OB Quiz 10 (Ch15)
At Walt Disney World, guests staying at The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa find thick white terrycloth robes hanging in the cupboard when they arrive in the room. Maids do not just place washcloths in the bath area; they form the washcloths into animals and arrange them on the vanity ready for a photograph. At night mints appear on the pillows and when the beds are made in the morning, any plush animals children have purchased or brought from home will be arranged in an entertaining formation on the finished bed. These examples suggest that Walt Disney Company is _______ __________. a. people-oriented. b. detail-oriented. c. team-oriented. d. outcome oriented.
B
Best practices for onboarding programs in firms suggest all of the following EXCEPT a. Make interaction key to the program. Get participation from all organization members to the greatest extent possible. b. Keep the program as an informal plan. Formalization of the plan will prevent its adaptation to new types of employees. c. Be clear on goals of the program and those who are actively participating. d. Establish milestones for the program and monitor them. Try to build a rhythm for the program.
B
Firms that are flexible, adaptable and experiment with new ideas are _________ firms. a. aggressive b. innovative c. stable d. outcome-oriented
B
If the firm has a strict dress code policy in its employee handbook calling for male employees to wear "ties and white or light colored shirts, no pastels" and female employees to wear "dark skirts of knee length or below or dress slacks," the culture of the firm is likely a. innovative. b. stable. c. aggressive. d. team-based.
B
Research on the employee role in onboarding activities indicates all of the following to be true EXCEPT a. feedback-seeking enhances employee adjustment. b. reactive individuals are more successful than proactive individuals. c. active relationship building is particularly important to avoid turnover in those firms lacking systematic onboarding activities. d. failure to network often causes employees to turnover in a job.
B
Shared principles, standards and goals are a. artifacts. b. values. c. beliefs. d. assumptions.
B
The Internal Revenue Service has many rules and regulations with regard to tax code and the filing of returns. The organization is large and very bureaucratic. If an individual has issues with the agency, getting it resolved is a laborious process filled with "red tape" and takes an extensive amount of time and patience to resolve. The Internal Revenue Service has a(n) _________ culture. a. team-oriented b. stable c. people-oriented d. outcome-oriented
B
The marketing department at Langston Industries meets once a week for a pizza luncheon after which the marketing manager holds his weekly "venting session" where department members can express their concerns about what is going right and wrong in the department and firm. The finance department, on the other hand, never meets. The finance manager simply sends emails to his subordinates each Monday with a list of the items to be accomplished each week and tries to get around to seeing each individual sometime during the week for any questions the employee might have. Langston appears to have _________ in its organization. a. countercultures b. subcultures c. onboarding d. strong cultures
B
The process through which new employees learn the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to function effectively within an organization is a. attraction-selection-attrition. b. organizational socialization. c. mentoring. d. assessment.
B
Which of the following statements about the effectiveness of a mission statement is INCORRECT? a. The mission statement must be provided to the employees when they first enter the firm to be effective. b. The mere act of publishing the mission statement makes it effective as it clarifies to all employees the purpose of the organization. c. Effective mission statements are well known by employees. d. Effective mission statements influence employee behaviors.
B
Which of the following statements regarding culture dimensions is INCORRECT? a. Employees tend to stay longer in people-oriented cultures. b. Outcome-oriented cultures hold managers accountable for success, but not other employees. c. In team-oriented cultures, managers have more positive relationships with their subordinates than in other cultures. d. Proactive behavior tends to emerge often in service companies.
B
Which of the following statements regarding organizational culture and its impact on the firm is INCORRECT? a. Employees become more aware of their organization's culture when they have an opportunity to compare it to that of another firm. b. Having a culture that fits with the company leads to good company performance, but having a culture that does not fit has no impact. c. Organizational cultures that are hard to imitate can create a competitive advantage for a firm. d. Organizational culture is an effective control mechanism for dictating employee behavior.
