Deck 15: Organizational Culture

Question 1

Subcultures can arise from the personal characteristics of employees and managers or the conditions of the workplace.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Research suggests that corporate strategy is the most important factor for business success, but organization culture is a close second.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Firms with an aggressive culture can face a number of lawsuits because of the focus on outperforming the competitor at all costs.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Researchers found a relationship between organizational success, measured by indicators like revenues, sales and market share, and organizational culture.

Question 5

The deepest or innermost level of organizational culture is values.

Question 6

Countercultures are never tolerated in an organization once they are identified.

Question 7

Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values and beliefs indicating what are appropriate and inappropriate behaviors within an organization.

Question 8

Creating a safety culture can reduce accidents, improve employee retention and increase profitability due to reduced workers' compensation claims.

Question 9

A strong culture always outperforms a weak culture because of the consistency of expectations.

Question 10

Organizational structure is the most important factor in the creation of an organization's culture.

Question 11

Individuals are more aware of their firm's culture when they have an opportunity to compare it with that of another firm.

Question 12

Employee perceptions of subcultures have little impact on employee performance or commitment to the organization.

Question 13

Organizational cultures help determine who is hired by a firm.

Question 14

A founder's values could be one explanation for the

Question 15

The three levels of organizational culture are beliefs, assumptions and artifacts.

Question 16

If performance pressures increase too much, individuals begin to see their peers as competitors and short-term results become important, which can create unethical behaviors.

Question 17

Outcome-oriented cultures hold managers accountable for performance but not employees.

Question 18

Companies within the same industry generally have similar organizational cultures, but on occasion, they can be wildly different.

Question 19

The industry influence over culture suggests that it may not be possible to duplicate the culture of a firm in another industry.

Question 20

Founder values are a part of the company culture regardless of the success of the firm.

Question 21

While managers and supervisors are very important in helping new employees adjust to a firm's culture, coworkers actually hamper the process.

Question 22

While a firm's physical layout impacts motivation and job satisfaction, it does little to convey company culture.

Question 23

Onboarding activities in a firm produce higher levels of job satisfaction in new employees but have little impact on their organizational commitment long term.

Question 24

The behaviors that are punished, ignored or rewarded are likely to help determine how a culture evolves in a firm.

Question 25

Organizational culture will both attract potential employees and cause some to self-select out of the organization.

Question 26

The attraction-selection-attrition process explains how a certain level of homogeneity in personalities and values is maintained within an organization.

Question 27

A firm that uses a ranking system where employees are pitted against each other for the top rewards is more likely to have an aggressive culture.

Question 28

It is less important to find an individual to serve as a mentor who personifies company values than to find an individual who is enthusiastic about participating in the program.

Question 29

Leader role modeling is an important influence in the creation or change in an organization's culture.

Question 30

Mentors and protégés who had input into the matching process were no more satisfied with the outcome of the program then were those who were placed into a mentor-protégé pair.

Question 31

Two conditions that help effect a cultural change include experiencing failure in a firm and changes in the external environment impacting the firm.

Question 32

Extending benefits to full- and part-time employees as well as spouses and domestic partners can convey to those employees the people orientation of the firm.

Question 33

Culture is generally resistant to change efforts.

Question 34

Person-organization misfit is one of the important reasons for employee turnover.

Question 35

Individuals high in agreeableness would likely seek out firms with aggressive cultures.

Question 36

All mission statements are effective because they describe who the companies are and what they do.

Question 37

Computer-oriented orientation programs are more cost effective and more effective in conveying the firm's culture than classroom-oriented programs.

Question 38

A firm that rewards the achievement of goals only, and not the process to achieve those goals, is likely to have an outcome-based culture.

Question 39

The first step in the cultural change process is changing leaders and the leadership team.

Question 40

The inability to network is a major reason why new employees either leave their jobs voluntarily or are terminated within the first two years of employment.

Question 41

The Japanese culture emphasizes harmony, so it is highly unlikely a Japanese company would have an aggressive culture.

Question 42

Which of the following statements regarding organizational culture and its impact on the firm is accurate?

A)Strong organizational cultures are always a strategic advantage.
B)Having a culture that fits with the company leads to good company performance, but having a culture that does not fit has no impact.
C)Organizational cultures that are hard to imitate can create a competitive advantage for a firm.
D)Organizational culture is an effective control mechanism for dictating employee job attitudes.

Question 43

The corner office, mahogany desks and credenzas, gold name plates on office doors and reserved parking places are examples of

A)cultural beliefs.
B)cultural assumptions.
C)cultural artifacts.
D)cultural values.

Question 44

*Which of these is the strongest way to control employee behavior in an organization?

