Deck 14: Organizational Culture

Question 1

The values shared most widely and consistently by employees represent

A) the organization's dominant culture.
B) the organization's deculturation process.
C) the organization's counterculture.
D) artifacts held mainly by senior executives in the organization.
E) rituals prevalent in the organization.

Answer 1

the organization's dominant culture.

Question 2

________ are conscious perceptions about what is good or bad, right or wrong.

A) Assumptions
B) Values
C) Implicit mental models
D) Artifacts
E) Decisions

Answer 2

Values

Question 3

An organization's culture is defined through its ________ values.

A) espoused
B) traditional
C) emerging
D) assumed
E) enacted

Answer 3

enacted

Question 4

Corporate leaders hope ________ will eventually become the organization's culture and guide the organization's decisions and actions.

A) enacted values
B) shared values
C) espoused values
D) shared assumptions
E) organizational culture

Question 5

Which of the following are spawning grounds for emerging values that keep the firm aligned with the evolving needs and expectations of customers, suppliers, communities, and other stakeholders?

A) dominant cultures
B) subcultures
C) innovations
D) assumptions
E) enacted values

Question 6

Organizations differ in their cultural content, that is, the relative ordering of

A) shared values.
B) shared assumptions.
C) enacted values.
D) espoused values.
E) countercultures.

Question 7

Many experts regard the deeper cultural element of ________ as the essence of organizational culture.

A) shared assumptions
B) shared values
C) subcultures
D) espoused values
E) values

Question 8

Which element of culture is represented when a company's website promotes the idea that they are environmental stewards?

A) espoused values
B) enacted values
C) artifacts
D) basic assumptions
E) language

Question 9

The relative ordering of shared values represents a company's

A) cultural content.
B) basic assumptions.
C) artifacts.
D) cultural diversity.
E) subcultures.

Question 10

Which of the following is a concern with organizational content models?

A) They ignore shared assumptions.
B) They only focus on subcultures.
C) They complicate the diversity of cultural values.
D) They ignore shared values.
E) They recognize that cultures are often fragmented.

Question 11

Which of the following statements regarding countercultures is correct?

A) They embrace values that directly oppose the dominant culture.
B) They are a negative force and should be suppressed.
C) They generally bring harmony to the organization.
D) They fail to recognize that values do not change.
E) They bridge dissent among employees.

Question 12

Which of the following would not be an artifact of organizational culture?

A) Employees describe and label customers as wombats.
B) Employees have shared assumptions about how the company succeeds.
C) Employees work in an office with clearly defined cubicles.
D) Managers often recount to staff a story about how the founder's persistence saved the company in its early days.
E) Employees frequently use swear words when expressing their anger in the workplace.

Question 13

Which of these statements about organizational stories is correct?

A) Stories are most effective at communicating corporate culture when they describe fictional scenarios.
B) Stories do not serve to prescribe what people should do.
C) Stories have the greatest impact when they are unemotional.
D) Stories are an unimportant artifact as they are typically embellished and not believable.
E) Stories add human realism to corporate expectations, individual performance standards, and the criteria for getting fired.

Question 14

Which of the following work settings represents a more collaborative culture?

A) a fixed environment (e.g., immovable desks)
B) more team space
C) mostly individual space
D) a structured, symmetrical layout of desks
E) personal work spaces with high/medium enclosures

Question 15

________ are planned activities conducted specifically for the benefit of an audience.

A) Artifacts
B) Rituals
C) Assumptions
D) Ceremonies
E) Values

Question 16

Collaborative and creative cultures value more teamwork and flexibility, so space design is

A) structured.
B) informal.
C) for individuals.
D) more fixed.
E) symmetrical

Question 17

Which of the following is true about the work space in a controlling and competitive culture?

A) more team space
B) low to medium enclosures
C) flexible environment
D) symmetrical layout
E) organic design

Question 18

Artifacts represent

A) observable manifestation of culture.
B) less visible indicators are culture.
C) the values of countercultures.
D) the single best way to assess a company's culture.
E) tangible things that can be touched.