B
Which of the following statements regarding the attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) process is INCORRECT? a. Individuals self-select the companies for which they choose to work. b. Due to economic circumstances, companies today hire people for fit with the job only and are much less concerned about fit with the culture. c. The ASA process aids organizations in maintaining the relative homogeneity of employee personalities and values. d. Person-organization misfit is an important reason for employee turnover.
B
The firm places its employees into five-person groups and gives them projects that are to be completed by each group with minimum direction from a project leader. Compensation in the firm is divided into two parts—that earned for your primary job, and that earned for work in your group. Once each year, training seminars are conducted for all company employees to learn the latest techniques in collaboration. This firm has a(n) ____________ culture. a. people-oriented b. detail-oriented c. team-oriented d. outcome-oriented
C
The visible and tangible elements of culture are a. assumptions. b. values. c. artifacts. d. beliefs.
C
To ensure all cast members share the history of Walt Disney World, new hires at the resort must take the courses on traditions at Disney. With these classes, the Walt Disney Company is creating a a. weak culture. b. counterculture. c. strong culture. d. subculture.
C
Which if the following statements regarding the impact of reward systems on culture shaping is correct? a. A firm that uses a forced choice method of evaluation where a percentage of employees are ranked as excellent, average and failures, and the failures are threatened with turnover, is likely to have a team-oriented culture. b. Firms that reward based on how an employee meets a goal and not just whether the goal is met are likely to have highly aggressive cultures. c. A firm that rewards purely on the basis of goal achievement is likely to have an outcome-oriented culture. d. In outcome oriented cultures, supportive, cooperative behaviors are rewarded.
C
Which of the following statements regarding culture creation is correct? a. An organization's culture is shaped only by internal environmental factors. b. New organization members are rarely taught the "way of business" in the firm; they simply acquire that knowledge through daily activities. c. When the organization's way of doing business provides a successful adaptation to environmental challenges, those beliefs and values are retained. d. Studies show the only factor consistently found to determine culture creation in a firm is the founder's values.
C
Which of the following statements regarding culture in organizations is INCORRECT? a. Multiple subcultures can exist in a single organization. b. Subcultures arise in a firm due to personal characteristics of managers and employees and the different conditions under which work is performed. c. Countercultures are never tolerated by an organization once they are identified. d. Employee perceptions on subcultures are related to employee commitment to the organization.
C
Which of the following statements with regard to steps to effecting successful cultural change is INCORRECT? a. Renaming a firm and creating a new logo for it enables cultural change and ensures the communication of the new value system. b. Replacing the staff employees who formerly supported a departed CEO can ensure the establishment of a new value system in a firm. c. Slowly conveying information on a "need-to-know basis" only to employees ensures the firm establishment of a new value system for the firm. d. Thoughtfully developed, well administered training programs help establish new corporate norms of behavior.
C
_____________ is (are) part of the culture maintenance phase. a. Founder values b. Industry demands c. Leadership d. Preferences
C
The school district has established achievement-oriented goals. Teachers are told that their instruction must thoroughly prepare students for high scores on the state achievement tests. Each nine-week grading period, teachers meet to discuss overall progress toward the goals set for increasing state achievement test scores. Recently the superintendent of the school district proposed establishing a bonus fund to reward teachers whose students' scores increased the most from year to year on those tests. This school has what kind of culture? a. people-oriented b. detail-oriented c. aggressive d. outcome-oriented
D
What is the final step in a successful cultural change process? a. training b. role modeling c. changing the reward system d. creating new stories and symbols
D
Which of the following statements regarding founder's values is INCORRECT? a. Founder values continue to be reflected in a firm only to the extent they continue to aid the firm's success. b. The difficulty in changing firm culture can be, at least, partially attributed to the shaping provided by founder values. c. Founder values can provide a competitive advantage for a firm. d. Founder values lay the cornerstone of the firm's culture, but values have a rapidly decreasing impact as the firm grows and ages.
D
Which of the following statements regarding the creation and maintenance of culture is INCORRECT? a. One reason for the difficulty encountered in trying to change a firm's culture is the early shaping of culture based on the founder's vision. b. If a leader motivates by rewarding for performance, an outcome-oriented culture can develop. c. The attraction-selection-attrition process is a self-protective mechanism by which a firm maintains a level of homogeneity regarding the values of organization members. d. Computer-based orientation programs are more cost efficient and are more effective at conveying corporate culture than classroom-based programs.
