Deck 4: Managing Organizational Culture and Change

Question 1

When companies hurriedly fill positions, they often do not pay enough attention to which stage of the socialization process?

A) Prearrival
B) Metamorphosis
C) Orientation
D) Encounter

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is not an aspect of an organization's culture?

A) Visible culture
B) Espoused values
C) Core values
D) Organizational personality

Answer 2

D

Question 3

An example of planned change is

A) change in organizational strategy.
B) an economic downturn.
C) a change in customer demand for the firm's product.
D) all of the above

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is true of the dark side of organizational culture?

A) A firmly entrenched set of cultural values may cause employees to resist any change.
B) A strong culture may cause new employees to feel like outsiders.
C) Organizational leaders must continually assess the nature of their culture to avoid problems.
D) all of the above

Question 5

Which of the following is not one of the three stages of socialization?

A) Prearrival
B) Metamorphosis
C) Orientation
D) Encounter

Question 6

The most obvious aspect of an organization's culture is

A) espoused values.
B) visible culture.
C) perceived values.
D) core values.

Question 7

At the center of organizational culture are

A) espoused values.
B) visible culture.
C) perceived values.
D) core values.

Question 8

Which of the following best describes how the company location as a level of culture impacts a company?

A) The Walt Disney Company has a strong culture based on fun and creativity.
B) The Dilbert cartoons depicting the culture based on the culture in high tech companies.
C) Leaders in the highly collectivist culture in Japan encourage employees to collaborate rather than compete.
D) Walmart's focus is on low prices.

Question 9

The Marine Corps boot camps are an example of

A) metamorphosis.
B) organizational culture.
C) socialization.
D) employee self-management.

Question 10

Organizational culture

A) can induce employees to behave in a particular way without close supervision.
B) is conveyed most effectively in a formal process.
C) ensures everyone fits into the organization.
D) ensures individual values are aligned with corporate values.

Question 11

The two perspectives of organizational change are

A) unplanned change and external environmental jolts.
B) planned and unplanned changes.
C) planned and market changes.
D) economic downturns and planned change.

Question 12

The aspect of corporate culture that can be perceived from the way managers explain and justify their actions and decisions is

A) espoused values.
B) visible culture.
C) perceived values.
D) core values.

Question 13

Culture can be reinforced and maintained by

A) being deliberately imposed by management.
B) only conscious processes.
C) cultural symbols, but not rituals.
D) rituals, but not cultural symbols.

Question 14

In "hyperturbulent environments," culture fills an important human need for

A) predictability.
B) security.
C) comfort.
D) all of the above

Question 15

Key functions performed by organizational culture include all of the following except

A) employee self-management.
B) diversity management.
C) stability.
D) employee socialization.

Question 16

The culture of an organization

A) seldom impacts who is hired.
B) is strongly influenced by the beliefs of the organization's founder.
C) is created quickly.
D) is of little importance in determining organizational success.

Question 17

Which of the following describes organizational culture?

A) A system of shared values, assumptions, beliefs, and norms that unite members of an organization
B) Reflects "the way things are done around here"
C) The personality of the organization
D) all of the above

Question 18

When Jennifer is hired by a firm and receives little special attention, which entry socialization option is being used?

A) Collective socialization
B) Individual socialization
C) Informal socialization
D) Formal socialization

Question 19

Which entry socialization option assumes the new employee's individual traits and characteristics are valuable to the employee's and the firm's success?

A) Divestiture socialization
B) Investiture socialization
C) Random socialization
D) Individual socialization

Question 20

When Sam begins to compare his expectations about his firm's culture with reality, which stage of socialization is he in?

A) Prearrival
B) Metamorphosis
C) Orientation
D) Encounter

Question 21

Which of the following will be most effective in communicating the value a firm truly places on innovation?

A) The number of times the word innovation is used in speeches
B) The number of times the word innovation is used in company brochures and marketing material
C) The extent to which research & development budgets are the first cuts during economic hardship
D) The number of patents the company holds

Question 22

The president of Nashville's Centennial Medical Center removed the door to his office and hung it from the lobby ceiling to convey an open-door policy. This is an example of

A) cultural symbols.
B) company rituals.
C) company ceremonies.
D) company stories.

