Ch 14 ob test

Organizational culture can sometimes be reshaped by applying transformational leadership and organizational change practices

true

What type of cultural merge would be best for BarkBark? A. integration B. deculturation C. assimilation D. separation E. incorporation

A. integration

Which of the following organizational culture dimension is characterized by competitiveness and a low emphasis on social responsibility? A. stability B. innovation C. outcome orientation D. aggressiveness E. respect for people

D. aggressiveness

_____ are conscious perceptions about what is good or bad, right or wrong. A. Assumptions B. Values C. Morals D. Artifacts E. Decisions

B. Values

Describe the stages of organizational socialization

The stages of organizational socialization are: Preemployment socialization is all the learning and adjustment that occurs before the first day of work. Encounter is the stage starting with the first day on the job, during which newcomers test how well their preemployment expectations fit reality. Role management begins during preemployment socialization but is most active as employees make the transition from newcomers to insiders. It involves establishing and strengthening relationships with coworkers and supervisors, practicing new role behaviors, and adopting attitudes and values consistent with their new position and the organization.

Using attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) theory, describe how a company would maintain and perpetuate its culture

This answer requires students to describe how each of the three parts of the theory contributes to maintaining an organization's culture. Attraction: All organizations communicate their cultures (values) via artifacts that are visible to others in the community. These provide information to prospective job applicants about the organization's values. The resulting information leads applicants to a form of self-selection when they avoid companies that seem to have values that are incompatible with their own. Conversely, this same process encourages those who share the same values with the company to apply for jobs. The attraction component of the theory ensures the established culture is maintained. Selection: Even during the employment selection stage, companies factor in the person's "fit" with the established culture. This focus on values congruence has the effect of weeding out those who hold differing values found in the established organizational culture. Rather than providing a mix of values, this practice tends to homogenize and perpetuate an organization's established culture. Attrition: People are motivated to seek environments that are sufficiently congruent with their personal values and to leave environments that are a poor fit. This occurs because person-organization values congruence supports their social identity and minimizes internal role conflict. Even if employees aren't forced out, many quit when the values incongruence is sufficiently high. This attrition process contributes to perpetuating a workforce that comprises mostly of individuals who share the same values as those found in the company's culture.

BarkBark Inc. and Happy Toys Ltd. are considering a merger and are unsure whether their two organizations will have a difficult time with clashing cultures. They perform a detailed diagnosis, collecting and analyzing the gathered data about the two merging companies. They identify several overlapping values, which they feel that they can effectively meld into a cohesive new culture. 88. In Scenario B, BarkBark and Happy Toys used _______ when considering the merger. A. assimilation B. deculturation C. a bicultural audit D. a merger strategy E. a cultural review

C. a bicultural audit

At meetings of a major consumer products firm, employees habitually stand up when the most senior executive at the meeting enters the room. This practice represents A. evidence that the meeting has employees who hold countercultural values. B. an adaptive culture in the company. C. a ritual that probably symbolizes the organization's dominant culture. D. a form of deculturation that eventually undermines the organization's dominant culture. E. that the company's espoused values differ from its enacted values.

C. a ritual that probably symbolizes the organization's dominant culture.

One of the functions of _____ is that it is a spawning ground for emerging values that keep the firm aligned with the needs of customers, suppliers, society, and other stakeholders. A. a multicultural organization B. a shared value C. a subculture D. an espoused value E. urban culture

C. a subculture

James has just joined CoraTech Systems, where he has been assigned to Paul and Natalie for sources of information about the company. Paul and Natalie introduce James to others at Coratech, give him an office tour, and assure him that they will meet him regularly for the first few weeks, to help him in the transition to the new company. In this scenario, Paul andNatalie are part of the CoraTech's A. two-man rule. B. work ownership. C. buddy system. D. inspection partnership. E. duty segregation.