Question 19

To truly understand an organization's culture one should

A) realize that shared values are actually not widely shared in practice.
B) focus only on observable manifestations.
C) focus only on underlying assumptions.
D) ignore the less dominant subcultures.
E) sample information from a variety of artifacts.

Question 20

At one company, employees compliment each other as "being Gumby." Which artifact does this represent?

A) a story
B) a ritual
C) a legend
D) language
E) a ceremony

Question 21

Once a year, XYZ company holds a company-wide meeting to recognize the top salespersons. Which type of artifact does this represent?

A) a ritual
B) a ceremony
C) a physical structure
D) a legend
E) language

Question 22

Which of the following is true about organizational culture?

A) It is suggested that companies with strong cultures tend to be more successful, irrespective of any conditions.
B) Companies have strong cultures when the dominant values are held mainly by a few people at the top of the organization.
C) Most employees across all subunits understand the dominant values but choose to ignore them.
D) The life span of strong organizational cultures is almost always short.
E) The strength of an organization's culture refers to how widely and deeply employees hold the company's dominant values and assumptions.

Question 23

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

A) Organizations with stronger cultures tend to perform better than those with weak cultures when the culture content fits the external environment.
B) There is no relationship between an organization's cultural strength and its performance.
C) Organizations with stronger cultures tend to perform better only when they acquire other organizations with distinct cultures.
D) Organizations with stronger cultures almost always perform poorly compared to those with weak cultures.
E) Organizations with stronger cultures always become cults.

Question 24

Which of the following tends to happen when an organization's culture is misaligned with its external environment?

A) The corporate culture gets stronger.
B) The organization's subcultures weaken.
C) The organization has less successful interaction with stakeholders.
D) The organization is unable to develop subcultures.
E) The various subcultures within the organization keep changing.

Question 25

Which one of the following statements about a strong culture is correct?

A) Organizations with stronger cultures lock people into mental models.
B) There is no relationship between an organization's cultural strength and its performance.
C) A strong culture has an inward focus and ignores the external environment.
D) If the dominant values are congruent with the environment, then employees are more likely to engage in decisions and behaviors to change that environment.
E) The benefits of a strong culture depend on whether its content is aligned with the external environment.

Question 26

Corporate cults may undermine organizational effectiveness because they lock people into ________, which can blind them to new opportunities and unique problems.

A) mental models
B) dissension
C) a learning orientation
D) rituals
E) unethical behavior

Question 27

One function of a strong culture is that

A) it allows people to act on their divergent values.
B) it serves as a social control mechanism.
C) it does not require people to bond.
D) it is a short-lived phenomenon.
E) makes it hard for employees to know what is expected.

Question 28

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

A) It serves as a control system.
B) It helps people make sense of things.
C) It serves as social glue which bonds people together.
D) It makes it easier for employees to know the expectations of them.
E) It makes the institutionalization of artifacts unnecessary.

Question 29

Organizational culture functions as ________ when it bonds people together and makes them feel part of the organizational experience.

A) a control system
B) a sense making mechanism
C) social glue
D) a cult
E) a compass

Question 30

One thing that is indicative of a(n) ________ is that employees are locked into mental models which prevent them from seeing new opportunities.

A) cult
B) strong culture
C) weak culture
D) adaptive culture
E) functional culture

Question 31

How do ethical values relate to a company's dominant culture?

A) Ethics values have no relationship to organizational culture.
B) Ethical values do not have to be shared.
C) Ethical values only exist as underlying assumptions.
D) Ethical values are an artifact of the dominant culture.
E) Ethical values become embedded in the dominant culture.

Question 32

Strengthening the organization's culture around socially desirable values can potentially

A) create a cult.
B) improve ethical conduct.
C) lead to widespread unethical behavior.
D) hinder cultural adaptation.
E) lead to bullying and harassment.

Question 33

Which of the following statements regarding organizational culture and business ethics is correct?

A) Organizational culture and ethics do not go hand-in-hand.
B) Organizational culture can cause unethical conduct as well as ethical conduct.
C) Organizational culture has no effect on unethical conduct.
D) Ethical values cannot be embedded into a dominant organizational culture.
E) Ethical values are unnecessary as employees always know how to "do the right thing".

