Deck 2: The Changing Environment of Organizations

Question 1

Which of the following workforce groups will increase the least in size between 2000 and 2010?

A)12- to 16-year-olds
B)16- to 24-year-olds
C)25- to 54-year-olds
D)50- to 54-year-olds
E)55 and older

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Preference for stability

A)gives employees a sense of autonomy.
B)is the extent to which workers focus on the future.
C)enhances organizational effectiveness.
D)emphasizes aggressiveness.
E)is the extent to which workers prefer clear situations.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following is not true about dominant groups?

A)They tend to eat lunch together.
B)They tend to be self-perpetuating.
C)They are keenly aware of opinions from the "outside."
D)Informal discussions tend to exclude minority group members.
E)They tend to avoid people who are different.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a primary dimension of diversity?

A)age
B)income
C)parental status
D)religious beliefs
E)work experience

Question 5

Which of the following groups of people is not increasing as a percentage of the total workforce in the United States?

A)Hispanics
B)Blacks
C)Women
D)White males
E)Asians

Question 6

The most significant source of change impacting many organizations today is increasing

A)cultural change.
B)corporate governance.
C)globalization.
D)business ethics.
E)all of these

Question 7

Which of the following is true about employees working in the same company but in different locations?

A)Their behavior may differ within and across countries.
B)Their behavior will be the same regardless of their location.
C)Their behavior at work is not important.
D)Their behavior will have nothing to do with their location.
E)Their behavior will be the same within single countries, but may differ from one country to the next.

Question 8

Assimilation occurs when

A)stereotypes are exposed.
B)a minority group is forced to learn the ways of the majority group.
C)differences among cultural groups are celebrated.
D)diversity is truly valued.
E)prejudice is eradicated.

Question 9

When the European Union opened borders in 1992, goods and services moved freely among the member countries.What other change resulted from opening the borders?

A)Managers practiced a more open leadership style.
B)Non-European Union members shut their borders.
C)Workers demanded higher wages.
D)Workers moved across national borders.
E)Stricter trade restrictions were imposed.

Question 10

All of the following are true about stereotypes except

A)they lead to an appreciation of individual differences.
B)they are based on certain characteristics or traits.
C)they ignore the specific person.
D)they are generalizations.
E)they ignore the current situation.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a secondary dimension of diversity?

A)education
B)where a person lives
C)work experience
D)gender
E)military experience

Question 12

Which of the following is not an example of a primary dimension of diversity?

A)age
B)gender
C)marital status
D)mental abilities
E)sexual orientation

Question 13

The dimension of masculinity is the extent to which

A)workers prefer unambiguous situations.
B)workers focus on the future.
C)acquisition of money and things is emphasized.
D)women are allowed to work in society.
E)men maintain a glass ceiling.

Question 14

Prejudice can best be defined as

A)favoring people similar to you.
B)focusing on differences among people.
C)grouping people into different categories.
D)judgments about others that reinforce beliefs about superiority and inferiority.
E)making generalizations about groups of people.

Question 15

Understanding and addressing the environment of a business has traditionally been the purview of

A)supervisors.
B)stockholders.
C)workers and line managers.
D)stakeholders.
E)top managers.

Question 16

All of the following are considered cultural values except

A)individualism/collectivism.
B)uncertainty avoidance.
C)power distance.
D)masculinity.
E)open-mindedness.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is not true about individualistic cultures?

A)It is important to stand out in the crowd.
B)It is important to fit in with the group.
C)Tasks are more important than relationships.
D)Promotion is based on skills and rules.
E)People are more concerned with themselves than their work

Question 18

Hofstede's dimension include

A)individualism.
B)collectivism.
C)power distance.
D)a, b, and c
E)None of these.

Question 19

In the past, companies typically used offshoring to take advantage of low labor costs.Today, companies are increasingly using offshoring for the performance of

A)high-risk activities that fail to meet government standards for safety.
B)biomedical research that presses the boundary of conventional wisdom.
C)technology functions that require a high degree of training and skill.
D)management tasks formerly relegated to senior employees.
E)organizational behavior processes that cannot be performed

Question 20

More and more firms are moving into international markets to control .

