Deck 16: Organizational Culture

Question 1

A strong culture should reduce employee turnover because it results in ________.

A) a highly centralized organization
B) narrow spans of control
C) cohesiveness and organizational commitment
D) a highly formalized organization
E) an outcome-oriented organization

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true regarding an organization's culture?

A) Organizational culture is evaluative rather than descriptive.
B) Large organizations rarely have subcultures.
C) A dominant culture expresses the core values shared by a majority of the organization's members.
D) A strong culture increases employee turnover.
E) Subcultures and dominant cultures must not share any common values.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Trends Inc. is an apparel company. To keep up with the latest changes in the fashion industry, the company has to come up with innovative designs and follow strict time lines. The culture of the company values aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking. The members of the organization accept these cultural values. They know exactly what is expected of them and these expectations go a long way in shaping their behavior. In addition to this, the culture of the marketing department is outcome oriented, and the finance department emphasizes attention to detail. The organizational culture of Trends Inc. values aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking. These characteristics express its ________.

A) autocratic culture
B) subculture
C) highly formalized culture
D) reflective culture
E) dominant culture

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Organizational characteristics can be used to predict attitudes and behaviors of the people within the organization.

Question 5

Which of the following is not a characteristic of organizational culture?

A) attention to detail
B) innovation and risk taking
C) process orientation
D) team orientation
E) outcome orientation

Question 6

Which of the following statements distinguishes between organizational culture and job satisfaction?

A) Job satisfaction is descriptive, whereas organizational culture is evaluative.
B) Organizational culture is static, whereas job satisfaction is dynamic.
C) Job satisfaction is immeasurable, whereas organizational culture is measurable.
D) Organizational culture is descriptive, whereas job satisfaction is evaluative.
E) Organizational culture measures how employees feel about an organization's expectations, whereas job satisfaction is concerned about how employees perceive the organization's culture.

Question 7

The values that convey an organization's culture and are widely accepted throughout the organization are known as ________.

A) foundational values
B) core values
C) shared values
D) institutional values
E) unique values

Question 8

The key characteristic of organizational culture that addresses the degree to which people are competitive rather than easygoing is termed ________.

A) assertiveness
B) team orientation
C) aversiveness
D) risk taking
E) aggressiveness

Question 9

"Stability" is one of the seven primary characteristics that capture the essence of an organization's culture. It indicates the degree to which ________.

A) employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks
B) management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on the techniques and processes used to achieve them
C) management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization
D) work activities are organized around teams rather than individuals
E) organizational activities emphasize maintaining the status quo in contrast to growth

Question 10

Which of the following is most likely to be the indicator of a strong organizational culture?

A) high employee turnover
B) narrow span of control
C) employees' diverse views of organization's mission
D) presence of several subcultures
E) widely shared values

Question 11

Trends Inc. is an apparel company. To keep up with the latest changes in the fashion industry, the company has to come up with innovative designs and follow strict time lines. The culture of the company values aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking. The members of the organization accept these cultural values. They know exactly what is expected of them and these expectations go a long way in shaping their behavior. In addition to this, the culture of the marketing department is outcome oriented, and the finance department emphasizes attention to detail. Aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking are the ________ of the culture of Trends Inc.

A) foundational values
B) institutional traits
C) core values
D) significant traits
E) unique values

Question 12

Trends Inc. is an apparel company. To keep up with the latest changes in the fashion industry, the company has to come up with innovative designs and follow strict time lines. The culture of the company values aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking. The members of the organization accept these cultural values. They know exactly what is expected of them and these expectations go a long way in shaping their behavior. In addition to this, the culture of the marketing department is outcome oriented, and the finance department emphasizes attention to detail. Based on the information in the example, we can say that Trends Inc. ________.

A) is a highly centralized organization
B) is a virtual organization
C) has a strong culture
D) is a highly formalized organization
E) is a matrix organization

Question 13

Cultures that tend to develop in large organizations to reflect common problems, situations, or experiences faced by groups of members in the same department or location are often called ________.

A) micro-cultures
B) subcultures
C) divisional cultures
D) microcosms
E) counter cultures

Question 14

An organizations culture develops over time and is rooted in ________ to which employees are strongly committed.

A) values
B) tasks
C) rewards
D) both A and B
E) all A, B, and C

Question 15

Both ________ and strong culture achieve the same end result of predictability, orderliness, and consistency.