D
Which of the following statements regarding the organization's role in onboarding and orientation activities is INCORRECT? a. The mere existence of mentoring programs does not guarantee their success. b. The speed with which new employees learn the company's culture is strongly influenced by the support of supervisors and managers. c. Adjustment to a new company is facilitated by information provided by peers and leaders. d. How companies do onboarding doesn't really matter much.
D
Which of the following statements regarding visual elements of culture is INCORRECT? a. Stories highlight critical events faced or heroic efforts put forth by individual employees to instill cultural values in employees. b. Employee handbooks are developed to convey rules which determine acceptable and unacceptable behavior in an organization. c. Repetitive activities in an organization, like weekly meetings opened with calisthenics, have symbolic meaning to employees. d. While physical layouts impact motivational levels in employees, they do little to convey the firm's culture to those employees.
D
A strong culture always outperforms a weak culture because of the consistency of expectations.
False
All mission statements are effective because they describe who the companies are and what they do.
False
Computer-oriented orientation programs are more cost effective and more effective in conveying the firm's culture than classroom-oriented programs.
False
Countercultures are never tolerated in an organization once they are identified.
False
Employee perceptions of subcultures have little impact on employee performance or commitment to the organization.
False
Founder values are a part of the company culture regardless of the success of the firm.
False
Individuals high in agreeableness would likely seek out firms with aggressive cultures.
False
It is less important to find an individual to serve as a mentor who personifies company values than to find an individual who is enthusiastic about participating in the program.
False
Mentors and protégés who had input into the matching process were no more satisfied with the outcome of the program then were those who were placed into a mentor-protégé pair.
False
Nordstrom's has a lengthy employee handbook full of rules and regulations designed to emphasize quality in customer service.
False
Onboarding activities in a firm produce higher levels of job satisfaction in new employees but have little impact on their organizational commitment long term.
False
Organizational structure is the most important factor in the creation of an organization's culture.
False
Outcome-oriented cultures hold managers accountable for performance but not employees.
False
Research suggests that corporate strategy is the most important factor for business success, but organization culture is a close second.
False
The deepest or innermost level of organizational culture is values.
False
The first step in the cultural change process is changing leaders and the leadership team.
False
The three levels of organizational culture are beliefs, assumptions and artifacts.
False
While a firm's physical layout impacts motivation and job satisfaction, it does little to convey company culture.
False
While managers and supervisors are very important in helping new employees adjust to a firm's culture, coworkers actually hamper the process.
False
A firm that rewards the achievement of goals only, and not the process to achieve those goals, is likely to have an outcome-based culture.
True
A firm that uses a ranking system where employees are pitted against each other for the top rewards is more likely to have an aggressive culture.
True
A founder's values could be one explanation for the difficulty encountered when trying to change a culture.
True
Companies within the same industry generally have similar organizational cultures, but on occasion, they can be wildly different.
True
Creating a safety culture can reduce accidents, improve employee retention and increase profitability due to reduced workers' compensation claims.
True
Culture is generally resistant to change efforts.
True
Extending benefits to full- and part-time employees as well as spouses and domestic partners can convey to those employees the people orientation of the firm.
True
Firms with an aggressive culture can face a number of lawsuits because of the focus on outperforming the competitor at all costs.
True
If performance pressures increase too much, individuals begin to see their peers as competitors and short-term results become important, which can create unethical behaviors.
True
Individuals are more aware of their firm's culture when they have an opportunity to compare it with that of another firm.
True
Leader role modeling is an important influence in the creation or change in an organization's culture.
True
Making ethics assessment a regular part of performance evaluation can ensure ethical behavior becomes part of a firm's core values.
True
Organization choice of individuals for employment is impacted by culture, but that culture also impacts the self-selection out of that process by some individuals.
