CH 12

Change-resistant cultures encourage all the following undesirable and unhealthy behaviors, EXCEPT:

executives exuding an "ends-justify-the-means" mentality in pursuing overambitious revenue and profitability targets.

Cultures that tend to support good strategy execution include:

high-performance and adaptive cultures.

The first step in fixing a problem culture is for top management to:

identify facets of the present culture that are conducive to good strategy execution and those that are not.

Which of the following statements does NOT accurately describe corporate culture?

Corporate culture depends on how strongly its strategic vision is linked to the company's core values.

Which of the following is a common characteristic of unhealthy corporate cultures?

Counterproductive cultural traits that adversely impact the work climate and company performance

Which of the following statements does NOT describe high-performance cultures?

High-performance cultures are inwardly focused and discount the capabilities and accomplishments of rival companies.

Long-term industry success can give rise to a(n):

insular, inwardly focused culture.

Which of the following are unhealthy cultures that impede good strategy execution?

Insular cultures, politicized cultures, and unethical cultures

What makes a politicized internal environment so unhealthy?

It consumes a great deal of organizational energy, often with the result that what is best for the company takes a backseat.

Which of the following can help in changing a problem culture?

It takes concerted management action over a period of time to root out unconstructive behaviors and replace them with new ways of doing things.

Which of the following is NOT one of the chief factors that defines a company's corporate culture?

The attractiveness and the competitive strength of the industry the company is operating in

Which of the following is a hallmark of adaptive corporate cultures?

There is a high willingness on the part of organizational members to accept change and take on the challenge of introducing and executing new strategies.

All the following are necessary in the creation of high-performance cultures, EXCEPT:

managers must restrict collaboration with other organizational units to reduce the power of influential executives and/or coalitions among departments.

Typically, key elements of corporate culture:

originate with a founder or certain strong leader who articulated them as a set of business principles, company policies, operating approaches, and ways of dealing with employees, customers, vendors, shareholders, and local communities.

In high-performance cultures:

there is a strong sense of involvement on the part of company personnel and an emphasis on individual initiative and effort.

For an enterprise to execute its strategy in truly proficient fashion and approach operating excellence:

top executives must take the lead in the implementation/execution process and personally drive the pace of progress.

Enron, Countrywide Financial, and JPMorgan Chase are examples of companies whose culture became:

unethical and greed-driven.

Unethical and greed-driven cultures:

are predominant in companies that are run by executives driven by arrogance, ego gratification, and an "ends-justify-the-means" mentality in pursuing overambitious revenue and profitability targets.

The strongest signs that management is truly committed to installing a new culture include all the following, EXCEPT:

appointing only insiders to high-profile positions.

Technology companies, software companies, and Internet-based companies are good illustrations of organizations with:

adaptive cultures.