C. buddy system.

Organizational stories are most effective at communicating organizational culture only when they A. make employees emotional. B. are told by senior executives to the public. C. describe real people and are assumed to be true. D. are descriptive rather than prescriptive. E. tend to pressurize individual performance

C. describe real people and are assumed to be true

A deculturation strategy of merging two corporate cultures should be applied when A. employees at the acquired company willingly embrace the cultural values of the acquiring organization. B. both firms operate successfully in different industries. C. employees in the acquired firm want to hold on to their firm's culture even though it does not fit the external environment. D. both of the firms have weak cultures. E. the merging companies agree to remain distinct entities with minimal exchange of culture or organizational practices.

C. employees in the acquired firm want to hold on to their firm's culture even though it does not fit the external environment.

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

C. espoused values

The process of organizational socialization begins A. as soon as the person is hired by the organization. B. within the employee's first week on the job. C. long before the first day of work for the organization. D. when the employee finally reconciles preemployment expectations with organizational reality. E. when the employee receives his or her first performance appraisal.

C. long before the first day of work for the organization.

Many employees experience a reality shock on their first day at work because A. applicants want employees to develop better expectations of future work experiences. B. applicants want to ensure that employees develop a stronger loyalty to the organization. C. newcomers test how well their preemployment expectations fit reality, and many companies fail this test. D. employers ignore the duty to orient new applicants on the first day of work. E. colleagues provide a lot of information regarding various work assignments on the very first day.

C. newcomers test how well their preemployment expectations fit reality, and many companies fail this test.

In the context of organizational socialization, the adjustment process is better for A. those who rebel against and reject the company's dominant values. B. employees who experience significant levels of reality shock. C. newcomers with diverse work experience. D. people who are able to avoid the encounter stage of socialization. E. individuals who retain their personal identity.

C. newcomers with diverse work experience.

The organizational culture dimension of attention to detail is characterized by _____. A. tolerance B. fairness C. precision D. collaboration E. security

C. precision

During which of the following stages of socialization do people first learn about the organization and job? A. role management B. encounter C. preemployment D. probation E. orientation

C. preemployment

Companies are initiating a(n) _________ to help reduce turnover and increase job performance. A. work ownership B. psychological contract C. realistic job preview D. relational partnership E. buddy system

C. realistic job preview

On the television show, Undercover Boss, the boss becomes an employee to learn the job. The current employees then judge how well the undercover boss will fit in. The employees are practicing A. attraction. B. attrition. C. selection. D. recruitment. E. retention.

C. selection.

Which merger strategy is most difficult to maintain? A. deculturation B. assimilation C. separation D. integration E. negotiation

C. separation

Which strategy for merging two distinct cultures is most appropriate when the two merging companies are in unrelated industries or operate in different countries, because the most appropriate cultural values tend to differ by industry and national culture? A. deculturation B. assimilation C. separation D. integration E. negotiation

C. separation

When merging two organizations, a separation strategy is most commonly applied when A. both companies have relatively weak cultures that are generally ineffective. B. one company has an effective culture and employees at the other company would embrace that culture if applied to them. C. the two organizations operate in distinct industries. D. the acquired firm's culture doesn't work, whereas the culture of the acquiring firm does work. E. a bicultural audit reveals that both companies have very similar cultures.

C. the two organizations operate in distinct industries.

Language is A. programmed routines of daily organizational life that dramatize the organization's culture. B. not good at highlighting the values of organizational subcultures. C. verbal symbols of cultural values that reveal how employees describe customers, express anger, and greet stakeholders. D. physical structures that convey the dominant values of an organization's culture. E. games that people play to defy the dominant culture and, instead, support countercultural beliefs and values.

C. verbal symbols of cultural values that reveal how employees describe customers, express anger, and greet stakeholders.

Which one of the following statements about a strong culture is false? 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 a relationship between an organization's cultural strength and its performance. C. A strong culture encourages decisions and behaviors that can undermine the organization's connection with its stakeholders. D. If the dominant values are congruent with the environment, then employees are more likely to engage in decisions and behaviors that improve the organization's interaction with that environment. E. The benefits of a strong culture depend on whether its content—the culture's dominant values and assumptions—is aligned with the external environment.

