Deck 6: Organizational Cultures and Diversity

Question 1

Andre Laurent's research found that cultural differences actually are more pronounced among foreign employees working within the same multinational organization than among personnel working for firms in their native lands.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: Andre Laurent's research supports Hofstede's conclusions. He found that cultural differences are actually more pronounced among foreign employees working within the same multinational organization than among personnel working for firms in their native lands.

Question 2

Multicultural teams are most effective when they are assigned to routine tasks.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: Multicultural teams are most effective when they face tasks requiring innovativeness. They are far less effective when they are assigned to routine tasks.

Question 3

As the diversity of a group increases,the likelihood of all members perceiving things in the same way increases sharply.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: As the diversity of a group increases, the likelihood of all members perceiving things in the same way decreases sharply.

Question 4

At Deloitte,employees are trained to adapt to the cultural differences that their globally located leaders exhibit.

Question 5

In the context of organizational cultures,the Eiffel Tower culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on equality in the workplace and orientation to the person.

Question 6

A major benefit of culturally diverse groups is that they can prevent groupthink.

Question 7

In the context of organizational cultures,change in the guided missile culture comes slowly.

Question 8

At Deloitte,training employees to trust and harness the benefits of global,diverse teaming starts at the intern level.

Question 9

Among international firms,which focus on exporting and producing abroad,cultural diversity has a relatively weak impact on their external relationships with potential buyers and foreign employees.

Question 10

Being consciously aware of the way that teammates communicate can increase the chances of success for the team.

Question 11

There often are substantial differences between the organizational cultures of different subsidiaries.

Question 12

To manage a global team,international managers must take into consideration three factors: culture,communication,and trust.

Question 13

In the work stage of team development,attention may be directed toward decision making and implementation.

Question 14

When setting out to manage a culturally diverse team,managers should select team members for their task-related abilities and not solely based on ethnicity.

Question 15

In the United States,companies tend to reach out to the government for assistance when finances are pressured.

Question 16

Diverse and global teams are one of the most consistent sources of competitive advantage for any organization.

Question 17

Organizational climate refers to the overall atmosphere of an enterprise.

Question 18

Kirkman and colleagues concluded that "working virtually increases team process losses associated with stereotyping."

Question 19

It is necessary for today's organizations to do business in another country to encounter people with diverse cultural backgrounds.

Question 20

Organizational cultures of MNCs are shaped by a number of factors,including the cultural preferences of the leaders and employees.

Question 21

The guided missile culture is characterized by _____.

A) individual expertise
B) a formal hierarchy
C) personal orientation
D) a paternal relationship with management

Question 22

Organizational climate is reflected by:

A) the degree of cooperation between management and employees.
B) common language, terminology, and rituals.
C) high product and service quality.
D) the way employees interact with each other.

Question 23

Which of the following types of organizational cultures can be considered a fulfillment-oriented culture?

A) The family culture
B) The Eiffel Tower culture
C) The guided missile culture
D) The incubator culture

Question 24

The United Kingdom's corporate characteristic is:

A) administrative.
B) industrial.
C) pragmatic.
D) commercial.

Question 25

According to a study by Ronald Lessen and Fred Neubauer,unlike Spanish negotiators,French negotiators:

A) give importance to social competence.
B) employ persuasion through emotional appeal.
C) develop trust on the basis of frequent and warm interpersonal contact and transaction.
D) look for a meeting of minds.

Question 26

Kirkman and colleagues discovered that,to build trust among virtual team members,managers should:

A) encourage lapses in unilateral priority shifts.
B) build a shared mythology.
C) avoid long lags in responding.
D) keep the door open except when on private calls.

Question 27

Which of the following types of organizational cultures is most likely egalitarian and project-oriented?

A) The family culture
B) The Eiffel Tower culture
C) The guided missile culture
D) The incubator culture

Question 28

"Dirigiste" is used to describe the _____ dimension of France.

A) economic
B) philosophical
C) cultural
D) structural

Question 29

In which of the following types of organizational cultures are organizations typically entrepreneurial and provide an environment for the self-expression and self-fulfillment of their members?

A) The incubator culture
B) The guided missile culture
C) The Eiffel Tower culture
D) The family culture

Question 30

Norms of an organization are reflected by:

A) the rituals, common language, and terminology used.
B) the way employees and customers are treated.
C) the amount of work to be done.
D) the way participants feel about the way they are treated by higher-level management.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true about Spanish negotiators?

A) They emphasize intellectual competence.
B) They employ persuasion through carefully prepared and skilled rhetoric.
C) They base trust on the evaluation of perceived status and intellect.
D) They view a contract as a long-lasting relationship.