A) high formalization
B) low departmentalization
C) wide span of control
D) low work specialization
E) people orientation

Question 16

In addition to the organizational culture, the finance department emphasizes attention to detail. In this example, attention to detail is a part of the ________ of the organization.

A) core values
B) significant traits
C) dominant culture
D) foundational values
E) subculture

Question 17

Which of the following statements is not true regarding subcultures?

A) Subcultures include core values of the organization.
B) Subcultures typically exist within a department.
C) When we talk about an organization's culture, we are referring to its subculture.
D) If organizations were composed only of numerous subcultures, organizational culture as an independent variable would be significantly less powerful.
E) Subcultures influence members' behavior.

Question 18

Alessio's boss doesn't care whether Alessio works at home, at the office, or from his beach house. All he cares about is that the project is completed on time, on budget, and with exemplary quality. Which characteristic of organizational culture best describes this aspect of Alessio's job?

A) low risk taking
B) high outcome orientation
C) high attention to detail
D) low aggressiveness
E) high stability

Question 19

Which of the following characteristics of an organization's culture indicates the degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on employees within the organization?

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

Question 20

Which of the following is most likely to result from a strong organizational culture?

A) low employee turnover
B) low employee satisfaction
C) low organizational commitment
D) low agreement about what the organization represents
E) low behavioral control resulting from the climate within the organization

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true regarding the functions of culture in an organization?

A) It hinders the generation of commitment to something larger than individual self-interest.
B) It conveys a sense of identity for organization members.
C) It reduces the stability of the social system.
D) It reduces distinctions between one organization and others.
E) It does not affect employees' attitudes and behavior.

Question 22

Which of the following is not one of the five prevalent categories of the ethical climate index?

A) institutional
B) caring
C) independence
D) law/code
E) rules

Question 23

Compare and contrast dominant culture and subculture.

Question 24

Ethical Work Climate reflects the ________ of the organization and shapes the ________ of its members.

A) political viewpoints; citizenship behaviors
B) citizenship behaviors; abilities
C) abilities; true values
D) true values; ethical decision making
E) ethical decision making; political viewpoints

Question 25

What are the seven prime characteristics that capture the essence of an organization's culture?

Question 26

According to the ECI, the categories of caring, independence, rules, and law/code can influence an organization in all of the following ways except ________.

A) reduce employee turnover intentions
B) reduce workplace bullying
C) reduce employee thefts
D) reduce employee conflict
E) increase employee citizenship behaviors

Question 27

The lack of frequent face-to-face contact in ________ organizations makes establishing a common set of norms very difficult.

A) highly formalized
B) boundaryless
C) virtual
D) matrix
E) highly centralized

Question 28

Culture is most likely to be a liability when ________.

A) the employees of the organization are highly skilled
B) the organization's environment is dynamic
C) the organization's management is highly efficient
D) the organization is highly centralized
E) the organization scores low on the degree of formalization

Question 29

In recent years, ________ has become the primary concern in acquisitions and mergers.

A) cultural compatibility
B) employee diversity
C) financial advantage
D) product synergy
E) legal complication

Question 30

In which of the prevalent categories of ECI might a manager frame their decision making around the assumption that employees are motivated by self-interest?

A) instrumental
B) caring
C) independence
D) law/code
E) rules

Question 31

Describe the significant characteristics of a strong culture.

Question 32

A(n) ________ organization is an organization that takes on a life of its own, apart from its founders or members and is valued for itself and not for the goods or services it produces.

A) virtual
B) matrix
C) team
D) institutionalized
E) centralized

Question 33

Attention to detail indicates the degree to which management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on the techniques and processes used to achieve them.

Question 34

A strong culture tends to reduce employee turnover.

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true regarding the establishment of organizational culture and its effects on the organization?

A) Today's trend toward decentralized organizations makes it easier to establish a strong culture.
B) In a virtual organization, a strong culture can be established quickly and easily.
C) Employees organized in teams always show greater allegiance to the values of the organization as a whole than to their team and its values.
D) Culture acts as a control mechanism and guides the behavior of employees.
E) Cultures reduce the stability of the social system.

Question 36

A strong culture creates an internal climate of high behavioral control.