C. A strong culture encourages decisions and behaviors that can undermine the organization's connection with its stakeholders.

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 perform poorly if they have subcultures.

A. Organizations with stronger cultures tend to perform better than those with weak cultures when the culture content fits the external environment.

_____ is the third stage of organizational socialization that is most active as employees make the transition from newcomers to insiders. A. Role management B. Preemployment socialization C. Encounter D. Gathering information E. Job interview

A. Role management

Which of the following is true about socialization agents? A. Socialization agents help integrate new employees into the team. B. Socialization agents provide support on the basis of the compensation offered to do so. C. Family support is an important socialization agent for new employees. D. A strong corporate culture discourages socialization agents from doing their job. E. Employers group socialization agents on the basis of their qualifications.

A. Socialization agents help integrate new employees into the team.

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 establishes the founder's habits.

A. They have a stable workforce.

Most employees at United FiberTech support the idea that the company's success depends on their willingness to continually change and improve customer service. 86. United FiberTech probably has A. an adaptive culture. B. many countercultures. C. more subcultures than employees. D. an unethical culture. E. no corporate culture.

A. an adaptive culture.

The web-based application, LinkedIn, uses _____ to find job applicants by posting that new people or firms have viewed your profile. A. attraction B. selection C. attrition D. rewards E. recognition

A. attraction

In which strategy does the acquiring company impose its culture and business practices on the acquired organization? A. deculturation B. assimilation C. separation D. integration E. bicultural audit

A. deculturation

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. alignment D. rituals E. adaptation

A. mental models

Rituals are A. programmed routines of daily organizational life that dramatize the organization's culture. B. more formal artifacts than ceremonies. C. verbal symbols of cultural values that reveal how employees talk to one another, describe customers, express anger, and greet stakeholders. D. physical structures that convey the dominant values of an organization's culture. E. games that people play to defy the dominant culture and, instead, support countercultural beliefs and values.

A. programmed routines of daily organizational life that dramatize the organization's culture.

The _____ refers to the individual's beliefs about the terms and conditions of a reciprocal exchange agreement between him- or herself and an employer. A. psychological contract B. relational contract C. transactional contract D. mental model E. realistic job preview

A. psychological contract

. Resolving conflicts between work and nonwork activities mainly occurs during the _____ stage of socialization. A. role management B. encounter C. preemployment D. reality shock E. disillusionment

A. role management

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.

A. shared values.

The themes shared most widely 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

A. the organization's dominant culture.

Wells Fargo is now under investigation for its cultural practices. Rewards were given based on meeting account quotas. This practice caused employees to behave A. unethically. B. consciously. C. creatively. D. ethically. E. vigilant.

A. unethically.

What is the significance of artifacts in organizational culture? A. Artifacts are the same as organizational culture. B. Artifacts are the residual parts of the organization that cannot fit into its culture. C. Artifacts represent the directly observable symbols and signs of an organization's culture. D. Artifacts are the main observable indicators that the organization does not have a culture. E. Artifacts mainly reflect the subcultures that conflict with an organization's dominant culture

