitimacy for current practices

Question 62

The Internet is having an impact on determining who an organization's competitors are because it has __________.

A) defined the common markets for all industry competitors
B) made the products they sell more valuable to the customer
C) virtually eliminated the need for shopping malls
D) virtually eliminated geographic boundaries
E) made it more difficult for smaller competitors to compete on a global scale

Question 63

For an organization such as a hospital that needs nurses, the labour union and the local labour market are examples of which factors in their specific environment?

A) pressure groups and suppliers
B) customers and special-interest groups
C) all are examples of suppliers
D) government agencies and competitors
E) pressure groups and competitors

Question 64

An organizational culture most likely to shape high ethical standards is one that is __________.

A) high in risk tolerance, low to moderate in aggressiveness, and focuses on both means and outcomes
B) low to moderate in risk tolerance, high in aggressiveness, and focuses on both means and outcomes
C) low in risk tolerance, high in aggressiveness, and focuses primarily on outcomes
D) high in risk tolerance, high in aggressiveness, and focuses on means rather than outcomes
E) high in risk tolerance, low in aggressiveness, and focuses primarily on outcomes

Question 65

A good example of an organizational __________ is Mary Kay Cosmetics' annual award ceremony for its sales representatives.

A) story
B) material symbol
C) ritual
D) agenda
E) theme

Question 66

Which type of culture would most likely include characteristics such as challenge, freedom, idea time, playfulness, and risk-taking?

A) ethical
B) customer-responsive
C) autocratic
D) innovative
E) bureaucratic

Question 67

Which of the following dimensions of organizational culture refers to the degree to which organizational decisions and actions emphasize maintaining the status quo?

A) stability
B) attention to detail
C) innovation and risk taking
D) people orientation
E) outcome orientation

Question 68

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

A) language
B) rituals
C) symbols
D) ceremonies
E) stories

Question 69

The external environment is made up of which two components?

A) organizational culture and general environment
B) specific environment and general environment
C) primary environment and secondary environment
D) primary environment and general environment
E) national culture and specific environment

Question 70

Organizational __________ typically contain(s) a narrative of significant events or people.

A) stories
B) rituals
C) meetings
D) histories
E) theme

Question 71

Which type of culture would most likely include characteristics such as friendliness, attentiveness, good listening skills, and widespread empowerment?

A) ethical
B) customer-responsive
C) autocratic
D) innovative
E) bureaucratic

Question 72

Which of the following is an example of a corporate ritual?

A) Employees swapping stories about the company's history and past heroes who have made significant contributions to the company.
B) Company executives using company-specific jargon or slogans intended to inspire other employees to perform better.
C) Companies hosting annual parties to commemorate employee contributions and reward outstanding performance.
D) The assortment of material artifacts that characterize an organization, including the layout of its facilities, how its employees dress, and the types of automobiles provided to top executives.
E) Winning bid awarded to an advertising agency for a campaign for new product.

Question 73

The size of offices, the elegance of furnishings, and executive perks such as health club memberships are all examples of __________.

A) themes
B) agendas
C) material symbols
D) rituals
E) rewards

Question 74

In an organizational culture that values cost cutting and steady but slow growth, managers _______________.

A) make short term strategic plans and change them often
B) are likely to pursue new but unproven ventures to increase profits
C) rely increasingly on employee feedback
D) are unlikely to implement innovative ventures that could be profitable
E) focus all their efforts on employee job satisfaction

Question 75

Corporate __________ are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the values of the organization, what goals are most important, and which people are most important.

A) languages
B) themes
C) rituals
D) agendas
E) stories

Question 76

An organization's specific environment __________.

A) is unique and changes with conditions
B) is the same regardless of the organization's age
C) is determined by the top level of management
D) includes demographic and technological conditions that may affect the organization
E) includes economic and global conditions that may affect the organization

Question 77

Which of the following is included in an organization's specific environment?

A) interest rates
B) government legislation
C) demographics
D) competitors
E) inflation

Question 78

Which of the following guidelines should managers follow while building a customer-responsive culture?

A) Precisely defining employees' normal job requirements and ensuring they perform those actions alone
B) Giving service/contact employees continual training on product knowledge, listening, and other behavioral skills
C) Designing jobs with rules and procedure that employees should stick to in order to satisfy customers
D) Preserving the discretion to make day-to-day decisions on job-related activities at the top level of management
E) Awarding employees who prove cost savings from minimizing time spent on customers.

Question 79

The specific environment of organizations consists of external forces that have a direct impact on managers' decisions and actions. The main forces are customers, suppliers, competitors, and __________.

A) legislators
B) pressure groups
C) employees
D) lawyers
E) shareholders

Question 80

According to the textbook, the __________ environment includes those external 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) general
B) specific
C) secondary
D) global
E) primary