Question 34

Which of the following is true about using the strategy of integration for merging different corporate cultures?

A) It works best when people realize that their existing cultures are good enough, which motivates them to stick to their dominant values.
B) It is the fastest strategy for merging different corporate cultures.
C) It is potentially safe because neither party is preserving the existing culture.
D) It should be considered when the merging companies have strong cultures.
E) It creates a new composite culture that preserves the best features of the previous cultures.

Question 35

Evidence shows that executives in the acquiring firm have a hard time keeping their hands off the acquired firm for which merger strategy?

A) deculturation
B) assimilation
C) separation
D) integration
E) negotiation

Question 36

What is the first step in a bicultural audit?

A) Actually merge the companies.
B) Identify cultural differences between the merging companies.
C) Decide which cultural merger strategy to implement.
D) Decide the merger will not work.
E) Prepare an action plan to bridge the cultures.

Question 37

Why is the strategy of assimilation rare?

A) Typically merging firms both have weak cultures.
B) Mergers are almost always between firms in different industries.
C) It results in damaging cultural clashes.
D) Employees resist change when they are asked to adopt significantly different personal and corporate values.
E) Both company's cultures are identical.

Question 38

Which of the following is a downside to an integration strategy?

A) Neither firm wants to preserve its best cultural features.
B) The acquired firm usually wants to have the culture of the acquiring firm imposed on it.
C) Since both company's have strong cultures, one must be weakened as a result of the merger.
D) It is difficult to merge firms in different industries.
E) It is slow and potentially risky.

Question 39

Which of the following statements is consistent with the attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) theory?

A) Job applicants who later become organizational members tend to be attracted to coworkers who share their values and assumptions.
B) Organizations have a natural tendency to attract, select, and retain people with values that are consistent with the organization's own culture.
C) New hires do not care about the values of the organization they are joining.
D) Employees get attached to organizations that meet their reward expectations.
E) Attraction followed by selection inevitably leads to attrition in the future.

Question 40

Which of the following could align artifacts with a desired culture?

A) Embrace ASA theory.
B) Ensure rewards are culturally consistent.
C) Have a stable workforce.
D) Discourage employee interaction.
E) Find storytellers to share the organization's history.

Question 41

Which of the following is most likely to strengthen an organization's culture?

A) high turnover of employees
B) rewards and informal recognition
C) artifacts that do not align with the culture
D) hiring people based only on their skills and experience
E) ignore the actions of the founders and leaders

Question 42

Which one of the following is true about strong cultures?

A) They have a stable workforce.
B) They have employees who work alone.
C) They seek job applicants whose values are different to expand the cultural beliefs.
D) They do not hold leaders accountable for employees' values.
E) The firm never changes the founder's habits.

Question 43

Which of the following statements is correct about the role of founders and leaders on an organization's culture?

A) Since things change, it is important to forget the past, including stories about the founder.
B) The core values of an organization emerge long after the founder has left.
C) Leaders need to always maintain the culture established by the founder.
D) Founders do not influence organizational culture.
E) The founder plays a central role in establishing a firm's core values.

Question 44

Why is workforce stability important for a strong organizational culture?

A) Because a stable workforce will be highly resistant to change.
B) Because cults form only in organizations with high turnover.
C) Because company founders believe in its importance.
D) Because it takes time for employees to fully understand the organization's culture.
E) Because a stable workforce ensures that countercultures exist.

Question 45

According to ASA theory, what is an important consideration in selection?

A) That new hires come in with many different values to enrich the existing culture.
B) The appearance of the applicant during a job interview.
C) That the applicant agrees to be an employee for life.
D) That the applicant's values are aligned with the company's values.
E) That the applicant has experienced reality shock at previous jobs.

Question 46

Which of the following happens throughout the process of organizational socialization?

A) Conflicts are resolved between work and nonwork activities.
B) Employees form expectations (a psychological contract) about working at that organization.
C) Reality shock is experienced.
D) Newcomers test how well their preemployment expectations fit reality.
E) Applicants strengthen relationships with coworkers and supervisors.

