Deck 4: Organizational Culture

Question 1

Organizational culture includes which of the following characteristics?

A) It is a complex aspect of organizations that strongly affects organization members.
B) It includes values, norms, rites, heroes, and scoundrels in the organization's history.
C) A key aspect of organizational culture is value sharing and structuring of experiences in the organization.
D) Each answer lists an organizational culture characteristic.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is not true about subcultures within an organization's culture?

A) Subcultures readily grow within the differentiated parts of an organization's design.
B) Different occupational groups form different subcultures.
C) Workforce diversity and the global environment help build subcultures.
D) A subculture's jargon allows accurate communication among different parts of an organization.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

An organizational culture has visible characteristics such as logos and other less visible characteristics such as members' values. One can see these cultural characteristics with the ______________ dimension of organizational culture.

A) Pervasiveness.
B) Implicitness.
C) Levels.
D) Plurality.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The dimension of organizational culture that emphasizes the existence of subcultures is

A) Pervasiveness.
B) Levels.
C) Political.
D) Plurality.

Question 5

The dimension of organizational culture that suggests cultures have deep roots in the organization's history is

A) Political.
B) Imprinting.
C) Pervasiveness.
D) Implicitness.

Question 6

The dimension of organizational culture that explains why employees behave according to core values without conscious thought is

A) Implicitness.
B) Imprinting.
C) Plurality.
D) Pervasiveness.

Question 7

A large organization likely has many subcultures, including those related to occupation and workforce diversity. This represents the ______________ dimension of organizational culture.

A) Political
B) Plurality
C) Interdependency
D) Pervasiveness

Question 8

An organizational culture's connection to an organization's reward system and its external environment represents which dimension of organizational culture?

A) Pervasiveness.
B) Levels.
C) Interdependency.
D) Political.

Question 9

The least visible level of organizational culture is

A) Artifacts.
B) Espoused values.
C) In-use values.
D) Basic assumptions.

Question 10

Friday casual dress days show which level of an organization's culture?

A) Artifacts.
B) Espoused values.
C) In-use values.
D) Basic assumptions.

Question 11

An organization's managers state publicly that they value and reward ethical behavior, yet some managers behave unethically. The public statements are an example of ______________, and the actual behavior is an example of ______________.

A) In-use values, espoused values.
B) Espoused values, basic assumptions.
C) Espoused values, in-use values.
D) Basic assumptions, espoused values.

Question 12

The perspective on organizational culture that emphasizes consensus among people's values is which of the following?

A) Fragmentation.
B) Integration.
C) Differentiation.
D) Cultural symbolism.

Question 13

The perspective on organizational culture that shows subcultures dispersed throughout the organization is the ______________ perspective.

A) Fragmentation.
B) Integration.
C) Differentiation.
D) Cultural symbolism.

Question 14

An organization with a diverse workforce is likely best viewed through the ______________ perspective on culture.

A) Integration.
B) Differentiation.
C) Plurality.
D) Fragmentation.

Question 15

An organization says it is family friendly and offers new parents maternity and paternity leave. This is consistent with the ______________ perspective of organizational culture.

A) Integration.
B) Differentiation.
C) Fragmentation.
D) Cultural symbolism.

Question 16

A culture researcher finds that a university publicly states the importance of teaching quality in performance evaluations and setting pay raises, but routinely gives the highest raises to those with the highest research productivity. The culture researcher is using a(n) ______________ analysis.

A) Integration.
B) Differentiation.
C) Fragmentation.
D) No answers are correct.

Question 17

According to the cultural symbolism view, behavior that has meaning beyond the obvious aspects of the behavior is

A) A verbal symbol.
B) A material symbol.
C) An action symbol.
D) No answers are correct.

Question 18

In the cultural symbolism view, ______________ are found in the physical features of an organization's culture.

A) Artifacts.
B) Action symbols.
C) Verbal symbols.
D) Material symbols.

Question 19

A CEO of a company decides that executives will no longer have assigned parking spaces and is seen walking some distance from her car to the office building. This is an example of a(n)

A) Espoused value.
B) Verbal symbol.
C) Material symbol.
D) Action symbol.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Cultures typically have the same reward systems.
B) Culture identifies criteria for inclusion in a group.
C) Culture defines the nature of interpersonal interaction.
D) Cultures define what rewards managers use.

Question 21

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

A) Develops consensus about the organization's mission.
B) Defines the rules for power.
C) Lets people understand artifacts.
D) Clarifies peer relationships.

Question 22

The primary function of organizational culture is to

A) Derive an organizational mission.
B) Adapt to the environment.
C) Coordinate internal processes.
D) Reduce anxiety in human relationships.