Question 23

The Disney Company remaining a close reflection of Walt Disney and IBM reflecting J. Watson are examples of

A) culture being deliberately imposed by management.
B) rituals maintaining culture.
C) values becoming firmly entrenched even after the founder is gone.
D) cultural symbols reinforcing culture.

Question 24

Which type of culture emphasizes the chain of command and relies on top-down control?

A) Traditional control culture
B) Employee involvement culture
C) Strong culture
D) Uniform culture

Question 25

Don Fisher's unsuccessful search for a pair of Levi jeans in San Francisco eventually led to the launch of the Gap Stores. As new hires hear this, the organizational culture is sustained by this example of

A) symbols
B) stories.
C) leadership.
D) language.

Question 26

Which of the following can be a liability for a strong culture?

A) If it presents a barrier to adaptation in a rapidly changing environment
B) If it makes some groups of employees feel unwelcome
C) If it makes it difficult for the firm to work cooperatively with other firms
D) all of the above

Question 27

The icons that communicate organizational values are referred to as

A) cultural symbols.
B) company rituals.
C) company ceremonies.
D) company stories.

Question 28

Culture can be reinforced through the actions of its leaders. Which leader has reinforced a frugal image at Intel?

A) Lee Iacocca
B) Walt Disney
C) Andrew Grove
D) Herb Kelleher

Question 29

When people in an organization do not need close supervision or other formal control mechanisms to get them to embrace the culture, it is most likely which type of culture?

A) Heterogeneous
B) Uniform
C) Strong
D) Weak

Question 30

Cultures that are uniform

A) have different cultures in different parts of the organization.
B) permeate the entire organization.
C) vary by division.
D) are almost always entrepreneurial.

Question 31

Which of the following communicate company values and culture?

A) Performance appraisals
B) Budgets
C) New plans
D) all of the above

Question 32

To the extent that organizational culture increases trust among employees, it reduces the need for

A) a code of ethics.
B) a performance appraisal system.
C) written documentation and monitoring of organizational members.
D) a disciplinary process.

Question 33

The culture of 3M focuses on innovation and is evident in all parts of the organization. This culture is characterized as

A) heterogeneous.
B) uniform.
C) weak.
D) national.

Question 34

Steve Jobs is an example of a company hero because

A) he was the CEO of Apple.
B) his deeds reflect what the organization believes in.
C) his corporate leadership made Apple profitable.
D) the company developed the iPod under his leadership.

Question 35

PepsiCo's phrase "We take eagles and teach them to fly in formation" is an example of which approach to reinforcing culture?

A) Symbols
B) Stories
C) Leadership
D) Language

Question 36

Employees learn what the company truly values by

A) reading the corporate credo.
B) listening to top management.
C) watching where scarce resources are spent.
D) attending orientation sessions.

Question 37

Southwest's culture of "be happy, enjoy your work, and make customers smile" was reinforced by

A) Herb Kelleher's leadership.
B) stories of how Southwest was founded.
C) language and acronyms used throughout the airline industry.
D) all of the above

Question 38

Which of the following statements about culture is true?

A) Organizational culture is no substitute for formal systems of control.
B) To the extent that organizational culture increases trust among employees, it reduces the need for monitoring of organizational members.
C) A national culture has little impact guiding behaviors of organizational members.
D) Most cultural traits do not overlap across countries.

Question 39

Which of the following is not true of subcultures?

A) Subcultures are not generally seen in uniform cultures.
B) Subcultures can be problematic when employees across interdependent units must work closely together.
C) In a large organization, different subcultures may be found in different parts of the organization.
D) When divisions are largely autonomous with different strategies, it may make sense for them to have subcultures.

Question 40

When the local police department hosts an event to honor an act of heroism by an officer, this is an example of

A) cultural symbols.
B) company rituals.
C) language.
D) company stories.

Question 41

Mark is a risk taker who enjoys being a free agent rather than committing to one employer. Which type of organizational culture is the best fit for him?

A) Baseball team culture
B) Club team culture
C) Academy team culture
D) Fortress team culture

Question 42

Which type of resistance to change is most likely to occur when previous changes were not well understood or resulted in negative consequences?