C. Artifacts represent the directly observable symbols and signs of an organization's culture.

What are artifacts? Explain the four broad categories of artifacts

Artifacts are the observable symbols and signs of an organization's culture, such as the way visitors are greeted, the organization's physical layout, and how employees are rewarded. The four broad categories of artifacts are: 1. Organizational stories: Organizational stories and legends serve as powerful social prescriptions of the way things should (or should not) be done. They add human realism to corporate expectations, individual performance standards, and the criteria for getting fired. Stories also produce emotions in listeners, and these emotions tend to improve listeners' memory of the lesson within the story. Stories have the greatest effect on communicating corporate culture when they describe real people, are assumed to be true, and are known by employees throughout the organization. 2. Rituals and ceremonies: Rituals are the programmed routines of daily organizational life that dramatize an organization's culture. They include how visitors are greeted, how often senior executives visit frontline staff, how people communicate with one another, how much time employees take for lunch, and so on. These rituals are repetitive, predictable events that have symbolic meanings reflecting underlying cultural values and assumptions. Ceremonies are more formal artifacts than rituals. Ceremonies are planned activities conducted specifically for the benefit of an audience. This would include publicly rewarding (or punishing) employees or celebrating the launch of a new product or newly won contract. 3. Organizational language: Language transmits and sustains shared values through metaphors and other special vocabularies that represent the employees' perspectives of reality. The language of the workplace speaks volumes about the company's culture. How employees talk to one another, describe customers, express anger, and greet stakeholders are all verbal symbols of cultural values. 4. Physical structures and space: The size, shape, location, and age of buildings may symbolize the organization's culture. For example, a tall building with closed offices and senior executive offices on the top floor often reflects a hierarchical, bureaucratic organization. Along with the physical structure, executives should look at artifacts inside the building, such as paintings, office space, cafeteria food, and so on.

_____ occurs when employees at the acquired company willingly embrace the cultural values of the acquiring organization. A. Deculturation B. Assimilation C. Separation D. Integration E. Negotiation

B. Assimilation

Which of the following is a characteristic of an adaptive corporate culture? A. Employees hold a common mental model that the organization's success depends on their personal well-being. B. Employees continuously question past practices. C. Employees tend to be more reactive. D. Employees tend to take the view that any activity beyond their job description is not their job. E. Employees are more individualistic and do not experiment with new ideas outside their work profiles.

B. Employees continuously question past practices.

Which of the following happens during the preemployment stage 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

B. Employees form expectations (a psychological contract) about working at that organization.

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. Attraction, selection, and attrition are part of the natural life-cycle of organizational members. D. Employees get attached to organizations that meet their reward expectations. E. Attraction followed by selection inevitably leads to attrition in the future

B. Organizations have a natural tendency to attract, select, and retain people with values that are consistent with the organization's own culture

Which of these statements about shared assumptions is true? A. They are not taken-for-granted perceptions, but rather conscious decisions. B. They are so deeply embedded they probably cannot be discovered by surveying employees. C. They are the same as espoused values. D. They are revealed through corporate value statements. E. They rise to the surface only when employees let them

B. They are so deeply embedded they probably cannot be discovered by surveying employees.

Which of the following are the observable indicators of organizational culture? A. assumptions B. artifacts C. values D. beliefs E. mental models

B. artifacts

Reagan 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. 91. After listening and researching, Reagan creates a posting on a popular website and searches employment boards. She has begun which component of cultural fit? A. retention B. attraction C. selection D. attrition E. hiring

B. attraction

One of the first steps to minimize a cultural clash in a merger is to A. significantly reduce the strength of the culture in both the organizations. B. conduct a bicultural audit. C. significantly increase the strength of the culture in both organizations. D. replace the chief executives in both organizations before merger negotiations begin. E. replace the employees with new ones.

B. conduct a bicultural audit.

What type of cultural merge would be worst in this situation? A. integration B. deculturation C. assimilation D. separation E. incorporation

B. deculturation

The preemployment stage of organizational socialization would be more effective if A. employers avoided forming a psychological contract. B. employers and job applicants gave and received accurate information about each other. C. employers and applicants experienced reality shock when meeting each other for the first time. D. job applicants distorted their resume in order to get the job offered. E. the applicants kept a clean slate and avoided searching for information on the company and forming expectations.

B. employers and job applicants gave and received accurate information about each other.

Which of the following is a verbal symbol of cultural values? A. speeches at ceremonies B. expressions of anger C. shared assumptions D. beliefs E. rituals

B. expressions of anger

Organizations with an adaptive corporate culture A. are unlikely to survive in the long run. B. have employees who see things from an open systems perspective. C. tend to be less ethical than organizations with non-adaptive cultures. D. have no artifacts to keep their culture in place. E. are focused inward to employee needs.

B. have employees who see things from an open systems perspective.

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.

