Deck 12: Organisational Culture

Question 1

Which of the following is not a true statement about how national culture affects the way organisational culture is transported to a different culture?

A)Organisational cultures are often so powerful that they transcend national boundaries.
B)If an organisation has a strong culture,then local culture can be ignored.
C)A good understanding of culture and the global implications of business is a necessity in Australia's auto industry.
D)U)S.employees are not the only ones that need to be culturally sensitive.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

expresses the core values that are shared by a majority of the organisation's members.

A)Strong culture
B)Dominant culture
C)Personal morality
D)Subculture

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The time when a new employee sees what the organisation is really like and realises that expectations and reality may diverge is called:

A)metamorphosis stage.
B)encounter stage.
C)exploration stage.
D)establishment stage.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The end of the stage in entry socialisation when the employee has become comfortable is the:

A)metamorphosis stage.
B)exploration stage.
C)establishment stage.
D)encounter stage.

Question 5

In contrasting organisational culture with job satisfaction,the former while the latter .

A)is written; is implied
B)evaluates; describes
C)is implied; describes
D)describes; evaluates

Question 6

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

A)team orientation
B)attention to detail
C)innovation
D)formalisation

Question 7

As organisations have widened spans of control,flattened structures,introduced teams,reduced formalisation,and empowered employees,the provided by a strong culture ensures that everyone is pointed in the same direction.

A)language
B)rules and regulations
C)material symbols
D)shared meaning

Question 8

A characteristic of _ socialisation is the use of role models who train and encourage newcomers.

A)serial
B)random
C)investiture
D)fixed

Question 9

are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the key values of the organisation,what goals are important,which people are important,and which are expendable.

A)Material symbols
B)Rituals
C)Cultural typologies
D)Stories

Question 10

The process that adapts employees to the organisation's culture is called:

A)confirmation.
B)orientation.
C)socialisation.
D)indoctrination.

Question 11

How might U.S.managers be more culturally sensitive?

A)speaking slowly
B)listening more
C)talking in a low tone of voice
D)all of the above

Question 12

Which does not define a subculture?

A)only those cultural values that are shared throughout the organisation
B)typically defined by department organisations
C)often defined by geographical separation
D)mini- cultures within an organisation

Question 13

The army boot camp,where recruits "prove" their commitment is an example of:

A)confirmation.
B)socialisation.
C)indoctrination.
D)orientation.

Question 14

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

A)financial advantages
B)product synergy
C)cultural compatibility
D)none of the above

Question 15

Culture may be a liability when it is a barrier to:

A)diversity.
B)mergers and acquisitions.
C)change.
D)all of the above

Question 16

If there is a conflict between the individual's expectations and the organisation's expectations,the employee- in extreme cases- is most likely to be disillusioned and quit during which stage of socialisation?

A)metamorphosis
B)anxiety
C)encounter
D)pre- arrival

Question 17

According to your text explaining how to create an ethical culture,unethical acts should:

A)be conspicuously punished.
B)be ignored so that the behaviour is extinguished.
C)be punished in a very private manner.
D)all of the above.

Question 18

Culture creation occurs in all of the following ways except:

A)founders indoctrinate and socialise employee to their way of thinking and feeling.
B)the founders' own behaviour acts as a role model that encourages employees to identify with them and thereby internalise their beliefs.
C)founders traditionally keep their vision secret from all organisational members.
D)founders only hire and keep employees who think and feel the way they do.

Question 19

The stage in socialisation that encompasses all the learning that occurs before a new member joins the organisation is called:

A)encounter.
B)metamorphosis.
C)pre- arrival.
D)mentoring.

Question 20

Masterson College is a small liberal arts women's college in New South Wales.The founders of the college were Mormons and were committed to the idea that a liberal arts education was the best preparation for life- long learning.Within the last two decades,the business department has become one of the larger departments on campus.The faculty of the business department are committed to liberal arts education but are also committed to finding employment for their graduates. The belief in a liberal arts education is part of the:

A)subculture of the business department.
B)weak culture.
C)dominant culture.
D)mission statement.

Question 21

Employee attitudes and behaviour change and adjust to the job and organisation during the stage of socialisation.

A)pre- arrival
B)metamorphosis
C)anxiety
D)encounter

Question 22

According to your text,a strong culture can act as a substitute for:

A)rewards.
B)institutionalisation.
C)socialisation.
D)formalisation.

Question 23

All of the following are examples of material symbols except:

A)staff singing company song every morning.
B)different types of cars for different executives.
C)top executives' unlimited use of the company jet.
D)a swimming pool for the employees to use.