Question 32

To unite a diverse set of employees in a pharmaceutical company under a common corporate culture,AstraZeneca's Global Steering Group has focused on three universal cultural pillars.Which of the following is not one of those pillars?

A) Leadership and Management Capability
B) Transparency in Talent Management and Career Progression
C) Work/Life Challenges
D) Insight Exchange

Question 33

Which of the following is associated with the dimension of pragmatic conduct?

A) To put the expertise and standards of the employing organization first
B) To put the demands and expectations of the customers first
C) To comply with clear and definite systems
D) To pursue clear aims and objectives

Question 34

Rules that dictate the dos and don'ts of employee behavior relating to areas such as productivity,customer relations,and intergroup cooperation are characteristics associated with an organization's _____.

A) ethics
B) ambience
C) culture
D) structure

Question 35

A widely held belief that has not been found to be accurate is that organizational culture:

A) tends to erase the impact of national culture.
B) tends to be affected by national culture.
C) cannot easily change the cultural values employees bring to the workplace.
D) is different in different subsidiaries.

Question 36

According to a study by the Diagnosing Organizational Culture for Strategic Application (DOCSA)group published in 1995,unlike Americans,Europeans:

A) were perceived as being very open in their communications.
B) were viewed as preferring very loose control.
C) saw themselves as somewhat pragmatic in their conduct.
D) were seen as having a slight identification with their own organization.

Question 37

There are three aspects of organizational functioning that seem to be especially important in determining an MNC's organizational culture.They are:

A) the general views that employees hold about the MNC's purpose, destiny, goals, and their places in them; the age of the organization; and the degree of cultural diversity among the members of the organization.
B) the general relationship between the managers and the rank-and-file employees in the organization, the degree of cultural diversity among the members of the organization, and the hierarchical system of authority that defines the roles of managers and subordinates.
C) the degree of cultural diversity among the members of the organization, the age of the organization, and the strength of the organization's leadership.
D) the general relationship between the employees and their organization; the hierarchical system of authority that defines the roles of managers and subordinates; and the general views that employees hold about the MNC's purpose, destiny, goals, and their places in them.

Question 38

Which of the following is the identity dimension of corporate culture?

A) To put the demands of the job before the needs of the individual
B) To put the needs of the individual before the needs of the job
C) To identify with and uphold the expectations of the employing organizations
D) To strive for accuracy and attention to detail

Question 39

_____ is a pattern of basic assumptions that is developed by a group as it learns to cope with problems of external adaptation and internal integration and is taught to new members as the correct way to perceive,think,and feel in relation to these problems.

A) Organizational culture
B) Organizational learning
C) Organizational change
D) Organizational structure

Question 40

Which of the following statements is true of the Eiffel Tower culture?

A) It is well equipped to handle changes.
B) Relationships are specific, and status remains with the job.
C) Job assignments are flexible, and personnel do whatever it takes to get the job done.
D) Replacing the person holding the top position affects work of the organization members.

Question 41

A group in which all members but one have the same background is referred to as a _____.

A) multicultural group
B) bicultural group
C) token group
D) homogeneous group

Question 42

Which of the following types of organizational cultures is power-oriented and headed by a leader who is regarded as a caring parent?

A) The family culture
B) The Eiffel Tower culture
C) The guided missile culture
D) The incubator culture

Question 43

The _____ culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on hierarchy and orientation to the task.

A) incubator
B) family
C) guided missile
D) Eiffel Tower

Question 44

Which of the following describes the attitude toward authority in the Eiffel Tower culture?

A) Status is achieved by individuals exemplifying creativity and growth.
B) Status is achieved by project group members who contribute to a targeted goal.
C) Status is ascribed to superior roles that are distant yet powerful.
D) Status is ascribed to parent figures that are close and powerful.

Question 45

According to Lee's research in Singapore on small Chinese family businesses,older generations tend to:

A) stress hierarchies.
B) stress strategies.
C) focus on individual performance.
D) strive for new horizons.

Question 46

Which of the following describes the ways of thinking and learning in the guided missile culture?

A) Process-oriented, creative, ad hoc, and inspirational
B) Problem centered, professional, practical, and cross-disciplinary
C) Logical, analytical, vertical, and rationally efficient
D) Intuitive, holistic, lateral, and error correcting

Question 47

In the context of international corporation evolution,which of the following corporations has an ethnocentric perspective?

A) International corporations
B) Domestic corporations
C) Global corporations
D) Multinational corporations

Question 48

In the _____ culture,jobs are well defined,employees know what they are supposed to do,and everything is coordinated from the top.

A) guided missile
B) family
C) Eiffel Tower
D) incubator

Question 49

Unlike the organizational culture in the United States,in the family culture,appointments to a high-level,sensitive position are most likely to be based on _____.