True
Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values and beliefs that show employees what are appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.
True
Organizational cultures help determine who is hired by a firm.
True
Person-organization misfit is one of the important reasons for employee turnover.
True
Renovating the firm's facilities and updating a firm's logo can help enable a cultural change.
True
Researchers found a relationship between organizational success, measured by indicators like revenues, sales and market share, and organizational culture.
True
Subcultures can arise from the personal characteristics of employees and managers or the conditions of the workplace.
True
The Japanese culture emphasizes harmony, so it is highly unlikely a Japanese company would have an aggressive culture.
True
The attraction-selection-attrition process is an example of a method that maintains a certain level of homogeneity in personalities and values within an organization.
True
The behaviors that are punished, ignored or rewarded are likely to help determine how a culture evolves in a firm.
True
The culture of a company is heavily impacted by the culture of its nation of origin.
True
The inability to network is a major reason why new employees either leave their jobs voluntarily or are terminated within the first two years of employment.
True
The industry influence over culture suggests that it may not be possible to duplicate the culture of a firm in another industry.
True
Two conditions that help effect a cultural change include experiencing failure in a firm and changes in the external environment impacting the firm.
True
A ____________ is a form of a ______________ that shares values and beliefs in direct opposition to the values of the larger organization.
counterculture, subculture
Emphasis on precision and paying attention to details characterize a ______ _________ culture.
detail-oriented
Cultures that value fairness, supportiveness and respecting individual's rights are ____________ _________ ____________.
people-oriented cultures
A system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs that shows employees what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior is a. culture. b. mission. c. goals. d. strategy.
A
A well known Fortune 500 CEO dresses up in a different outlandish costume each year for his presentation during the annual stockholder meeting. The presentation is simulcasted to all divisions and offices of the firm and employees enthusiastically view the proceedings. This scenario is an example of what visual element of culture? a. rituals b. stories c. policies d. artifacts
A
Cultural assumptions a. lie below the awareness level and reflect beliefs about human nature and reality. b. are shared principles, standards and goals. c. are a set of values unique to a limited cross-section of the organization. d. are the visible and tangible elements of culture.
A
During onboarding activities, employees must do all of the following to be successful EXCEPT a. be reactive. b. seek feedback. c. network. d. be proactive.
A
If an industry is highly regulated, firms competing within it likely have a. bureaucratic structures. b. dynamic, innovative cultures. c. low concern for rules and authority. d. businesses processes characterized by agility and quick action.
A
People-oriented cultures a. value fairness, supportiveness and respecting individual rights. b. value competitiveness and outperforming competitors. c. are flexible, adaptable, and experiment with new ideas. d. emphasize precision and paying attention to details.
A
The mother of the young man always has such difficulty getting him jeans to wear to elementary school. He needs the husky size and does not want any color EXCEPT the dark blue denim. The mother needs four pair of jeans. She usually purchases them at a major department store located in the mall near her home. She is at the mall today and is disappointed that only one pair in the size she needs is available. The salesclerk says that more should be available soon, but she is not sure exactly when. The day after the purchase, the phone rings in the mother's home. It is the salesclerk from the major department store reporting that three pairs of the husky jeans in the child's size have arrived and she is holding them for the mother. The mother thanks the clerk and asks how she got the mother's phone number. "It took me some time, says the clerk, "but I found your receipt from yesterday and looked up your phone number through our computer system." This store has a _________ culture. a. service b. detail-oriented c. stable d. people-oriented
A
Those who emphasize achievement, results and action create a(n) _________ __________ culture in their organizations. a. outcome-oriented b. team-oriented c. detail-oriented d. people-oriented
A
What is the first step in increasing the chances of success in effecting a cultural change? a. creating a sense of urgency b. role modeling c. changing the reward system d. changing key players
A
Which of the following statements regarding the impact of national culture on the culture of domestic firms is correct? a. The harmonious culture of Japan is likely to lead to the establishment of more team-oriented corporate cultures in Japanese firms. b. The hierarchical orientation in Brazilian culture is likely to produce Brazilian companies with flat corporate structures. c. The high power distance culture of Arab countries is likely to produce people-oriented cultures in Arab companies. d. National culture has little impact on domestic firms.