B. informal.

Which of the following is an artifact? A. values B. language C. assumptions D. beliefs E. corporate cult

B. language

United FiberTech most likely has a strong A. management team. B. learning orientation. C. drive for profits. D. corporate cult. E. training program.

B. learning orientation.

One advantage of countercultures is that they A. rarely exist in real organizations. B. maintain surveillance over and critically review the company's dominant culture. C. prevent organizations from developing a corporate culture. D. ensure that corporate mergers occur without any culture clashes. E. discourage conflict and dissension among employees.

B. maintain surveillance over and critically review the company's dominant culture.

Ceremonies are A. programmed routines of daily organizational life that dramatize the organization's culture. B. more formal artifacts than rituals. C. verbal symbols of cultural values that reveal how employees talk to one another, describe customers, express anger, and greet stakeholders. D. physical structures that convey the dominant values of an organization's culture. E. games that people play to defy the dominant culture and, instead, support countercultural beliefs and values.

B. more formal artifacts than rituals.

Effective socialization supports newcomers' A. individual beliefs. B. organizational comprehension. C. perceptions. D. resolution of nonwork conflicts. E. relationship expectations

B. organizational comprehension.

The Target motto, "Expect more, pay less," is an example of A. an organizational artifact. B. organizational language. C. organizational culture. D. an organizational ritual. E. an espoused value.

B. organizational language.

What has the most powerful effect on strengthening or reshaping an organization's culture? A. ceremonies B. rewards C. employees D. values E. communication

B. rewards

Organizational culture is a(n) A. conscious driver. B. social control mechanism. C. separator of people. D. short-lived phenomenon. E. unstable environment.

B. social control mechanism.

What 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. details E. enacted values

B. subcultures

When merging cultures, it is best to A. go quickly so it is less painful. B. take time to be sure it is a cultural fit. C. lay off all previous employees to minimize dissension. D. undermine employee performance and customer service. E. have one culture dominate the other.

B. take time to be sure it is a cultural fit.

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 more difficulty anticipating and responding to stakeholder needs. D. The organization is unable to develop subcultures. E. The various subcultures within the organization keep changing

C. The organization has more difficulty anticipating and responding to stakeholder needs.

_____ are planned activities conducted specifically for the benefit of an audience. A. Artifacts B. Rituals C. Assumptions D. Ceremonies E. Values

D. Ceremonies

Which of these statements about organizational stories is false? A. Stories are most effective at communicating corporate culture when they describe real events with real people. B. Stories serve as powerful social prescriptions of the way things should or should not be done. C. Stories produce emotions in listeners, and these emotions tend to improve listeners' memory of the lesson within the story. D. Stories advise people what not to do, but leave out the solutions and suggestions. E. Stories add human realism to corporate expectations, individual performance standards, and the criteria for getting fired.

D. Stories advise people what not to do, but leave out the solutions and suggestions.

The workplace layout, reporting structure, office rituals, type of information distributed, and language are all examples of A. values. B. assumptions. C. socialization. D. artifacts. E. attrition.

D. artifacts.

After listening and researching, Reagan now knows why people are leaving. She has found that _______ is the cause. A. retention B. attraction C. selection D. attrition E. interviewing

D. attrition

An organization's culture begins with its A. clients. B. country-level managers. C. employees. D. founders and leaders. E. auditors.

D. founders and leaders.

The main purpose of a bicultural audit is to A. determine whether a company's organizational culture is sufficiently strong. B. estimate the number of dominant and subcultural values that exist in an organization. C. find out whether people from different countries have the same corporate cultures. D. identify and diagnose differences in the corporate cultures of merging organizations. E. teach new employees the organization's dominant cultural values.

D. identify and diagnose differences in the corporate cultures of merging organizations.

Which strategy for merging two distinct cultures is most effective when the two companies have relatively weak cultures with overlapping values? A. deculturation B. assimilation C. separation D. integration E. negotiation

D. integration

Organizational socialization is best described as a process of _____, where newcomers try to make sense of and adapt to the company's environment. A. cooperation and stability B. power and restructuring C. negotiation and concession-making D. learning and adjustment E. managing and delegating

D. learning and adjustment

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

D. symmetrical layout

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 and distinct cultures. E. It creates a new composite culture that preserves the best features of the previous cultures.