A) personal accomplishments
B) personal relationships
C) technicality
D) creativity

Question 50

The _____ culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on equality and personal orientation.

A) incubator
B) Eiffel Tower
C) family
D) guided missile

Question 51

In the action stage of team development,the focus shifts to:

A) building trust and developing team cohesion.
B) describing a problem.
C) analyzing an assigned task.
D) decision making and implementation.

Question 52

As firms begin exporting to foreign clients and become what Adler calls "international corporations," they must:

A) increase the standardization of products and services.
B) adapt their products but not their approach to those of the local market.
C) adapt their approach and products to those of the local market.
D) adapt their approach but not their products to those of the local market.

Question 53

_____ cultures often create environments where participants thrive in an intense,emotional commitment to the nature of the work.

A) Eiffel Tower
B) Family
C) Guided missile
D) Incubator

Question 54

The Eiffel Tower culture is most commonly found in:

A) northwestern European countries, such as Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
B) northeastern Asian countries, such as Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
C) South American countries, such as Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
D) North Atlantic countries, such as England, Ireland, and Canada.

Question 55

Change in the incubator culture is:

A) slow and calculated.
B) almost nonexistent.
C) moderate and methodological.
D) fast and spontaneous.

Question 56

The _____ culture is a project-oriented culture.

A) family
B) Eiffel Tower
C) guided missile
D) incubator

Question 57

Which of the following describes the relationships between employees in the family culture?

A) Diffuse relationships to organic whole to which one is bonded
B) Specific role in mechanical system of required interaction
C) Specific tasks in cybernetic system targeted on shared objectives
D) Diffuse, spontaneous relationships growing out of shared creative process

Question 58

When it works well,the _____ culture can catalyze and multiply the energies of the personnel and appeal to their deepest feelings and aspirations.

A) incubator
B) guided missile
C) Eiffel Tower
D) family

Question 59

The _____ culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on equality in the workplace and orientation to the task.

A) guided missile
B) family
C) incubator
D) Eiffel Tower

Question 60

The _____ culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on hierarchy and orientation to the person.

A) family
B) Eiffel Tower
C) incubator
D) guided missile

Question 61

When _____ occurs,group participants believe that their ideas and actions are correct and that those who disagree with them are either uninformed or deliberately trying to sabotage their efforts.

A) group cognitive inertia
B) group reverse vigilance
C) groupthink
D) static decision making

Question 62

A team of employees looks into the benefits and shortcomings of setting up operations in the country of Bodonia.This team consists of a group of retailers from the country of Denebland and an attorney from the country of Altair.This team of employees exemplifies a _____.

A) homogeneous group
B) token group
C) multicultural group
D) bicultural group

Question 63

A _____ group is characterized by members who share similar backgrounds and who generally perceive,interpret,and evaluate events in similar ways.

A) multicultural
B) bicultural
C) token
D) homogeneous

Question 64

Briefly discuss the guidelines to be followed by managers when setting out to manage a culturally diverse team.

Question 65

A _____ group is a group in which two or more members represent each of two distinct cultures,such as four Mexicans and four Canadians who have formed a team to investigate the possibility of investing in Russia.

A) multicultural
B) bicultural
C) token
D) homogeneous

Question 66

As companies become what Alder calls "multinational firms," they often find that _____ tends to dominate all other considerations and the direct impact of culture may lessen slightly.

A) quality
B) serviceability
C) durability
D) price

Question 67

Identify a potential problem associated with diversity.

A) It limits idea generation.
B) It tends to increase groupthink.
C) It deteriorates customer relationships.
D) It tends to cause a lack of cohesion.

Question 68

In the _____ stage of group development,the focus should be on building trust and developing team cohesion.

A) entry
B) work
C) action
D) reflection

Question 69

Discuss findings of Hofstede and Andre Laurent about the relationship between national and organizational culture.

Question 70

Global firms need:

A) neither an internal nor an external diversity focus.
B) both an internal and an external diversity focus.
C) an internal but not an external diversity focus.
D) an external but not an internal diversity focus.

Question 71

What are the four types of organizational cultures identified by Fons Trompenaars? Provide a brief description of each of these cultures.

Question 72

In the _____ stage of group development,attention may be directed more toward describing and analyzing the problem or task that has been assigned.

A) entry
B) work
C) action
D) reflection

Question 73

A _____ group is a group in which there are individuals from three or more different ethnic backgrounds,such as three U.S.,three German,three Uruguayan,and three Chinese managers who are looking into mining operations in Chile.

A) homogeneous
B) token
C) multicultural
D) bicultural

Question 74

What is organizational culture,and what are some of its major characteristics?

Question 75

Discuss some of the potential problems associated with diversity.