Deck 16: Organizational Culture

Question 1

When a corporate president is the first employee to give blood during a corporate blood drive, this is an example of:

A)ritual
B)symbolism
C)rite of integration
D)personal enactment

Answer 1

D

Question 2

When the president of your college or university awards scholarships at a banquet to high-achieving students, this is an example of:

A)personal enactment
B)a ritual
C)a symbol
D)a ceremony

Answer 2

D

Question 3

When Southwestern Bell emphasizes the importance of management training by kicking off classes using a high-ranking executive and has a graduation ceremony when classes are completed, they have utilized:

A)a rite of renewal and a rite of passage
B)a rite of enhancement and a rite of passage
C)a rite of integration and a rite of enhancement
D)a rite of passage and a rite of integration

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following include the three levels of culture identified by Edgar Schein?

A)artifacts, values, and symbols
B)basic assumptions, awareness, and values
C)values, ceremonies and rites, and artifacts
D)artifacts, values, and basic assumptions

Question 5

A company's espoused values can be found in all of the following except:

A)annual reports
B)monthly financial statements
C)quarterly employee newsletters
D)employee handbooks

Question 6

Which of the following would NOT provide an indication of an organization's culture?

A)employee dress code
B)performance expectations of employees
C)use of job titles
D)number of products produced

Question 7

Which of the following stories are examples of the reinforcement of organizational values?

A)Stories about whether lower level employees as reflected by the CEO from QuikTrip rise to the top.
B)Stories about how a company deals with crisis as reflected by AIG's payout of millions in bonuses to the unit that led to the need for the government bailout.
C)Stories about how status considerations work when rules are broken as reflected by the CEO (Tom Watson) of IBM being confronted by a security guard because he was not wearing an ID badge.
D)All of these

Question 8

"Be fair, empathetic, and responsive in serving our clients", a statement from the core organizational purpose statement of Charles Schwab Corporation is a/an:

A)assumption
B)espoused value
C)enacted value
D)artifact

Question 9

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding values?

A)Values are the last and deepest level of culture.
B)Values reflect a person's underlying beliefs.
C)Values are often consciously articulated in a company's mission statement.
D)There may be a difference between espoused and enacted values.

Question 10

The most visible and accessible level of culture is:

A)values
B)assumptions
C)artifacts
D)socialization processes

Question 11

An example of a rite of enhancement is a/an:

A)job transfer
B)kick off banquet for the introduction of a new product
C)employee of the month award
D)retirement party

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT an important attribute of organizational culture?

A)shared norms and values
B)symbolism
C)employee socialization
D)pervasiveness and endurance

Question 13

Values reflected in the way individuals actually behave are called:

A)behavioral values
B)enduring values
C)enacted values
D)observable values

Question 14

A corporate logo is:

A)a ritual
B)a symbol
C)usually an indication of what the organization produces as a product or provides as a service
D)a rite of integration

Question 15

Everyday organizational practices that are repeated over and over defines:

A)culture
B)a rite
C)a ritual
D)a symbol

Question 16

The employees of Stillwater Designs know that if monthly sales are higher than sales in the same month of the previous year that Steve Irby (founder and CEO) will hold a cookout for the employees the following Friday. This would be a result of the CEO's use of:

A)ceremonies and rites
B)stories
C)rituals
D)personal enactment

Question 17

The key to understanding culture through artifacts lies in:

A)identifying the visible portion of culture
B)identifying the most important artifact of culture which is symbols
C)figuring out what they mean
D)the awareness of how values are communicated through culture

Question 18

An early fall semester convocation on your campus can be considered a:

A)rite of integration
B)rite of renewal
C)rite of enhancement
D)rite of success

Question 19

A pattern of basic assumptions that are considered valid and that are taught to new members as the way to perceive, think, and feel in the organization is known as:

A)socialization
B)corporate culture
C)psychological contract
D)value system

Question 20

Organizational culture is most rooted in which of the following fields of study?

A)social psychology
B)political science
C)sociology
D)anthropology

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a base for an organization's culture?

A)the vision of the corporate founder
B)expectations of leadership
C)the performance evaluation-reward system
D)the location of the organization's manufacturing and distribution facilities

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a perspective that helps you understand the effects of culture?