A
________ ________ value competitiveness and outperforming competitors and may not feature corporate social responsibility.
Aggressive cultures
A company with a stable culture is a. flexible, adaptable, and experiments with new ideas. b. predictable, rule-oriented, and bureaucratic. c. achievement-oriented, results-oriented, and action-oriented. d. fair, supportive, and respects individual rights.
B
Alcoa Corporation's headquarters facility has a minimal number of traditional offices with four walls and a door. The elevators on each floor are located at the ends of the long corridors in out-of-the-way alcoves. An open-air escalator runs in the center of the building. Workers largely are seated in low-walled cubicles. Copy machines and other office equipment are centrally located on each floor. This physical layout encourages what kind of culture? a. aggressive b. team-based c. detail-oriented d. outcome-oriented
B
The culture of Altmira Corporation is characterized by participative decision making, innovation and openness. The accounting department, however, is run using authoritarian decision making to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Accounting manager Gordon Paul believes in tight control to prevent errors. The accounting department's culture could be classified as a a. strong culture. b. weak culture. c. subculture. d. counterculture.
D
3M Corporation provides its employees time each week to generate ideas for new products. This practice is responsible for the development of such products as Post-it notes. 3M has a(n) _____________ culture. a. innovative b. people-centered c. detail oriented d. aggressive
A
A defined set of values unique to a limited cross-section of the organization is a. a subculture. b. a counterculture. c. a strong culture. d. a service culture.
A
A culture that emphasizes precision and paying attention to details is a. a service culture. b. an aggressive culture. c. a detail-oriented culture. d. an outcome-oriented culture.
C
A statement of purpose describing who a company is and what it does is a. a policy. b. a ritual. c. a mission statement. d. a rule.
C
A trusted individual who provides the employee with advice and support regarding career-related matters is a a. coworker. b. manager. c. mentor. d. counselor.
C
Angelina has just accepted a new job. Her career counselor would not offer her which of the following pieces of advice if she wanted to ensure that Angelina gets "on board" in the new firm quickly? a. Build relationships with your manager and coworkers. Do not leave every day exactly at quitting time; get to know people in your firm. b. Practice impression management, particularly that of your first impression. c. Do not ask too many questions, as this would reveal your weaknesses. d. Try to build success early on in your tenure at the company. Volunteer for projects and complete them effectively. Show your value to the firm.
C
In completing a Big 5 personality inventory, Manuel was found to have high openness to experience. He would be attracted to an organization like a. Target where jobs tend to be structured in their duties and responsibilities. b. the IRS, which has a bureaucratic structure and authoritarian decision making processes. c. Google with a laid-back, innovative culture. d. General Motors with a tradition-bound culture experiencing serious viability issues.
C
Leaders impact organization culture in all of the following ways or practices EXCEPT a. role modeling. b. leader style. c. leader intelligence. d. reaction to employee actions.
C
Lincoln Manufacturing has a large sign posted at the entrance to the firm's parking area that keeps count of the number of days since the last accident in the firm. Currently, the number stands at 150. The count is changed every day in somewhat of a "ceremony," and every time another 50 days go by without an accident, the firm provides a free lunch to employees. Posters throughout the plant remind workers to wear protective clothing including earplugs, safety hats and glasses and safety shoes. Lincoln has what kind of culture? a. person-oriented b. aggressive c. safety d. stable
C
Nordstrom is most recognized for and has been ranked in Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" because of its a. upscale environment. b. quality apparel. c. service culture. d. employee rewards.
C
Research on mentoring suggests a. the mere existence of the program ensures its success. b. mentor and protégé input to the program has little impact on satisfaction with the program. c. mentor training enhances program outcomes. d. mentor characteristics are less important in their selection to the program than willingness to participate.
C
Security, safety and social equality are all examples of a. cultural assumptions. b. cultural artifacts. c. cultural values. d. cultural orientations.