Question 47

Many employees experience reality shock early in their employment because

A) they find that their preemployment expectations are met.
B) they work better under stress.
C) newcomers test how well their preemployment expectations fit reality, and many companies fail this test.
D) they had realistic expectations about the job.
E) colleagues provide a lot of information regarding various work assignments on the very first day.

Question 48

All of the following could result in reality shock except

A) the employer did not deliver on promises made prior to employment.
B) the new hire has unrealistic expectations.
C) work expectations are distorted during information exchanges.
D) the company only provided the applicant with positive information.
E) the company provided a realistic job preview.

Question 49

________ are employees who help newcomers make sense of and adapt to the organization.

A) Prototypes
B) Attrition agents
C) Artifacts
D) Bicultural auditors
E) Socialization agents

Question 50

When newcomers increase their organizational comprehension, they typically

A) leave the organization.
B) experience more successful workplace socialization.
C) resist new team norms.
D) experience more workplace conflicts.
E) have a harder time adjusting.

Question 51

Realistic job previews tend to do all of the following except

A) deter some people submitting or continuing with their job application.
B) reduce turnover among newcomers.
C) increase newcomers' reality shock.
D) increase newcomer affective organizational commitment.
E) increase newcomer job performance.

Question 52

Which type of psychological contract represents a long-term attachment?

A) transactional contracts
B) relational contracts
C) realistic job previews
D) reality shock
E) organizational comprehension

Question 53

Renee is a new HR manager for a large company. She is concerned about the number of employees leaving the company and the lack of job applicants. She begins with a review of the company's policies and then a look at the culture. She talks with long-time employees to learn the stories and the rituals.

-After listening and researching, Renee creates a posting on a popular website and employment boards. She has begun which component of cultural fit?

A) retention
B) attraction
C) selection
D) attrition
E) hiring

Question 54

Renee is a new HR manager for a large company. She is concerned about the number of employees leaving the company and the lack of job applicants. She begins with a review of the company's policies and then a look at the culture. She talks with long-time employees to learn the stories and the rituals.

-After listening and researching, Renee now knows why people are leaving. She has found that ________ is the cause.

A) retention
B) attraction
C) selection
D) attrition
E) interviewing

Question 55

Explain the relationship between organizational culture and business ethics.

Question 56

Shared values and assumptions are core elements of organizational culture.

Question 57

Organizational culture is defined by its espoused values rather than its enacted values.

Question 58

Subcultures are often the spawning grounds for emerging values that align the firm with the changing external environment.

Question 59

Artifacts of organizational culture may include the building's design, the way people are greeted, and the organizations reward systems.

Question 60

An example of a ritual is when a company plans a public event to celebrate the launch of a new product.

Question 61

The language used in the workplace is a verbal expression of the shared values and assumptions.

Question 62

A workplace with a lot of team space, informal spaces, and an organic layout is indicative of a competitive culture.

Question 63

A strong organizational culture helps employees make sense of what goes on and why things happen in the company.

Question 64

An organization's culture influences ethical conduct, but unethical conduct exists outside of the dominant culture.

Question 65

The assimilation strategy for merging cultures is the most likely to result in a culture clash.

Question 66

One common result of the deculturation strategy is that employees in the acquired firm willingly adopt the values of the acquiring firm.

Question 67

The integration merger strategy allows for each culture to remain distinct and separate.

Question 68

A separation strategy is most appropriate when the merging organizations are in different industries or operate in different countries.

Question 69

The culture shaped by a company's founder can potentially be reshaped by applying transformational leadership and authentic leadership practices.

Question 70

A stable workforce is a critical element for a strong culture.

Question 71

According to ASA theory, new hires who find that their personal values are incompatible with the organizational values will leave.

Question 72

A psychological contract is a perception about what the employee is entitled to receive and is obliged to offer the employer in return.

Question 73

Organizational socialization begins prior to the employee being hired.

Question 74

Reality shock occurs when employees realize that their pre-employment expectations are consistent with the new, on-the-job reality.

Question 75

A realistic job preview balances positive and negative information about a job and the work context.