A)the fit perspective
B)the strong perspective
C)the adaptation perspective
D)the social creation perspective

Question 23

According to Edgar Schein, the essence of culture is:

A)the interpretation of the artifact
B)values
C)assumptions
D)the intention behind the story

Question 24

The fit perspective of culture argues that:

A)a culture is "good" only if it fits the industry's or the firm's strategy
B)a culture is appropriate when it fits BOTH market characteristics and the approach or strategy to the market
C)an organization adapts the strategy of an organization to its culture
D)the lean or flat organization is the most appropriate culture

Question 25

Compatibility of individual and organizational value systems is known as:

A)realism
B)competence
C)mutuality
D)congruence

Question 26

The strong culture perspective states that organizations with strong cultures:

A)are more adaptable
B)have less turnover
C)perform better than other organizations
D)tend to less conflicted

Question 27

The fit perspective is useful in explaining:

A)long-term performance
B)short-term performance
C)how firms can adapt to environmental change
D)why managers make better decisions

Question 28

Assumptions are:

A)deeply held beliefs that guide behavior of organized members
B)widely known and formally communicated throughout the organization
C)behavioral tendencies or enacted values
D)unwritten rules of conduct frequently violated by new employees

Question 29

An adaptive organizational culture is one that:

A)changes its environment
B)encourages confidence and risk taking among employees
C)responds to, rather than carefully anticipates, changing needs of customers
D)values an orderly management process more highly then leadership initiatives

Question 30

What perspective of culture would be best for a company that wants to compete globally?

A)the strong perspective
B)the fit perspective
C)the adaptation perspective
D)the public statement of assumptions perspective

Question 31

According to the study by Kotter and Heskett on adaptive cultures, the adaptive culture facilitates change to meet the needs of all of the following groups except:

A)employees
B)suppliers
C)customers
D)stockholders

Question 32

Anticipatory socialization takes place through:

A)learning interpersonal demands
B)realistic job previews
C)creating role ambiguity
D)performance evaluation

Question 33

The two key concerns in the anticipatory socialization stage are:

A)realism and encounter
B)encounter and acquisition
C)congruence and acquisition
D)realism and congruence

Question 34

Strong cultures facilitate performance in all of the following ways except:

A)providing control without oppressive effects of a bureaucracy
B)encouraging employee and organizational goal alignment
C)creating a high level of employee motivation
D)insulating employees and focusing their attention away from the organization's environment

Question 35

Corporate leaders can greatly influence and shape organizational culture through:

A)delegating crisis management
B)consistently demonstrating corporate values in measuring and rewarding employee performance
C)acting quickly when sales decline by displacing employees
D)paying attention to detail and letting others attend to the big picture

Question 36

According to Edgar Schein, leaders play crucial roles in shaping and reinforcing culture. Which of the following is NOT one of the elements considered important to a leader's management of culture?

A)how leaders hire and fire individuals
B)how leaders react to crisis
C)how leaders allocate rewards
D)how leaders develop strategy

Question 37

The process by which newcomers are transformed from outsiders to effective, participating members of the organization refers to:

A)recruitment
B)the interview process
C)organizational socialization
D)organizational revitalization

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a basic function of corporate culture?

A)control mechanism for shaping behavior
B)the building of strong corporate mentality and unquestioned employee support
C)a sense-making device for employees
D)enhances employee motivation

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT likely to be an element or activity of organizational socialization?

A)college major of new employees
B)a new employee's first job assignment
C)orientation and training of new employees
D)a new employee's performance evaluation during first year

Question 40

Strong cultures are thought to facilitate performance for three reasons. Which of the following is NOT one of those reasons?

A)goal alignment or common goals
B)higher level of motivation
C)higher job satisfaction
D)control without bureaucracy

Question 41

The primary purpose of socialization is the:

A)transmission of core values to new organization members
B)identification of employees who do not fit with the cultural values
C)to communicate the importance of trust as an important cultural attribute
D)assessment of individual attributes for future placement and potential

Question 42

During the early period of organizational entry and initial job placement, the primary stressor is:

A)ambiguity
B)feedback
C)role conflict
D)networking

Question 43

Employee performance expectations are normally made known through:

A)communication of role demands
B)task specifications
C)the change and acquisition stage of socialization
D)facilitation of interpersonal demands

Question 44

During which stage of adjustment to a new organization should companies tie rewards as explicitly as possible to performance?

A)encounter
B)anticipatory socialization
C)change and acquisition
D)reality shock

Question 45

The explanation of how AOL liked to handle weakened competitors, which was to "drive a knife in their heart," revealed:

A)a culture clash between AOL and Time Warner
B)the deepest level of culture for AOL
C)an adaptive culture
D)a culture that provided a strong fit with the industry

Question 46

Reality shock typically occurs during which stage in the adjustment of a newcomer to an organization?