Question 24

Nunya is a computer software company that employs highly intelligent,but somewhat unusual people.Every Friday,free lollipops are given out to encourage employees to remember how creative they were when they were children.At the beginning of each quarterly executive meeting,employees are reminded that the founders were three young people who "got lucky" and sold a video game that they invented.Employees are allowed to dress in blue jeans and can set their own working hours. Lollipop day is an example of a:

A)story.
B)ritual.
C)material symbol.
D)symbolic food.

Question 25

An organisational culture most likely to shape high ethical standards is one that:

A)is low- to- moderate in aggressiveness.
B)focuses on means as well as outcomes.
C)is high in risk tolerance.
D)all of the above.

Question 26

Which one of the following is not a function of culture cited in your text?

A)improves the organisation's ability to hire competent employees
B)has a boundary- defining role
C)conveys a sense of organisational identity
D)controls employee behaviour

Question 27

Which of the following is not a potent form by which culture is transmitted to employees?

A)stories
B)rituals
C)selection
D)language

Question 28

The business department holds some unique values in addition to the of the dominant culture.

A)weak values
B)core values
C)formalisation
D)holistic values

Question 29

The unanimity of a strong culture builds all of the following except:

A)quality.
B)loyalty.
C)cohesiveness.
D)organisational commitment.

Question 30

The key characteristic of organisational culture which addresses the degree to which employees are expected to exhibit precision is termed:

A)attention to detail.
B)team orientation.
C)innovation.
D)innovation and risk taking.

Question 31

Ethical training can include:

A)address ethical dilemmas
B)clarify practices that are and are not permissible
C)reinforcing the organisation's standards of conduct
D)all of the above

Question 32

A culture where the core values are intensely held and widely shared is termed a:

A)fortress.
B)strong culture.
C)formal culture.
D)subculture.

Question 33

The traditional source of an organisation's culture is from:

A)the country in which the organisation operates.
B)its founders.
C)top management.
D)the selection process.

Question 34

You are new to an organisation and do not really know what to expect about the socialisation 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. The time prior to entry to the organisation in which you learned business attitudes and behaviours is termed:

A)pre- arrival stage.
B)metamorphosis stage.
C)encounter stage.
D)education.

Question 35

The Young Woman's Club of Williams has been operating for seventy- five years as an organisation which supports women who stay at home.This group has always held classes in cooking,sewing,and child rearing.The group has always been made up of upper middle class women from the small town of Williams.As the area has grown,many people have moved to Williams and commute to Capital City,just 15 miles away. The culture of the Young Woman's Club will be a liability if:

A)newcomers embrace it.
B)it reduces ambiguity.
C)it enhances social system stability.
D)it does not further the organisation's effectiveness.

Question 36

The key characteristic of organisational culture which addresses the degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organisation is termed:

A)people orientation.
B)outcome orientation.
C)innovation.
D)attention to detail.

Question 37

To create a more ethical culture,management should do all of the following except:

A)provide ethical training.
B)communicate ethical expectations.
C)be a visible role model.
D)ignore unethical acts.

Question 38

Which of the following is not a stage of the socialisation process?

A)mentoring
B)encounter
C)pre- arrival
D)metamorphosis

Question 39

All of the following serve to create and sustain a culture except:

A)top management.
B)formalisation.
C)socialisation.
D)selection.

Question 40

Culture performs all the following functions except:

A)conveys a sense of identity for organisation members.
B)enhances social system stability.
C)facilitates commitment to something larger than individual self- interest.
D)shows how organisations are all basically the same.

Question 41

Solution.com is a company that provides consulting services.The executives of the company are not particularly concerned with how the consultants approach their work as long as the desired result is achieved.They are interested in maintaining the status quo and encourage competitiveness between consultants by rewarding the top performers for each quarter. The organisational culture characteristics that are of relevance in this case are:

A)team orientation,stability,innovation and risk taking.
B)team orientation,aggressiveness,outcome orientation.
C)outcome orientation,people orientation,aggressiveness.
D)outcome orientation,stability,aggressiveness.

Question 42

Jester Corporation has a training program for all new managers.They spend three weeks in a formal classroom setting with other new managers and are then assigned a mentor.Only MBA's are hired for management jobs,since this is believed to be the level of qualifications necessary for job success. When a mentor is assigned,the socialisation process is:

A)serial.
B)formal.
C)collective.
D)investiture.

Question 43

The selection process helps candidates learn about the organisation and if they perceive a conflict between their values and those of the organisation,they can:

A)wait until they get hired to change the organisation.
B)enlighten the organisation as to appropriate changes.
C)express their concerns at the time of the interview.
D)self- select themselves out of the applicant pool.

Question 44

Consistency of behaviour is an asset to an organisation when it faces a dynamic environment.