A)cultural values
B)national boundaries
C)power distances
D)costs
E)none of these

Question 21

Car makers design and produce new model cars much more quickly now than they did in the past.This is an example of

A)effective leadership.
B)decreased cycle time.
C)increased employee morale.
D)valued diversity.
E)low-cost production.

Question 22

Arthur Andersen's (the accounting firm that audited Enron's finances) failure to catch problems at Enron

A)may have been motivated by future high-revenue consulting services with Enron.
B)was due to Andersen's inability to hire good talent.
C)probably was based on restrictive accounting regulations that limit access to information.
D)was proven to be part of a larger white-collar crime ring.
E)stemmed from Andersen's interest in Enron's failure.

Question 23

General Mills combines grains and other ingredients to make breakfast cereals.General Mills is an example of a(n)

A)manufacturing organization.
B)biotechnology firm.
C)information technology firm.
D)service organization.
E)hybrid organization.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about information technology is not true?

A)It has resulted in leaner organizations.
B)Provides more flexible operations.
C)Technology increases the financial position of a company.
D)Technology has increased collaboration among employees.
E)Technology has improved management processes.

Question 25

A form of business that transforms resources into an intangible output and creates time or place utility for its customers is called a(n)

A)manufacturing organization.
B)biotechnology firm.
C)information technology firm.
D)service organization.
E)hybrid organization.

Question 26

In 2008, the volume of international trade in current dollars was more than 50 times greater than the amount in 1960.

Question 27

The downside of information technology includes all of the following except

A)it has resulted in less personal communication.
B)it has increased a sense of urgency vis-à-vis decision making.
C)it has increased ethical decision making for managers.
D)it has resulted in less down time for managers.
E)All of these are reasons.

Question 28

A knowledge worker's career path may run parallel to a management career path.The benefit of this path for the worker is

A)the chance to take on substantial management responsibilities.
B)more frequent training in management tasks.
C)less highly specialized training.
D)compensation that is equivalent to that available to management.
E)freedom from specialized technical work.

Question 29

A form of business that combines and transforms resources into tangible outcomes that are then sold to others is called a(n)

A)manufacturing organization.
B)biotechnology firm.
C)information technology firm.
D)service organization.
E)hybrid organization.

Question 30

Examples of organizational functions to outsource include all of the following except

A)the organization's payroll function.
B)the organization's human resource training program.
C)the organization's corporate governance program.
D)the organization's facility maintenance program.
E)the organization's food service facility.

Question 31

The duty of the board of directors of a public corporation is to

A)audit the company's financial statements for accuracy.
B)recommend new products and services.
C)control the day-to-day operations of the firm.
D)protect the company from harsh overseas competition and lower labor costs.
E)ensure decisions by senior managers are in the best interests of the shareholders.

Question 32

Which of the following statements about knowledge workers is not true?

A)Knowledge workers include computer scientists.
B)Knowledge workers require highly specialized training.
C)Compensation is specially tailored for the knowledge worker.
D)Knowledge workers do not add value to the organization.
E)Knowledge workers are video game developers.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about small-scale contemporary ethical concerns is not true?

A)It involves executive compensation.
B)A concern for working conditions in foreign factories.
C)Individual rights to privacy.
D)A concern for pricing policies of companies.
E)The pressures to balance profits against costs.

Question 34

In the past, Karson Photography Studios directly hired and managed its own custodial staff.Now, Karson contracts this work to a cleaning company.This is an example of

A)corporate governance.
B)offshoring.
C)outsourcing.
D)nearshoring.
E)insourcing.

Question 35

Which of the following is not a benefit of valuing diversity?

A)Access to more perspectives on a problem
B)Fresh perspectives
C)Less interpersonal conflict
D)Greater homogeneity
E)Richer ideas

Question 36

An ice cream maker requires approximately two months from the time a new flavor is decided on in the corporate board room to the time it is produced and available to consumers in stores.This time is called

A)competitive advantage time.
B)information technology time.
C)cycle time.
D)production time.
E)made-to-order time.

Question 37

Not paying attention to diversity can be costly to organizations in all of the following ways except

A)it can decrease turnover.
B)it can lower productivity.
C)it can block minority involvement in decision making.
D)it can increase tensions among workers.
E)it can increase lawsuits.

Question 38

One way to address privacy concerns on the Internet is to

A)keep all information collected confidential.
B)publicly display any information collected by the company.
C)post a privacy policy on the company's Web site.
D)avoid collecting any private information.
E)share collected information only with respectable firms.

