Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

The current dominant assumption in management theory suggests that ________.

Accepted Answer

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 cannot significantly affect an organization's performance because they constrained by the abilities of their employees C

Question 3

Define environmental uncertainty.Briefly discuss the dimensions of environmental uncertainty.

Accepted Answer

Environmental uncertainty refers to the degree of change and complexity in an organization's environment.
The first dimension of uncertainty is the degree of change.If the components in an organization's environment changes frequently, it is a dynamic environment.If change is minimal, it's a stable one.A stable environment might be one with no new competitors, few technological breakthroughs by current competitors, little activity by pressure groups to influence the organization, and so forth.Degree of change in this case means change that's unpredictable.If change can be accurately anticipated, it's not an uncertainty for managers.
The other dimension of uncertainty describes the degree of environmental complexity, which looks at the number of components in an organization's environment and the extent of the knowledge that the organization has about those components.An organization with fewer competitors, customers, suppliers, government agencies, and so forth faces a less complex and uncertain environment.Organizations deal with environmental complexity in various ways.Complexity is also measured in terms of the knowledge an organization needs about its environment.

Question 4

The term ________ is used to collectively refer to any constituencies in an organization's environment that are affected by its decisions and actions.

Accepted Answer

A)   competitors
B)   shareholders
C)   unions
D)   stakeholders

Question 5

List the factors that influence the strength of an organization's culture and discuss the impact of a strong organizational culture on employees.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List the factors that influence the strength...

Question 6

Which of the following groups includes individuals who were born between the years 1946-1964?

Accepted Answer

A)   the Silent Generation
B)   the Gen Y-ers
C)   the Baby Boomers
D)   Post-Millenials

Question 7

A company that aims to develop a strong sense of purpose through meaningful work has a(n) ________ organizational culture.

Accepted Answer

A)   spiritual
B)   authoritarian
C)   profit-oriented
D)   outcome-oriented

Question 8

Todd is concerned with the degree to which managers focus on results rather than techniques and the processes used to achieve those results.In other words, Todd is concerned that the company will emphasize ________ over other dimensions of the organizational culture.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT true about the environmental complexity of an organization?

Accepted Answer

A)   Environmental complexity increases as the number of competitors increases.
B)   It is measured in terms of the knowledge an organization needs about its environment.
C)   Complexity decreases as the number of regulatory agencies increases.
D)   It depends on the knowledge an organization has about the components of its environment.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

According to the symbolic view, managers have a(n) ________ effect on substantive organizational outcomes.

Accepted Answer

A)   limited
B)   extensive
C)   influential
D)   significant

Question 12

Which dimension of the organizational culture is workplace spirituality most closely related to?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 14

If you were talking with Todd and asked him what the term culture meant, he would reply that it is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   the formal rules of an organization
B)   the nature of products/services offered by the company
C)   the shared values and practices of the firm
D)   a set of operational procedures for the company

Question 15

If the mortgage interest rates increase, this would be an example of changing ________ in your external environment.

Accepted Answer

A)   economic conditions
B)   political conditions
C)   sociocultural conditions
D)   demographic conditions

Question 16

If the components in an organization's environment exhibit minimal change, such an environment is said to be ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   volatile
B)   dynamic
C)   stable
D)   active

Question 17

According to Swedish researcher Goran Ekvall, which of the following is a characteristic found in an innovative culture?

Accepted Answer

A)   a serious outlook toward work
B)   intolerance toward uncertainty or ambiguity
C)   resolution of employee issues based on personal interest
D)   freedom for employees to express opinions

Question 18

Wendell notices that the company's top executives share a belief that managers are directly responsible for the organization's success or failure.This belief reflects a(n) ________ view of management.

Accepted Answer

A)   traditional
B)   omnipotent
C)   emblematic
D)   symbolic

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true of dynamic and complex environments?

Accepted Answer

A)   They are characterized by a high degree of predictability of change.
B)   There are usually few components in such environments.
C)   A high need for sophisticated knowledge of components exists in such environments.
D)   The components in such environments are somewhat similar, but are continually changing.

Question 20

Identify and define the seven dimensions that make up an organization's culture.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identify and define the seven dimensions that...

Exam 2: Understanding Management: Constraints and Challenges