Question 1

An organizational culture most likely to shape high ethical standards among its members is one that ________.

Accepted Answer

E) The organizational culture most likely to shape high ethical standards among its members is one that's high in risk tolerance, low to moderate in aggressiveness, and focused on means as well as outcomes. This type of culture also takes a long-term perspective and balances the rights of multiple stakeholders, including the communities in which the business operates, its employees, and its stockholders.

Question 2

Company chants are used to ________.

Accepted Answer

B) Company chants are used for transmitting company culture to employees.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a means of transmitting culture within an organization?

Accepted Answer

B) Culture is transmitted to employees in a number of forms, the most potent being stories, rituals, material symbols, and language.

Question 4

Which of the following statements is true regarding effects of national culture on organizational culture and ethical behavior within an organization?

Accepted Answer

C) United States managers endorse the supremacy of anonymous market forces and implicitly or explicitly view profit maximization as a moral obligation for business organizations. This worldview sees bribery, nepotism, and favoring personal contacts as highly unethical.

Question 5

________ help employees understand the history and past actions of an organization and explain and legitimate current practices by anchoring the present in the past.

Accepted Answer

A) Stories typically contain a narrative of events about the organization's founders, rule breaking, rags-to-riches successes, reductions in the workforce, relocation of employees, reactions to past mistakes, and organizational coping. These stories anchor the present in the past and explain and legitimate current practices.

Question 6

Which of the following is not an example of stories?

Accepted Answer

A) Stories circulate through organizations. They typically contain a narrative of events about the organization's founders, rule breaking, rags-to-riches successes, reductions in the workforce, relocation of employees, and organizational coping. The method of implementation of operating procedures is not considered a story.

Question 7

Which of the following is not a message conveyed by material symbols?

Accepted Answer

C) Material symbols such as the size of offices, the elegance of furnishings, executive perks, and attire, convey to employees who is important, the degree of egalitarianism top management desires, and the kinds of behavior that are appropriate, such as risk taking, conservative, authoritarian, participative, individualistic, or social. Marketing strategy of the organization is not conveyed by material symbols.

Question 8

Alcoa headquarters has few individual offices, even for senior executives. The space is essentially made up of cubicles, common areas, and meeting rooms. This informality conveys to employees that Alcoa values ________.

Accepted Answer

D) The informality at the Alcoa headquarters conveys to employees that Alcoa values openness, equality, creativity, and flexibility.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

B) To create an ethical organizational culture, managers should be supported for taking risks and innovating, discouraged from engaging in unbridled competition, and guided to pay attention not just to what goals are achieved but also to how. Management should serve as a visible role model, communicate ethical expectations, provide protective mechanism so that employees can discuss ethical dilemmas and report unethical behavior without fear of reprimand, and provide ethical training.

Question 10

Phil is new at JPS Corp., but after a week he already knows that the founder of the corporation started the business in his garage with only $4,000 and one client. This information was most likely transmitted to Phil by way of ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Phil most likely knows this legend through the passing of stories. Stories circulate through organizations. They typically contain a narrative of events about the organization's founders, rule breaking, rags-to-riches successes, reductions in the workforce, relocation of employees, and organizational coping.

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.
-The organizational culture of Trends Inc. values aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking. These characteristics express its ________.

Accepted Answer

E) A dominant culture expresses the core values shared by a majority of the organization's members. When we talk about an organization's culture, we are referring to its dominant culture, which gives an organization its distinct personality.

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.
-Aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking are the ________ of the culture of Trends Inc.

Accepted Answer

C) The dominant culture includes the core values, the primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization. In this example, aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking are the core values of the organizational culture.

Question 13

Larry has an employee who is amazing at clearly seeing rules and enforcing them. He has recently promoted her to the lead position in quality assurance. Which aspect of creating a positive organizational culture is Larry utilizing?

Accepted Answer

D) Larry is building on employee strengths. Because his employee is good at regulating rules, he is showing her how she can put that strength to use. Although a positive organizational culture does not ignore problems, it does emphasize showing workers how they can capitalize on their strengths.

Question 14

How can United States managers be culturally sensitive?

Accepted Answer

C) Some ways in which United States managers can be culturally sensitive include talking in a low tone of voice, speaking slowly, listening more, and avoiding discussions of religion and politics.

Question 15

Barbara is the lead editor for a small, city newspaper. One of her advertising sales representatives, Mathew, is pulling in a lot of restaurant clients. Barbara realizes that Mathew is quite knowledgeable about food and speaks quite elegantly while describing different dishes. She has offered Mathew an opportunity to write a weekly restaurant review. Mathew is very happy with his new job role. Which aspect of creating a positive organization is being utilized by Barbara?

Accepted Answer

C) A positive organizational culture emphasizes not only organizational effectiveness but also individuals' growth. No organization will get the best from employees who see themselves as mere tools or parts of the organization. Barbara is helping her employee discover new aspects of his abilities and giving him new career opportunities.

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.

Accepted Answer

E) Subcultures tend to develop in large organizations to reflect common problems, situations, or experiences faced by groups of members in the same department or location. Subculture includes the core values of the dominant culture plus additional values unique to members of the respective department.

Question 17

Which of the following act(s) as a common denominator to unite members of a given culture or subculture?

Accepted Answer

C) Many organizations and subunits within them use language to help members identify with the culture, attest to their acceptance of it, and help preserve it. New employees may at first be overwhelmed by acronyms and jargon, that, once assimilated, act as a common denominator to unite members of a given culture or subculture.

Question 18

Company chants are examples of ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Company chants are examples of rituals. Rituals are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the key values of the organization-what goals are most important, which people are important, and which people are expendable.

Question 19

________ typically contain(s) a narrative of events about the organization's founders, rule breaking, or reactions to past mistakes.

Accepted Answer

A) Stories circulate through organizations. They typically contain a narrative of events about the organization's founders, rule breaking, rags-to-riches successes, reductions in the workforce, relocation of employees, reactions to past mistakes, and organizational coping.

Question 20

Phyllis works for a corporation that recently fired three top managers who were caught using the company credit cards to lavishly furnish their offices and even purchase "office" furniture that was found in their personal homes. Which method of maintaining an ethical culture is Phyllis's company pursuing?

Accepted Answer

D) Research suggests managers can have an effect on the ethical behavior of employees by adhering to the following principles: be a visible role model, communicate ethical expectations, provide ethical training, visibly reward ethical acts and punish unethical ones, and provide protective mechanisms. In this example, the company is visibly punishing unethical acts.

Quiz 16: Organizational Culture