C
Studies indicate that the most influential factor in creating an ethical culture is a. the reward system. b. the training program. c. leadership. d. the attraction-selection-attrition process.
C
The corner office, mahogany desks and credenzas, gold name plates on office doors and reserved parking places are examples of a. cultural beliefs. b. cultural assumptions. c. cultural artifacts. d. cultural values.
C
The firm pays above average wages to its employees. Each employee is given at least two weeks of vacation and any time family matters arise and time is needed, flexible arrangements are made to facilitate the employee. Each Thanksgiving, a turkey is provided to each employee, $15 gift certificates are given for the Christmas holiday, and during the summer, the firm pays for each employee and one other individual to attend an expense-paid day at the local amusement park. This firm seems to be a(n) _________ company. a. outcome-oriented b. service-oriented c. people-oriented d. team-oriented
C
"People are generally dishonest" is an example of a a. cultural orientation. b. cultural artifact. c. cultural value. d. cultural assumption.
D
ABC Corporation has its sights clearly set on XYZ Company. The firm's employees often talk about "cutting XYZ off at the knees." Recently a lawsuit was filed against ABC by XYZ because ABC "raided" the middle-level management level of XYZ and hired away 5 of its 7 managers. ABC has a(n) ____________________ culture. a. service b. outcome c. stable d. aggressive
D
Companies that are collaborative and emphasize cooperation among employees have a(n) __________ _________ culture. a. people-oriented b. outcome-oriented c. detail-oriented d. team-oriented
D
If onboarding activities are successful a. employees experience greater job satisfaction but are no more likely to remain with the firm than those who do not take part in onboarding. b. employees feel comfortable in the organization but have no greater belief that their abilities are sufficient for work in the firm than those employees who did not take part in the onboarding activities. c. employees feel accepted by their peers but do not necessarily share the values and norms of the larger organization. d. employees are more confident about their ability to perform in the organization and are likely to remain longer with the firm.
D
Organizational culture consists of three levels: a. assumptions, orientations, and beliefs. b. beliefs, values, and artifacts. c. artifacts, assumptions, and beliefs. d. assumptions, artifacts, and values.
D
Shared values and beliefs that are in direct opposition to the values of the broader organizational culture represent a a. strong culture. b. weak culture. c. subculture. d. counterculture.
D
Strong cultures a. facilitate the changes that must occur in firms during mergers and acquisitions. b. outperform weak cultures regardless of the volatility of the environment. c. are no more difficult to change than weak cultures. d. are evidenced by consensus among employees on the values of the company.
D
__________ or relationship building is an important activity new employees can undertake to ensure their adjustment to a firm.
Networking
___________ refers to the process where new employees learn the attitudes, knowledge, skills and behaviors required to function effectively within the organization.
Onboarding
__________ __________ is the process by which employees modify their own beliefs and behaviors to reflect those of the leader.
Role modeling
___________ cultures are predictable, rule-oriented and bureaucratic.
Stable
The corner office is an example of a cultural _____________.
artifact
Beliefs about human nature and reality that are below the awareness level are ___________.
assumptions.
A ______ __________ program indoctrinates new employees to the company culture, as well as introducing them to their new jobs and colleagues.
formal orientation
The most important factors in the creation of an organization's culture are _________, ____________ and _____________.
founder values, preferences and industry demands
Cultures that are flexible, adaptable and experiment with new ideas are __________ cultures.
innovative
A trusted person who provides an employee with advice and support regarding career related matters is a __________.
mentor
A statement of purpose describing who the company is and what it does is a __________ _________.
mission statement
The system of shared assumptions, values and beliefs that show employees what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior is ______________ ___________.
organizational culture
Firms that emphasize achievement, results and action are _______ _______ cultures.
outcome-oriented
Repetitive activities within an organization that have symbolic meaning are called __________.
rituals
A ___________ culture is one that is shared by organization members and is very difficult to alter in any business situations like mergers or acquisitions.
strong
Cultures that emerge in different departments, branches or geographic locations are called __________.
subcultures