A) Uncertainty
B) Different goals
C) Self-interest
D) Lack of trust

Question 43

Employees of the Acme Company work together to attain goals, because they are internally motivated. The Acme Company's culture is most likely a(n)

A) traditional control culture.
B) employee involvement culture.
C) strong culture.
D) uniform culture.

Question 44

In industries with "hyperturbulent environments," culture fulfills an important human need for predictability and security.

Question 45

Mary Kay's pink Cadillacs are examples of cultural symbols.

Question 46

Which of the following are sources of resistance to change?

A) Lack of understanding
B) Self-interest
C) Uncertainty
D) all of the above

Question 47

While the culture of a firm is strongly influenced by the founder, as the firm grows, the founder's values have little impact on who is hired, retained or promoted.

Question 48

Which of the following statements is not true concerning resistance to change?

A) Resistance to some change is based on legitimate concerns.
B) Resistance to change can be fairly dramatic and can involve acts of sabotage.
C) Understanding the causes of resistance does little to manage change.
D) Employees resist change when they fear losing something they value.

Question 49

What is the final stage in Lewin's three-step model of organizational change?

A) Unfreezing
B) Refreezing
C) Changing
D) Force field analysis

Question 50

The most obvious aspect of culture includes the espoused values.

Question 51

What is one of the most effective ways to overcome resistance to change?

A) Involve the resisters in the implementation.
B) Educate employees why the change is needed.
C) Make concessions in exchange for the cooperation of resisters.
D) Force resisters by threatening them if they continue to hinder the implementation of a change.

Question 52

Studies have indicated that organizational culture can be an even more important determinant of worker commitment and loyalty than pay.

Question 53

Which of the following does not represent an environmental force for change?

A) Technology
B) Market forces
C) Change in CEO
D) Social trends

Question 54

Which type of change allows for advance preparation?

A) Technological
B) Planned
C) Unplanned
D) Dynamic

Question 55

Which type of organizational culture would appeal to individuals who enjoy the excitement, challenge, and opportunities of a turnaround?

A) Baseball team culture
B) Club team culture
C) Academy team culture
D) Fortress team culture

Question 56

The threat that Barnes & Noble faced losing market share to Amazon.com is an example of

A) an environmental force for change.
B) planned change.
C) an internal force for change.
D) a regulatory change.

Question 57

Which type of culture is fast-paced, competitive and high risk and is typically found in rapidly changing environments with short product cycles?

A) Baseball team culture
B) Club team culture
C) Academy team culture
D) Fortress team culture

Question 58

In which type of organizational culture should employees not expect broad development and intense networking with people in other areas?

A) Baseball team culture
B) Club team culture
C) Academy team culture
D) Fortress team culture

Question 59

Lewin's three-stage model of organizational change is most effective with which type of change?

A) Unplanned
B) Planned
C) Dynamic
D) Environmental

Question 60

Which type of culture seeks employees who are loyal and committed to one organization, then rewards them with job security and slow progress?

A) Baseball team culture
B) Club team culture
C) Academy team culture
D) Fortress team culture

Question 61

What are the three aspects of an organization's culture?

Question 62

Describe force-field analysis and explain how change is implemented.

Question 63

Change agents are outside consultants who are selected for their skill in dealing with resistance to change.

Question 64

Some strong organizational cultures are not supportive of change, but rather value tradition.

Question 65

Discuss the founder's role in influencing corporate culture.

Question 66

What are the key functions performed by culture?

Question 67

What is bottom-up change and how does it begin?

Question 68

Discuss Lewin's three-step model of organizational change.

Question 69

A strong culture always provides a competitive advantage.

Question 70

According to Lewin, when the driving forces and restraining forces are evenly balanced, the organization does not change.

Question 71

What is one of the most effective way to overcome resistance to change?

Question 72

Discuss a strong versus weak culture.

Question 73

What are Shelley Bird's suggestions for managing change?

Question 74

Describe the baseball team, club, academy, and fortress cultures. Discuss what type of employee would be the best fit for each.

Question 75

List the choice of tactics for bringing about change in an organization.

Question 76

Define planned and unplanned change.

Question 77

What is a change agent?

Question 78

Contrast formal and informal socialization.

Question 79

Discuss sources of resistance to change.

Question 80

IBM, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble are examples of academy cultures.