A)Employee handbooks
B)Online orientations
C)Strong corporate culture
D)Water cooler chats

Question 45

"People are generally dishonest" is an example of a

A)cultural orientation.
B)cultural artifact.
C)cultural value.
D)cultural assumption.

Question 46

Security, safety and social equality are all examples of

A)cultural assumptions.
B)cultural artifacts.
C)cultural values.
D)cultural orientations.

Question 47

The culture of a company is heavily impacted by the culture of its nation of origin.

Question 48

3M Corporation provides its employees time each week to generate ideas for new products.This practice is responsible for the development of such products as Post-it notes.3M has a(n) _____________ culture.

A)innovative
B)people-centered
C)detail oriented
D)aggressive

Question 49

*At General Motors, rather than focus on a new strategic plan for the company when she began as CEO, Mary Barra worked to

A)create a new management team.
B)sell off the company.
C)effect a cultural change.
D)diversify.

Question 50

Organizational culture consists of three levels:

A)assumptions, orientations, and beliefs.
B)beliefs, values, and artifacts.
C)artifacts, assumptions, and beliefs.
D)assumptions, artifacts, and values.

Question 51

Making ethics assessment a regular part of performance evaluation can ensure ethical behavior becomes part of a firm's core values.

Question 52

A system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs that indicates what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior in an organization is

A)culture.
B)mission.
C)goals.
D)strategy.

Question 53

*Mary Barra used the mandate "Dress Appropriately" at General Motors to help her determine

A)how the current leaders can handle decision making.
B)who had better taste in clothes.
C)who would follow her lead.
D)how to start to write a manual for a dress code.

Question 54

Renovating the firm's facilities and updating a firm's logo can help enable a cultural change.

Question 55

*Which of these would NOT fit the culture Mary Barra was trying to build at General Motors?

A)It's ok to make assumptions about that other people think.
B)Focus on foundational issues.
C)Build an environment where people feel engaged.
D)Have fun and build teamwork.

Question 56

Cultural assumptions

A)lie below the awareness level and reflect beliefs about human nature and reality.
B)are shared principles, standards and goals.
C)are a set of values unique to a limited cross-section of the organization.
D)are the visible and tangible elements of culture.

Question 57

*Uma just started a new job at a new company.The first day there, she observes whether people eat lunch at their desks, if they take timed breaks, and if they leave right at 5 pm.She is trying to understand

A)the organizational culture
B)the company rules
C)office gossip
D)organizational conflict

Question 58

Shared principles, standards and goals are

A)artifacts.
B)values.
C)beliefs.
D)assumptions.

Question 59

The visible and tangible elements of culture are

A)assumptions.
B)values.
C)artifacts.
D)beliefs.

Question 60

*What was one of the first actions Mary Barra took when becoming CEO at General Motors to start to change its corporate culture?

A)Fire 100 people to show she was serious.
B)Change the dress code.
C)Write a new employee manual.
D)Give everyone a raise.

Question 61

The firm pays above average wages to its employees.Each employee is given at least two weeks of vacation and any time family matters arise and time is needed, flexible arrangements are made to facilitate the employee.Each Thanksgiving, a turkey is provided to each employee, $25 gift certificates are given for the Christmas holiday, and during the summer, the firm pays for each employee and one other individual to attend an expense-paid day at the local amusement park.This firm seems to be a(n) _________ company.

A)outcome-oriented
B)service-oriented
C)people-oriented
D)team-oriented

Question 62

Firms that are flexible, adaptable and experiment with new ideas are _________ firms.

A)aggressive
B)innovative
C)stable
D)outcome-oriented

Question 63

A company with a stable culture is

A)flexible, adaptable, and experiments with new ideas.
B)predictable, rule-oriented, and bureaucratic.
C)achievement-oriented, results-oriented, and action-oriented.
D)fair, supportive, and respects individual rights.

Question 64

Those who emphasize achievement, results and action create a(n) _________ __________ culture in their organizations.

A)outcome-oriented
B)team-oriented
C)detail-oriented
D)people-oriented

Question 65

To ensure all cast members share the history of Walt Disney World, new hires at the resort must take the courses on traditions at Disney.With these classes, the Walt Disney Company is creating a

A)weak culture.
B)counterculture.
C)strong culture.
D)subculture.

Question 66

The mother of the young man always has such

A)service
B)detail-oriented
C)stable
D)people-oriented

Question 67

The Internal Revenue Service has many rules and regulations with regard to tax code and the filing of returns.The organization is large and very bureaucratic.If an individual has issues with the agency, getting it resolved is a laborious process filled with "red tape" and takes an extensive amount of time and patience to resolve.The Internal Revenue Service has a(n) _________ culture.