Question 37

Consistency of behavior is an asset to an organization when the organization ________.

A) has an aggressive culture
B) encourages innovation and risk taking
C) is highly departmentalized
D) has an employee oriented culture
E) operates in a stable environment

Question 38

Subcultures act to undermine the dominant culture.

Question 39

Aggressiveness is one of the seven primary characteristics that capture the essence of an organization's culture. It indicates the degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks.

Question 40

Janice works for a pet store where everyone is committed to the happiness of the animals. Often employees, bosses and hourly workers alike, come into the store "off the clock" and spend time training the animals. Everyone loves the store, the animals, and their jobs. This attitude of her coworkers inspires Janice to do her best. Based on this information, we can say that Janice is experiencing the effects of ________.

A) centralization
B) organizational climate
C) high departmentalization
D) high formalization
E) high work specialization

Question 41

Your first day at work is part of the ________ stage of socialization.

A) orientation
B) prearrival
C) encounter
D) metamorphosis
E) post-encounter

Question 42

Even if a company is a more mature company, its culture can still make it innovative.

Question 43

________ refers to practices that can be maintained over very long periods of time.

A) Laws/codes
B) Rules
C) Sustainability
D) Corporate Responsibility
E) Erosion

Question 44

In virtual organizations, it is difficult to establish a common set of norms.

Question 45

The ultimate source of an organization's culture is ________.

A) its top management
B) its environment
C) the country in which the organization operates
D) its founders
E) the sociocultural backgrounds of its employees

Question 46

Which of the following does not work to create culture?

A) Founder hires only employees who think as he/she does.
B) Founder socializes employees to think and feel in similar ways.
C) Founder acts in ways which allow employees to identify with his/her beliefs.
D) Both A and B
E) All A, B, and C

Question 47

A strong culture tends to be a liability for an organization when its environment is undergoing rapid change.

Question 48

Having a strong, positive company culture is essential to having a successful business.

Question 49

Describe the functions of organizational culture.

Question 50

The ________ stage of the socialization process explicitly recognizes that each individual that the organization comes across during the selection process has a set of values, attitudes, and expectations about both the work to be done and the organization.

A) post-encounter
B) prearrival
C) metamorphosis
D) preencounter
E) post-arrival

Question 51

Regarding the ECI, please differentiate between the categories of law/code and rules.

Question 52

Describe the various situations under which culture acts as a liability.

Question 53

Coherence around negativity and dysfunctional management systems in a corporation can pro-duce downward forces that are equally as powerful as coherence around a positive set of values and attitudes.

Question 54

Today's trend toward decentralized organizations makes it easier to establish a strong culture.

Question 55

Lynn wants to create a sustainable employee recognition program for her office. In keeping with the concepts of sustainability, which of the following is most likely to be successful?

A) Awarding 100 dollars to the "Employee of the Month"
B) Having an employee appreciation lunch every two weeks
C) Having an employee appreciation lunch the last Friday of the month
D) Having employees write five appreciation cards to coworkers every month
E) Giving an extra week of vacation to the "Employee of the Year"

Question 56

You are new to an organization and do not really know what to expect about the socialization process. You are a recent M.B.A. and have an undergraduate degree in computer science. Your new firm is a software development company with an emphasis in the health care industry. Your hiring process includes campus interviews, a day-long trip for an interview at the company, an offer phone call and letter, and some promotional material sent via the mail. When you arrive for your first day at work, you spend half a day in an orientation session that is conducted by the human resources department, where you complete paperwork and receive a company handbook. Then you spend the rest of the day with your supervisor, who gives you a tour, introduces you to your coworkers, and explains your first project. After that, you begin working and getting to know the others in the company. You find that in most respects, your experience fits your expectations, but in some ways you are surprised by realities that you hadn't expected. None of these surprises is too difficult to accept, so you eventually begin to feel at home and happy with your new job. The information that you receive during the interviewing and hiring process is a part of the ________ stage of employee socialization.

A) preencounter
B) prearrival
C) encounter
D) metamorphosis
E) post-encounter

Question 57

The most innovative companies are often characterized by all of the following except ________.

A) vision-driven
B) collaborative
C) entrenched cultures
D) unconventional
E) openness

Question 58

Social sustainability practices address the ways that social systems affect an organization in the short term.