A)anticipatory socialization
B)Change and acquisition
C)inclusion
D)encounter

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT a stage that individuals go through when adjusting to a new organization?

A)anticipatory socialization
B)change and acquisition
C)inclusion
D)encounter

Question 48

An ethical organizational culture can be developed through all of the following except:

A)executive role modeling
B)disseminating a code of ethics and conduct
C)rationalizing mistakes
D)encouraging whistle-blowing

Question 49

The focus of the organizational culture inventory is:

A)attitudes
B)behaviors
C)values
D)role demands

Question 50

A successful transition from outsider to insider can be ensured if both the newcomer and the organization work together. During what phase or stage of the adjustment to a new organization should a newcomer prepare for reality shock and plan ways to cope with job stress?

A)inclusion
B)encounter
C)anticipatory socialization
D)change and acquisition

Question 51

Changing an organization's culture is difficult because:

A)attitudes are not changeable
B)assumptions are deeply ingrained, even below consciousness
C)norms adjust with changing leader personalities
D)behavior is nonconfrontable

Question 52

Which of the following is most difficult to communicate and understand in socializing new employees?

A)job demands
B)company policies
C)performance expectations
D)values and assumptions

Question 53

In which stage of adjustment to a new organization should newcomers set realistic goals and take credit for the successes that occur as they master the job?

A)encounter
B)anticipatory socialization
C)change and acquisition
D)inclusion

Question 54

A recent organizational socialization study shows that supervisor support diminished after a period of _____ after a new hire.

A)twenty-four months
B)six to twenty-one months
C)two months
D)just five months

Question 55

The assessing of cultural change can best be done through:

A)observing behavior
B)testing for values change
C)psychoanalysis of assumptions
D)intrinsically studying motivation

Question 56

Otis Elevator has experimented with a program in which new hires, regardless of their specific job function, all complete a six-week training course covering all aspects of the elevator industry. This information and training is especially recommended for which stage of adjustment for the newcomer?

A)encounter
B)anticipatory socialization
C)change and acquisition
D)inclusion

Question 57

The underlying dimensions of the Kilmann-Saxton Culture-Gap Survey are:

A)task/people and security/satisfaction
B)behavior and task specifications
C)artifacts and assumptions
D)technical/human and time

Question 58

The use of multiple methods to measure organizational change is known as:

A)convergence
B)multitrait/multimethod measurement
C)triangulation
D)combination measurement

Question 59

During which stage of adjustment to a new organization should companies provide job assignments that present new recruits opportunities to succeed?

A)encounter
B)anticipatory socialization
C)inclusion
D)change and acquisition

Question 60

All of the following are successful indications of socialization except:

A)acceptable employee performance
B)strong intention to stay with firm
C)low levels of distress symptoms
D)interpersonal incompatibility

Question 61

Assumptions are the deepest and most fundamental level of an organization's culture.

Question 62

Realistic job previews are part of anticipatory socialization.

Question 63

Stories that aren't backed by reality can lead to cynicism and mistrust.

Question 64

The "fit" perspective argues that a culture is good only if it match's the style of the leader.

Question 65

The fit perspective argues that there can be a wide range of cultures within the same industry.

Question 66

Symbols of organizational culture are called rituals.

Question 67

Deeply held beliefs that guide behavior and tell members of an organization how to perceive and think about things are called values.

Question 68

Enacted values are what the members say they value.

Question 69

An organization's culture is much like an individual's personality.

Question 70

Initial efforts to change organizational cultures usually focus on adjusting behavior.

Question 71

Public announcement of corporate wrongdoing on the part of an executive is a rite of degradation.

Question 72

Managers in organizations that consistently communicated concern for workers' well-being and that focused on treating employees fairly reported feeling better about themselves and their role in the organization.

Question 73

An organizational culture that encourages confidence and risk taking among employees, has leadership that produces change, and focuses on the changing needs of customers reflects the "fit" perspective.

Question 74

Executive attentiveness to customer expectations, employee needs, and stockholder concerns can shape organizational culture.

Question 75

Value congruence can result in newcomers being more satisfied with their jobs, adjusting more quickly, and having stronger intentions to remain with the firm.

Question 76

Values are the deepest level of culture.

Question 77

A retirement dinner would be a good example of a rite of enhancement.

Question 78

Managers in an adaptable organizational culture value an orderly, risk adverse management process more highly than leader initiatives.

Question 79

The strong approach to culture would be the most important perspective for a global competitor.

Question 80

The communication of organizational assumptions is almost impossible, since organization members themselves may not be consciously aware of them.