E. It creates a new composite culture that preserves the best features of the previous cultures.

_____ are unconscious, taken-for-granted perceptions or ideal prototypes of behavior that are considered the correct way to think and act toward problems and opportunities. A. Values B. Organizational artifacts C. Languages D. Beliefs E. Shared assumptions

E. Shared assumptions

_______ is a system whereby newcomers are assigned to coworkers for sources of information and social support. A. Realistic job preview B. Work ownership C. Relational partnership D. Psychological contract E. The buddy system

E. The buddy system

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

E. The strength of an organization's culture refers to how widely and deeply employees hold the company's dominant values and assumptions

Reality shock is A. provided by organizations to ensure that new employees accept the challenges at work. B. an element in the model of individual behavior. C. common in lateral career development. D. a unique feature of an adaptive culture. E. a perceived discrepancy between employee expectations and reality.

E. a perceived discrepancy between employee expectations and reality.

Employees at SuperTech Services seek out opportunities rather than wait for them to arrive. They also have a strong learning orientation. This implies that SuperTech has A. a weak organizational culture. B. a strong counterculture. C. relatively few artifacts representing the organization's culture. D. a culture that is misaligned with its external environment. E. an adaptive culture.

E. an adaptive culture.

If artifacts of organizational culture are the physical structure, language, rituals, and stories, then what are shared values and assumptions? A. change agents B. management styles C. components of hierarchy D. organizational structure E. organizational culture

E. organizational culture

What does organizational culture consist of? Briefly describe its components.

Organizational culture consists of the values and assumptions shared within an organization. In the context of organizational culture, values are discussed as shared values, which are values that people within the organization or work unit have in common and place near the top of their hierarchy of values. Organizational culture also consists of shared assumptions—a deeper element that some experts believe is the essence of corporate culture. Shared assumptions are nonconscious, taken-for-granted perceptions or ideal prototypes of behavior that are considered the correct way to think and act toward problems and opportunities. Shared assumptions are so deeply ingrained that you probably wouldn't discover them by surveying employees.

Briefly describe the bicultural audit process

Organizational leaders can minimize cultural collisions and fulfill their duty of due diligence by conducting a bicultural audit. A bicultural audit diagnoses cultural relations between the companies and determines the extent to which cultural clashes will likely occur. The process begins with interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, and observation of cultural artifacts to identify cultural differences between the merging companies. Next, the audit data are analyzed to determine which differences between the two firms will result in conflict and which cultural values provide common ground on which to build a cultural foundation in the merged organization. The final stage of the bicultural audit involves identifying strategies and preparing action plans to bridge the two organizations' cultures.

What is organizational socialization? How does it support the organization's culture

Organizational socialization is the process by which individuals learn the values, expected behaviors, and social knowledge necessary to assume their roles in the organization. The process can potentially change employee values to be more aligned with the company's culture and gives newcomers clearer understanding about the company's values and how they are translated into specific on-the-job behaviors

Explain the functions of organizational subcultures.

Organizational subcultures serve two important functions. First, they maintain the organization's standards of performance and ethical behavior. Employees who hold countercultural values are an important source of surveillance and critical review of the dominant order. They encourage constructive conflict and more creative thinking about how the organization should interact with its environment. Subcultures potentially support ethical conduct by preventing employees from blindly following one set of values. The second function of subcultures is that they are the spawning grounds for emerging values that keep the firm aligned with the evolving needs and expectations of customers, suppliers, communities, and other stakeholders. Companies eventually need to replace their dominant values with ones that are more appropriate for the changing environment

Explain the important contingencies of organizational culture and effectiveness.