Question 23

Which of the following statements is false?

A) A consistent organizational image can give an organization a competitive advantage.
B) Cultures that reward individual performance foster a sense of independence.
C) Ideology usually appears in stories of organizational heroes who have left the organization.
D) Cultures define how an organization decides social status.

Question 24

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

A) Merging incompatible cultures can create conflict.
B) Ideologies are slow to change.
C) Culture can lead to resisting strategy change.
D) New technology may create resistance to change.

Question 25

If Altria Group, Inc., the parent company of Philip Morris USA, tried to buy Celestial Seasonings Tea, a company that emphasizes healthy lifestyles, which category of culture dysfunction likely applies?

A) Culture constrains strategy.
B) Communication failures.
C) Merging cultures.
D) Create resistance to change.

Question 26

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Power shifts due to new technology may lead to sabotage of the new technology.
B) An organization that moves into new markets creates new subcultures.
C) People from different subcultures within an organization typically do not have communication failures.
D) Existing culture usually develops from a particular organizational strategy.

Question 27

Which of the following does not increase conflict potential between or among organizational cultures?

A) Product diversification.
B) Acquisition of a new company.
C) A stable external environment.
D) Moving the corporate headquarters to a new location.

Question 28

Which of the following are ways an outsider can diagnose an organization's culture?

A) Photographs.
B) Annual reports.
C) Magazine articles.
D) All answers are correct.

Question 29

Which of the following are ways an insider can diagnose an organization's culture?

A) Observation of behavior in meetings.
B) Observation of who gets promoted and why.
C) Content of stories and anecdotes.
D) All answers are correct.

Question 30

Which of the following is the easiest information for an outsider to get when diagnosing an organization's culture?

A) The basis for promotions.
B) Annual reports.
C) The focus of meetings.
D) Organizational stories.

Question 31

Which of the following pieces of information is an insider least likely to use to diagnose the organization's culture?

A) The physical characteristics of the organization.
B) Stories and anecdotes.
C) Basis for promotions and raises.
D) Activities and communication in meetings.

Question 32

Language, use of titles, and heroes are _______________ assessed by an organizational culture diagnosis.

A) Visible artifacts.
B) Invisible artifacts.
C) Values.
D) Basic assumptions.

Question 33

One theory of the culture-performance connection sees an organization gaining a competitive advantage when each of the following is present except

A) The culture is rare.
B) The culture is participatory.
C) The culture is valuable.
D) The culture is not easily imitated.

Question 34

An organization with a cohesive culture will perform best under circumstances of

A) High complexity, low ambiguity.
B) Low complexity, low ambiguity.
C) High complexity, high ambiguity.
D) Low complexity, high ambiguity.

Question 35

An organization with formal control processes such as policies and procedures will perform best under circumstances of

A) High complexity, low ambiguity.
B) Low complexity, low ambiguity.
C) High complexity, high ambiguity.
D) Low complexity, high ambiguity.

Question 36

Organizations in fast-changing, uncertain environments, such as those in the microcomputer industry, should have which type of organizational culture?

A) Flexible.
B) One with many rules.
C) Cohesive.
D) No answers are correct.

Question 37

Which of the following statements is false about organizational culture and organizational performance?

A) Organizations with cultures that presented clear goals to employees performed better than organizations that did not.
B) Organizations with greater participation in decision making had higher sales than those with less participation.
C) Organizations with strong culture values that emphasize customers, shareholders, and employees, and value leadership at all levels outperform organizations without those cultural characteristics.
D) In accounting firms that emphasized accuracy of work and risk taking, high-performing employees quit at a higher rate than poorly performing employees.

Question 38

Which of the following statements is true about the culture-performance connection in accounting organizations?

A) Poorly performing employees quit at a higher rate than highly performing employees with cultures valuing teamwork.
B) Highly performing employees quit at a higher rate than poorly performing employees with cultures valuing teamwork.
C) In cultures valuing teamwork, there was no difference in rate of quitting for highly performing and poorly performing employees.
D) In cultures valuing accuracy of work and risk taking, highly performing employees quit at a higher rate than poorly performing employees.

Question 39

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Researchers are confident that there is a strong relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance.
B) Researchers are confident that there is a weak relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance.
C) Researchers do not know much about the relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance.
D) Research is beginning to show a relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance.

Question 40

When trying to maintain a culture, managers should do each of the following except

A) Do a culture diagnosis.
B) Strengthen key values.
C) Remain passive because cultures can maintain themselves.
D) Examine any new practices to decide whether they are consistent with the culture.

Question 41

Which of the following statements is false about changing an organization's culture?