A)team-oriented
B)stable
C)people-oriented
D)outcome-oriented

Question 68

A defined set of values unique to a limited cross-section of the organization is

A)a subculture.
B)a counterculture.
C)a strong culture.
D)a service culture.

Question 69

The culture of Altmira Corporation is characterized by participative decision making, innovation and openness.The accounting department, however, is run using authoritarian decision making to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.Accounting manager Gordon Paul believes in tight control to prevent errors.The accounting department's culture could be classified as a

A)strong culture.
B)weak culture.
C)side culture.
D)counterculture.

Question 70

People-oriented cultures

A)value fairness, supportiveness and respecting individual rights.
B)value competitiveness and outperforming competitors.
C)are flexible, adaptable, and experiment with new ideas.
D)emphasize precision and paying attention to details.

Question 71

The marketing department at Langston Industries meets once a week for a pizza luncheon after which the marketing manager holds his weekly "venting session" where department members can express their concerns about what is going right and wrong in the department and firm.The finance department, on the other hand, never meets.The finance manager simply sends emails to his subordinates each Monday with a list of the items to be accomplished each week and tries to get around to seeing each individual sometime during the week for any questions the employee might have.Langston appears to have _________ in its organization.

A)countercultures
B)subcultures
C)onboarding
D)strong cultures

Question 72

Companies that are collaborative and emphasize cooperation among employees have a(n) ______________ culture.

A)people-oriented
B)outcome-oriented
C)detail-oriented
D)team-oriented

Question 73

The firm places its employees into five-person groups and gives them projects that are to be completed by each group with minimum direction from a project leader.Compensation in the firm is divided into two parts-that earned for your primary job, and that earned for work in your group.Once each year, training seminars are conducted for all company employees to learn the latest techniques in collaboration.This firm has a(n) ____________ culture.

A)people-oriented
B)detail-oriented
C)team-oriented
D)outcome-oriented

Question 74

Lincoln Manufacturing has a large sign posted at the entrance to the firm's parking area that keeps count of the number of days since the last accident in the firm.Currently, the number stands at 150.The count is changed every day in somewhat of a "ceremony," and every time another 50 days go by without an accident, the firm provides a free lunch to employees.Posters throughout the plant remind workers to wear protective clothing including earplugs, safety hats and glasses and safety shoes.Lincoln has what kind of culture?

A)person-oriented
B)aggressive
C)safety
D)stable

Question 75

At Walt Disney World, guests staying at The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa find thick white terrycloth robes hanging in the cupboard when they arrive in the room.The cleaning staff do not just place washcloths in the bath area; they form the washcloths into animals and arrange them on the vanity ready for a photograph.At night mints appear on the pillows and when the beds are made in the morning, any plush animals children have purchased or brought from home will be arranged in an entertaining formation on the finished bed.These examples suggest that Walt Disney Company is _______________.

A)people-oriented.
B)detail-oriented.
C)team-oriented.
D)outcome oriented.

Question 76

A culture that emphasizes precision and paying attention to details is

A)a service culture.
B)an aggressive culture.
C)a detail-oriented culture.
D)an outcome-oriented culture.

Question 77

ABC Corporation has its sights clearly set on XYZ Company.The firm's employees often talk about "cutting XYZ off at the knees." Recently a lawsuit was filed against ABC by XYZ because ABC "raided" the middle-level management level of XYZ and hired away 5 of its 7 managers.ABC has a(n) ____________________ culture.

A)service
B)outcome
C)stable
D)aggressive

Question 78

Which of the following statements is true regarding the dimensions of culture?

A)Employees tend to stay longer in people-oriented cultures.
B)Outcome-oriented cultures hold managers accountable for success, but not other employees.
C)In team-oriented cultures, managers have less positive relationships with their subordinates than in other cultures.
D)Proactive behavior tends to emerge often in stable companies.

Question 79

The school district has established achievement-oriented goals.Teachers are told that their instruction must thoroughly prepare students for high scores on the state achievement tests.Each nine-week grading period, teachers meet to discuss overall progress toward the goals set for increasing state achievement test scores.Recently the superintendent of the school district proposed establishing a bonus fund to reward teachers whose students' scores increased the most from year to year on those tests.This school has what kind of culture?

A)people-oriented
B)detail-oriented
C)aggressive
D)outcome-oriented

Question 80

Strong cultures

A)facilitate the changes that must occur in firms during mergers and acquisitions.
B)outperform weak cultures regardless of the volatility of the environment.
C)are no more
D)are evidenced by consensus among employees on the values of the company.