Question 59

According to the ECI, organizations progress through different categories as their business life cycle progresses.

Question 60

The selection process helps sustain the organization's culture by ________.

A) encouraging discussion about norms
B) hiring candidates who fit well within the organization
C) selecting employees who deserve to be promoted
D) developing performance evaluation criteria
E) rewarding conformity of skills

Question 61

In the socialization process, the period of learning that occurs before a new employee joins an organization is termed the encounter stage.

Question 62

For newcomers to an organization, the level of support they receive generally decreases over the first few weeks. Why is this?

A) Everyone is trying to protect their environment.
B) Managers are trying to see if the employee can make it on their own.
C) Everyone is too busy to help the new person.
D) The organization simply returns to "business as usual."
E) The new employee's incoming job satisfaction should sustain them.

Question 63

When you begin to notice things that are not as per your expectation, you are in the ________ stage of socialization.

A) orientation
B) prearrival
C) encounter
D) metamorphosis
E) post-arrival

Question 64

New employees are usually comfortable with their organizations by the end of the ________ stage of socialization.

A) encounter
B) post-arrival
C) establishment
D) metamorphosis
E) adaptation

Question 65

Which of the following steps could your supervisor take to best help you develop a commitment to your new company?

A) encourage you to work independently at first to learn the ropes
B) explain the rules and policies of the organization to you
C) discourage you from putting too much emphasis on your perception of the organization
D) encourage you to look carefully at your own assumptions, which may be biased
E) encourage you to develop friendship ties within the organization

Question 66

How does organizational culture develop?

Question 67

Describe the significance of selection in the context of maintaining the organizational culture.

Question 68

Describe the three stages involved in the process of socialization.

Question 69

Identify the correct order in the socialization process.

A) encounter, metamorphosis, post-encounter
B) prearrival, arrival, evaluation
C) prearrival, arrival, post-arrival
D) prearrival, encounter, metamorphosis
E) metamorphosis, preencounter, arrival

Question 70

The process of socialization consists of three stages. Which of the following is one of these three stages?

A) prearrival
B) preencounter
C) evaluation
D) post-arrival
E) post-encounter

Question 71

Elsa joined her new law firm expecting to participate in exciting environmental law cases, and cutting edge research. After one month at the firm she still hasn't been assigned a case and spends most of her time filing standardized appeals for title disputes with insurance companies. In which stage of the socialization process is Elsa?

A) prearrival
B) encounter
C) metamorphosis
D) post-encounter
E) post-arrival

Question 72

The more management relies on formal, collective, sequential, fixed, and serial socialization programs and emphasizes divestiture, the more likely newcomers' differences will be stripped away and replaced by standardized predictable behaviors.

Question 73

________ is a process that helps new employees adapt to the prevailing organizational culture.

A) Satisficing
B) Reciprocal interdependence
C) Socialization
D) Formalization
E) Social loafing

Question 74

When you start to accept the differences between your expectations and the reality of the organization, you move into the ________ stage of socialization.

A) prearrival
B) post-arrival
C) acceptance
D) metamorphosis
E) post-encounter

Question 75

During the ________ stage, a new employee compares her expectations with the realities in the organization.

A) prearrival
B) encounter
C) metamorphosis
D) post-arrival
E) post-encounter

Question 76

During the metamorphosis stage of the socialization process, a new employee compares her expectations-about the job, coworkers, the boss, and the organization in general-with the reality in the organization.

Question 77

One of the main ways that culture is created and maintained within an organization is for the founder to only hire and keep employees who think and feel the same as he/she does. Discuss both the pros and cons of this idea and offer an opinion as to why this system can be effective.

Question 78

During the socialization process, to work out any problems discovered during the encounter stage, the new member changes or goes through the ________ stage.

A) post-arrival
B) metamorphosis
C) post-encounter
D) analysis
E) evaluation

Question 79

If there is a basic conflict between the individual's expectations and the reality of working in an organization, the employee is most likely to be disillusioned and quit during the ________ stage of socialization.

A) prearrival
B) post-arrival
C) encounter
D) metamorphosis
E) post-encounter

Question 80

The ________ process helps candidates learn about the organization and if employees perceive a conflict between their values and those of the organization, they can remove themselves from the applicant pool.

A) orientation
B) training
C) performance evaluation
D) selection
E) institutionalization