A) Managers should try to keep some aspects of the old culture.
B) All employees will accept culture change.
C) The change effort can focus on many aspects of the culture, such as values and symbols.
D) Managers should find moments that are right for culture change instead of changing culture haphazardly.

Question 42

The cultural synergy view has all the following assumptions except

A) There are both similarities and differences among culturally diverse people.
B) People from different cultures should use the same methods for reaching work goals.
C) Multinational cultural diversity should be viewed as a resource.
D) Desired results should be reached with methods that are compatible with the underlying culture.

Question 43

Changing culture is ethical if it gives the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people affected by the change. This view is consistent with which of the following theories of ethics?

A) Rights.
B) Justice.
C) Egoism.
D) Utilitarianism.

Question 44

The ethical view that says the values and basic assumptions of an organization's culture should be fully disclosed to new employees is

A) Utilitarianism.
B) Rights.
C) Justice.
D) Egoism.

Question 45

Because basic assumptions are usually unconscious to veteran employees, which of the following ethical views is problematic for managers because it argues for full disclosure of basic assumptions?

A) Utilitarianism.
B) Egoism.
C) Rights.
D) Justice.

Question 46

A manager concludes that she should change the organization's culture from one of centralized decision making to one that values participation in decision making at all levels. She believes the change will benefit most employees in the organization, although some union employees will resist. This manager's view is consistent with which theory of ethics?

A) Utilitarianism.
B) Rights.
C) Justice.
D) Egoism.

Question 47

An organizational recruiter works for an aggressive, competitive, and demanding organization that often fires employees. The recruiter feels that he should disclose these aspects of the organizational culture to prospective employees. His view is consistent with which theory of ethics?

A) Utilitarianism
B) Justice
C) Egoism
D) Rights

Question 48

An organization that has cultural values consistent with the view that everyone should have an equal chance for advancement is subscribing to the _______________ theory of ethics.

A) Egoism
B) Justice
C) Rights
D) Utilitarian

Question 49

Organizational culture defines the content of what a new employee must learn to become an accepted organizational member.

Question 50

Organizational cultures have little similarity to country cultures.

Question 51

Different organizational cultures (employer, family, college, or university) can make conflicting demands on a person.

Question 52

The plurality dimension of organizational culture views culture as widely dispersed within an organization.

Question 53

The levels dimension of organizational culture describes culture as having different degrees of visibility.

Question 54

The dimension of organizational culture that suggests cultures often have deep historical roots is the pervasiveness dimension.

Question 55

Veteran organization members are often unaware of the basic assumptions of the organization's culture.

Question 56

Basic assumptions are the most visible part of an organization's culture.

Question 57

Espoused values guide the behavior of a person in an organization.

Question 58

Veteran employees can easily describe an organizational culture's basic assumptions.

Question 59

The differentiation perspective on organizational culture focuses on the presence of ambiguity in organizations.

Question 60

The integration perspective on organizational culture emphasizes the presence of ambiguity in organizations.

Question 61

The differentiation perspective on organizational culture sees subcultures dispersed throughout the organization.

Question 62

The fragmentation perspective on organizational culture emphasizes consensus about values among organizational members.

Question 63

Cultural symbols capture emotional, ethical, aesthetic, and cognitive meanings.

Question 64

The cultural symbolism perspective of organizational culture does not view artifacts as determinants of culture.

Question 65

The differentiation perspective says you will find differences between espoused values and related symbols.

Question 66

An organization's culture helps it adapt to its external environment and coordinates its internal processes.

Question 67

Cultures that reward individual performance usually foster a strong sense of teamwork.

Question 68

A consensus among organization members about an organization's mission can help the organization move smoothly toward its goals.

Question 69

One function of organizational culture is to define the nature of peer relationships and interpersonal interactions within the organization.

Question 70

A function of organizational culture is the integration of an organization's processes and subcultures.

Question 71

An important function of organizational culture is the communication of an ideology that defines what the organization is all about.

Question 72

All the functions of organizational culture help reduce uncertainty in human relationships.

Question 73

An organization's culture can constrain an organization's move to a new strategy.

Question 74

The introduction of new technology can lead to power shifts and conflict in organizations.

Question 75

Communication failure is a possible dysfunction of organizational culture. Such failures typically occur because of lack of clarity in what people say.

Question 76

Organizational reports that emphasize financial performance likely imply a high degree of care about people in the company.

Question 77

Stories and anecdotes are a strong source of evidence of what is important in an organization's culture.

Question 78

Outsiders can know with certainty an organizational culture's values and basic assumptions.

Question 79

Organizations facing high complexity and ambiguity should have cohesive cultures.

Question 80

Organizations with cultures that used autocratic decision-making processes had higher sales than those with participatory decision-making processes.