Question 39

Which of the following statements about technology is not true?

A)Technology is a major driver for organizational change.
B)It has widespread effects on the behavior of people in the organization.
C)Technology provides a competitive advantage
D)It combines and transforms resources into outcomes.
E)It is causing shift toward a service-based economy.

Question 40

In a blatant display of unethical conduct, Enron's

A)managers forced employees to work in deplorable conditions.
B)employees stole information from the company and sold it to competitors.
C)administrators withheld products and services from needed customers.
D)public reports concealed many of its partnerships and obligations with other companies.
E)"blew the whistle" on competitors who were engaged in equally unethical practices.

Question 41

The most effective service organizations produce tangible outcomes for their customers.

Question 42

More and more firms are moving into international markets to control costs, especially to reduce labor costs.

Question 43

Those who work in dominant groups tend to be less aware of the problems that homogeneity can cause.

Question 44

Workforce diversity is increasing in other countries besides in the United States.

Question 45

Virtually all the growth of international business can be attributed to communication and transportation advances.

Question 46

Workforce diversity refers to the important similarities and differences among the employees of the organization.

Question 47

Culture helps a group understand which actions are acceptable and which are unacceptable.

Question 48

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is an example of a manufacturing organization.

Question 49

An employee in a collectivistic culture would be less concerned about her work than about her relationships with others.

Question 50

The white male segment of the workforce is expected to increase as a proportion of the workforce in the next decade.

Question 51

Workforce diversity refers only to differences in age, gender, ethnicity, and physical ability.

Question 52

A stereotype is a generalization about a person or a group of persons based on certain characteristics or traits.

Question 53

Today, the workplace in the United States might be regarded as more of a "tossed salad" made up of a mosaic of different flavors, colors, and textures.

Question 54

Valuing diversity means ensuring stereotypes and prejudices are accurate and meaningful.

Question 55

The environment of business has finally reached a state
of stability, with little change expected in the near future.

Question 56

Attempting to assimilate diverse workers into the culture and values of the dominant group can result in many problems.

Question 57

Females are expected to increase their percentage in the workforce to more than 62 percent by the year 2010.

Question 58

A culture high in masculinity is not aggressive and is not concerned with the acquisition of money and other possessions.

Question 59

In Mexico, people prefer to be in a situation in which authority is clearly understood and lines of authority are never bypassed.

Question 60

Cultural and national boundaries always coincide.

Question 61

Businesses have found that they can be more competitive if they can increase cycle times.

Question 62

Management systems built on and do not meet the needs of a diverse workforce.

Question 63

Advances in information technology have resulted in communication at work that is more personal in nature.

Question 64

Cultural diversity can be an important source of in enhancing organizational effectiveness.

Question 65

A board of directors is most likely to behave ethically when it includes members from related or partner firms.

Question 66

diversity means putting an end to the assumption that everyone who is not a member of the dominant group must assimilate.

Question 67

Orientation to authority is the extent to which people accept as normal an unequal distribution of _.

Question 68

Age, race and ethnicity, gender, physical and mental abilities, and sexual orientation are dimensions of diversity.

Question 69

Orientation to authority is another name for the cultural value
.

Question 70

Managers in strongly believe that a manager should be able to answer any question he or she is asked.

Question 71

Pureflow collects water at a natural spring, filters it, and bottles it for sale.This work process makes Pureflow an example of a organization.

Question 72

The extent to which people in a culture define themselves primarily as individuals rather than as part of a group is called _.

Question 73

Most and many firms routinely buy and/or sell their products and services in other countries.

Question 74

The process through which members of a minority group are forced to learn the ways of the majority group is called _.

Question 75

Knowledge workers bring value to a company because of what they know, not because of their experience.

Question 76

is the extent to which people feel threatened by unknown situations and prefer to be in clear and unambiguous situations.

Question 77

Michelle lives in a society where the focus is on the future, and where persistence and thrift are valued.Michelle's culture has a
- orientation.

Question 78

Marcos believes men make better managers than women.Marcos's attitude is an example of .

Question 79

The culture of the United States has a more -
orientation than does the culture of Hong Kong or China.

Question 80

orientation is tied to values that are oriented toward the past and the present and include respect for traditions and social obligations.