Question 45

Masterson College is a small liberal arts women's college in New South Wales.The founders of the college were Mormons and were committed to the idea that a liberal arts education was the best preparation for life- long learning.Within the last two decades,the business department has become one of the larger departments on campus.The faculty of the business department are committed to liberal arts education but are also committed to finding employment for their graduates. The commitment to finding employment for graduates is part of the:

A)dominant culture.
B)weak culture.
C)mission statement.
D)subculture of the business department.

Question 46

The boot/training camp experience of those joining the military is an example of socialisation.

A)informal
B)individual
C)random
D)collective

Question 47

Eddie is the senior executive of a large toy company.In recent months,the ethics of the company have been questioned by the media because of the number faulty toys that have been sold.An investigation of the cause revealed that employees were only concerned with meeting the quota and quite frequently did not run quality control checks on the toys,despite company regulations.Eddie believes that the long- term solution is to create a more ethical culture within the organisation. Based on the guidelines to create an ethical culture suggested in the text,which of the following is not an example of an appropriate action:

A)Have employees openly report the unethical behaviours of others
B)Be a visible role model for his employees
C)Visibly reward people who are ethical and diligent in their examination of the toys
D)Provide ethical training to ensure employees are fully aware of acceptable standards

Question 48

Culture is the social glue which holds the organisation together by providing appropriate standards for what employees should say and do.

Question 49

You are new to an organisation and do not really know what to expect about the socialisation 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. The stage in which you will adjust to the organisation's values and norms is termed:

A)education.
B)encounter stage.
C)pre- arrival stage.
D)metamorphosis stage.

Question 50

Culture has a boundary- defining role; it creates distinctions between one organisation and others.

Question 51

While a favourable financial statement or product line may be the initial attraction of an acquisition candidate,whether the acquisition actually works seems to have more to do with how well the two organisations' cultures match up.

Question 52

To create a more ethical culture,performance appraisals of managers should include a
point- by- point evaluation of how his or her decisions measured against the organisation's code of ethics.

Question 53

When an organisation sets up operations in another country,it ignores the local culture at its own risk.

Question 54

Which of the following terms is not part of the definition of a strong culture?

A)great influence on members' behaviour
B)intensely held values
C)widely shared values
D)low behavioural controls

Question 55

Mini- cultures within an organisation,typically defined by departmental designations and geographical separation,are often called:

A)dominant cultures.
B)strong cultures.
C)subcultures.
D)mixed cultures.

Question 56

You are new to an organisation and do not really know what to expect about the socialisation 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. Immediately upon entry to the organisation,you enter the:

A)social facilitation stage.
B)encounter stage.
C)metamorphosis stage.
D)pre- arrival stage.

Question 57

is a system of shared meaning held by the organisation's members that distinguishes the organisation from other organisations.

A)Formalisation
B)Organisational culture
C)A ritual
D)The organisational chart

Question 58

The selection process is two- way in that it allows the organisation to determine how well the applicant will fit into the culture while representing the culture to the applicant in order for him/her to decide whether organisation values conflict with his/her own.

Question 59

As new employees learn the acronyms and jargon specific to the organisation,language serves to unite members of a given culture or subculture.

Question 60

Three forces play a particularly important part in sustaining culture: selection practices,promotion policies,and socialisation methods.

Question 61

The stage of socialisation where an individual confronts the possible dichotomy between her expectations and reality is the encounter stage.

Question 62

Strong cultures encourage individuality.

Question 63

Strong cultures have a greater impact on employees' behaviour than weak cultures.

Question 64

A strong culture provides a supportive atmosphere for diversity.

Question 65

The degree to which organisational activities emphasise maintaining the status quo in contrast to growth is termed stability.

Question 66

Dominant culture refers to the cultural attributes of the leading organisations in an industry.

Question 67

The socialisation process is made up of three steps: pre- arrival,adjustment,and stabilisation.

Question 68

Johnson & Johnson is an example of a strong culture that supports high ethical standards.

Question 69

The degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks is termed aggressiveness.

Question 70

The primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organisation are the core values.

Question 71

Divestiture socialisation assumes that the newcomer's qualities and qualifications are the necessary ingredients for job success.

Question 72

Culture increases ambiguity for employees.

Question 73

Socialisation is considered complete when an employee completes his six- month probationary period.

Question 74

Organisational culture is a set of key characteristics that the organisation values.

Question 75

Rituals are defined as a sequence of activities that continually express and reinforce the key values of an organisation.

Question 76

Strong cultures are made up of values that are intensely held and widely shared.

Question 77

A strong organisational culture will exert more influence on employees than a weak one.

Question 78

When the new member is working out problems discovered during the encounter stage,he is in the metamorphosis stage of the socialisation process.

Question 79

With the increase in globalisation and organisational cultures transcending national boundaries,the need to consider local culture has become less important.

Question 80

Serial socialisation is characterised by role models who train and encourage the newcomer.