Chapter 3

If ABC Company wanted to create an innovative culture, which of the following actions should it take?

Allow employees time for the generation of ideas.

Which of the following most accurately reflects the difference between strong cultures and weak cultures?

Company values are more deeply held and widely shared in strong cultures than in weak cultures.

Which of the following describes a dynamic environment?

Competitors move into and out of the industry frequently.

Which of the following is a characteristic of an organization with a strong culture?

Culture conveys consistent messages about what is important to the organization.

Which of the following statements highlights the shared aspect of culture?

Even though individuals may have different backgrounds or work at different organizational levels, they tend to describe the organization's culture in similar terms.

Which of the following most accurately reflects the symbolic view of management?

External forces are responsible for an organization's success or failure.

Which of the following represents the lowest level of environmental uncertainty?

Maria's is still the only restaurant in a small town. She took it over from her mother and still uses the same equipment.

Which of the following represents the highest level of environmental uncertainty?

Mario's restaurant competes against 325 others in the city; the city's ethnic mix is constantly changing.

Which of the following would make Mary realize that the company where she works has a strong culture?

Most employees are aware of company history.

________ are called the iGeneration, because they've grown up with technology that customizes everything to the individual.

Post-Millennials

Assume the global economy rebounds rapidly from the Great Recession. What constraint is this likely to have on decisions managers make?

Qualified job candidates will become fewer and fewer.

If Melody wanted to build a strong culture, which of these actions would help most?

She and other managers should often tell stories about the company "heroes" and encourage employees to emulate their behavior.

________ is a process that helps new employees learn the organization's way of doing things.

Socialization

Which of the following is an example of a material artifact or symbol?

The offices of upper management are carpeted; the offices of administrative personnel have tile floors.

D&B Designs has been in the landscape design business in Pleasantville for the past twenty years. As the "first mover" in the market, the company has built a strong market share over the years and is the best-known firm in the area. The company strength increased steadily, and now stands at fifty employees. Which of the following, if true, would make the company's business environment more uncertain?

Zoning laws in the area change as each new city council comes into power.

Which of the following environments is characterized by the highest level of environmental uncertainty?

a dynamic and complex environment

The symbolic view of management is based upon the belief that managers symbolize ________.

control and influence in developing plans and making decisions

The term ________ refers to repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the important values and goals of the organization.

corporate rituals

The ________ component of an organization's external environment is concerned with trends in population characteristics such as age, race, gender, education level, geographic location, income, and family composition.

demographic

If the components of an organization's environment change frequently, the organization is operating in a ________ environment.

dynamic

Bernard's company knows it must constantly create new products to stay ahead of the competition. Which of the following characteristics are we likely to find in this culture?

freedom for employees to exercise discretion

Which of the following factors is a demographic component of an organization's external environment?

geographic location

Workplace spirituality has become important in the contemporary workplace because it ________.

gives employees a sense of purpose

Marriott hotels are noted for their fantastic service. Their motto is "Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." To build and maintain this level of service, which of the following guidelines should managers follow?

giving service-contact employees continual training on product knowledge, listening, and other behavioral skills

The citizens of Abolonia believe no top executive should ever earn more than 40 times the average wage of the company's employees. This is an example of ________.

how societal attitudes in the economic context create constraints on the decisions managers make

Which of the following is a disadvantage of having a strong organizational culture?

inability to respond to changing conditions

According to the symbolic view, managers have a(n) ________ effect on substantive organizational outcomes.

limited

The dominant view in management theory suggests that ________.

managers are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure

The ________ view of management is consistent with the stereotypical picture of the take-charge business executive who can overcome any obstacle in carrying out the organization's objectives.

omnipotent

Wendell notices that the company's top executives share a belief that managers are directly responsible for the organization's success or failure. This belief reflects a(n) ________ view of management.

omnipotent

Martha is concerned with the degree to which managers focus on results rather than techniques and the processes used to achieve those results. In other words, Martha is concerned that the company will emphasize ________ over other dimensions of the organizational culture.

outcome orientation

Google has often been cited as a model for employee satisfaction. Google takes extensive care to ensure employees have the best available conditions to perform, ranging from free snack bars, free massages, innovation rooms, spas-on-site, and many more such measures. Which dimension of organizational culture is Google said to emphasize through such measures?

people orientation

Stephen notices that management is very concerned with the effects of outcomes on employees in the organization. This means that the management emphasizes the ________ dimension of the organization's culture.

people orientation

To which dimension of the organizational culture is workplace spirituality most closely related?

people orientation

The Metropolis News has experienced a decline in the number of subscriptions to its printed newspaper over the last 5 years. It seems people prefer news feeds sent to their smartphones rather than a printed paper delivered to their homes. Which component in the external environment does this change represent?

sociocultural

Which of the following dimensions of organizational culture refers to the degree to which organizational decisions and actions emphasize maintaining the status quo?

stability

If the components in an organization's environment exhibit minimal change, such an environment is said to be ________.

stable

In which of the following environments do managers in an organization have the greatest influence on organizational outcomes?

stable and simple environments

The term ________ is used to collectively refer to any constituencies in an organization's environment that are affected by its decisions and actions.

stakeholders

Organizational ________ typically contain narratives about significant events or people in the organization

stories

Which of the following groups includes individuals who were born between the years 1978-1994?

the Gen Y-ers

Which of the following represents an important constituent of a small-town bake shop selling desserts and coffee?

the bakery's regular customers

Internal constraints that influence managers' decisions and actions come from ________.

the culture of the organization

Calvin's goals for the coming year include specific targets for increasing market share and quantity of units shipped. If he succeeds, he will be handsomely rewarded. If he fails, he is likely to be replaced. Judging from this, it would appear that Calvin's employer subscribes to ________.

the omnipotent view of management

If you were talking to Todd, an average person, and asked him what the term culture meant, he would reply that it is ________.

the shared values and practices of the firm

The original source of an organization's culture usually reflects ________.

the vision or mission of the organization's founder