Studies have found only a modestly positive relationship between culture strength and organizational effectiveness. This is because strong cultures improve organizational effectiveness only under specific conditions. Three important contingencies are: 1. Culture content alignment with environment: One contingency between cultural strength and organizational effectiveness is whether the organization's culture content—its dominant values and assumptions—is aligned with the external environment. 2. Avoiding a corporate cult: A second contingency is the degree of cultural strength. Various experts suggest that companies with very strong cultures (i.e., corporate "cults") may be less effective than companies with moderately strong cultures. One reason corporate cults may undermine organizational effectiveness is that they lock people into mental models, which can blind them to new opportunities and unique problems. The challenge for organizational leaders is to maintain not only a strong culture but one that allows subcultural diversity. 3. Culture is an adaptive culture: A third contingency determining the influence of cultural strength on organizational effectiveness is whether the culture content includes an adaptive culture. Employees who embrace an adaptive culture see things from an open systems perspective. They view the organization's survival and success in terms of ongoing adaptation to the external environment, which itself is continuously changing. They assume that their future depends on monitoring the external environment and serving stakeholders with the resources available. Thus, employees in adaptive cultures have a strong sense of ownership. They take responsibility for the organization's performance and alignment with the external environment.

Explain the important functions of organizational culture.

The important functions of organizational culture are: Control system: Organizational culture is a deeply embedded form of social control that influences employee decisions and behavior. Culture is pervasive and operates nonconsciously. Social glue: Organizational culture is the "social glue" that bonds people together and makes them feel like part of the organizational experience. Employees are motivated to internalize the organization's dominant culture because it fulfills their need for social identity. This social glue is increasingly important as a way to attract new staff and retain top performers. It also becomes the common thread that holds together employees in global organizations. Sense making: Organizational culture helps employees make sense of what goes on and why things happen in the company. Corporate culture also makes it easier for employees to understand what is expected of them.

Identify and briefly explain the strategies for changing and strengthening organizational culture.

The strategies are: Through the actions of founders and leaders—transformational leadership and organizational change practices may be used. Altering artifacts, or creating new artifacts, can potentially adjust shared values and assumptions. Changing reward systems can strengthen or reshape the behavior of organizational members. Supporting workforce stability and communication. Strong cultures depend on stable workforces. Attracting, selecting, and retaining employees with the values and personality characteristics that are desired.

Organizations with adaptive cultures are unable to maintain a stable value system and, consequently, tend to perform poorly in the long run

false - An adaptive culture exists when employees are receptive to change—they assume that the organization needs to continuously adapt to its external environment and that they need to be flexible in their roles within the organization. This does not imply that they will perform poorly in the long run.

Rituals support organizational culture by providing social prescriptions of the ways things should or should not be done around the organization; they are the programmed routines of daily organizational life that dramatize an organization's culture

false - Organizational stories and legends serve as powerful social prescriptions of the way things should (or should not) be done. They add human realism to corporate expectations, individual performance standards, and the criteria for getting fired.

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

false - The cultural assimilation strategy seldom produces cultural clashes, because the acquiring firm's culture is highly respected and the acquired firm's culture is either weak or relatively similar to the other culture

The deculturation strategy is most appropriate when the merging companies are in unrelated industries.

false - The separation strategy is most appropriate when the two merging companies are in unrelated industries or operate in different countries, because the most appropriate cultural values tend to differ by industry and national culture

Artifacts of organizational culture may include the building's design, the way people are greeted, and the food served in the company's cafeteria

true

Artifacts provide valuable evidence about a company's culture

true

Efficiency-focused cultures are likely to be more important for companies in environments with strong competition and standardized products

true

Impression management can distort preemployment for employers

true

One way to change an organization's culture is to change its artifacts

true

Organizational culture consists of the values and assumptions shared within an organization that also dictate the correct way of thinking about and acting on problems and opportunities facing the organization

true

Organizational culture is not defined by espoused values. Instead, it consists of shared enacted values.

true

Organizational socialization is a process of both learning and adjustment

true

The strength of an organization's culture refers to how widely and deeply employees hold the company's dominant values and assumptions.

true

Values are conscious perceptions, while assumptions are nonconscious

true