Q&A Hero

Q: Explain the concept of organizational climate.

Q: "Formalization and culture are two different roads to a common destination." Explain the statement.

Q: Describe the characteristics of a strong culture.

Q: Compare and contrast dominant culture and subculture.

Q: What are the seven primary characteristics that capture the essence of an organization's culture?

Q: Organizational cultures often reflect national cultures.

Q: Spiritual organizations discourage flexible thinking and creativity among employees.

Q: Workplace spirituality recognizes that people have an inner life that nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work in the context of community.

Q: A positive organizational culture emphasizes building on employee strengths, rewards more than it punishes, and emphasizes individual vitality and growth.

Q: An organizational culture that encourages its managers to engage in severe competition and discourages them from taking risks and innovating is most likely to shape high ethical standards among its members.

Q: Material symbols convey to employees the degree of egalitarianism that is desired by top management.

Q: The more management relies on formal, collective, sequential, fixed, and serial socialization programs and emphasizes divestiture, the more likely newcomers' differences will be stripped away and replaced by standardized predictable behaviors.

Q: Formal socialization involves putting the new employee directly into the job, with little or no special attention.

Q: Apprenticeship and mentoring programs are examples of random socialization.

Q: Serial socialization is characterized by the use of role models who train and encourage a newcomer.

Q: During the metamorphosis stage of the socialization process, a new employee compares his or her expectations-about the job, co-workers, the boss, and the organization in general-with the reality in the organization.

Q: The encounter stage of the socialization process consists of the period of learning that occurs before a new employee joins an organization.

Q: A strong culture tends to be a liability for an organization when its environment is undergoing rapid change.

Q: Culture facilitates commitment to something larger than individual self-interest.

Q: Instrumental climates are positively associated with employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Q: The stronger an organization's culture, the more management should be concerned with developing formal rules and regulations to guide employee behavior.

Q: A strong culture tends to reduce employee turnover.

Q: A dominant culture expresses the core values a majority of members share and that give the organization its distinct personality.

Q: Subcultures act to undermine the dominant culture.

Q: Individuals with different backgrounds or at different levels in the organization will tend to describe the organization's culture in similar terms.

Q: Attention to detail is a primary characteristic of an organization's culture that indicates the degree to which management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on the techniques and processes used to achieve them.

Q: Aggressiveness is one of the seven primary characteristics of organizational culture that capture the essence of an organization's culture. It indicates the degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks.

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding effects of national culture on organizational culture and ethical behavior within organization? A) As compared to managers in the United States, managers in developing economies are less likely to see ethical decisions as embedded in a social environment. B) Organizations can safely ignore local culture while establishing its operation in another country. C) Generally, U.S. managers see bribery, nepotism, and favoring personal contacts as highly unethical. D) Organizational cultures rarely reflect national culture. E) Most U.S. managers do not view profit maximization as a moral obligation.

Q: Art-Is-Us claims to be a spiritual organization. Company employees are encouraged to show kindness toward others. Employees are treated with esteem and value and supported for their creativity and flexibility. While the organization values profits, its purpose is to spread the pleasure of art to as many people as possible. Which of the following is not one of the cultural characteristics commonly found in spiritual organizations? A) benevolence B) competitiveness C) open-mindedness D) trust and respect E) strong sense of purpose

Q: How can U.S. managers be culturally sensitive? A) by indulging in frequent discussions about religion B) by discussing politics frequently C) by listening more D) by speaking quickly E) by talking in a high tone of voice

Q: Which of the following terms refers to the recognition that people have an inner life that nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work that takes place in the context of community? A) dominant culture B) fundamental mechanism C) workplace spirituality D) outcome orientation E) subculture

Q: Organizations that promote a spiritual culture ________. A) use stories for transmitting the organizational culture to the employees B) use wide spans of control C) recognize that people seek to find meaning and purpose in their work D) de-emphasize community differences within the organization E) tend to downplay the importance of employee satisfaction

Q: Liz is the lead editor for a small, city newspaper. One of her advertising sales representatives is pulling in a lot of restaurant clients. Liz realizes that the representative is quite knowledgeable about food and speaks quite elegantly when describing different dishes. She has begun discussing with the representative the possibility of collaborating with a writer to include a weekly restaurant review that includes the representative on the byline. After the first couple of reviews, the representative is able to increase ad sizes and sales. He is very happy with his new job diversification. Which aspect of creating a positive organizational culture is Liz utilizing? A) rewarding more than punishing B) building on organization strengths C) emphasizing individual vitality and growth D) creating loose management oversight E) using narrow spans of control

Q: Patricia is a team leader. When looking at an e-mail from one of her team members, Patricia noticed that the e-mail was sent at nine-thirty in the evening. The next day she personally went to the employee's cubicle and told him how much she appreciated him staying late to get the project to the client on time. Which aspect of creating a positive organizational culture is Patricia utilizing? A) rewarding more than punishing B) building on organization strengths C) emphasizing individual growth D) building on employee strengths E) providing extrinsic rewards

Q: Larry has an employee who is amazing at clearly seeing rules and enforcing them. He has recently promoted her to the lead position in quality assurance. Which method of creating a positive organizational culture is Larry utilizing? A) rewarding more than punishing B) building on organization strengths C) using standardized practices D) building on employee strengths E) transmitting organizational culture through rituals

Q: A positive organizational culture emphasizes ________. A) the use of negative reinforcement and punishment B) the use of rituals in transmitting organizational culture C) individual vitality and growth D) the significance of highly centralized management E) organizational standardization and institutionalization

Q: Pam works for a corporation that recently fired three top managers who were caught using the company credit cards to lavishly furnish their offices and even purchase "office" furniture that was found in their personal homes. Which method of maintaining an ethical culture is Pam's company pursuing? A) serve as a visible role model B) communicate ethical expectations C) provide ethical training D) visibly punish unethical acts E) provide protective mechanisms

Q: In which of the following climates do managers operate under the expectation that their decisions will positively affect the greatest number of stakeholders? A) caring B) instrumental C) law and code D) rules E) independence

Q: An organizational culture most likely to shape high ethical standards among its members is one that ________. A) is low in risk tolerance B) is high in aggressiveness C) focuses only on outcomes D) takes a short-term perspective E) balances the rights of multiple stakeholders

Q: Ask Socrates Inc. employees are allowed to dress informally. This is an example of a ________ through which organizational culture is transmitted. A) primary procedure B) ritual C) material symbol D) symbolic act E) fundamental mechanism

Q: The regular distribution of lollipops, toys, or treats every Friday is an example of a ________ that helps reinforce Ask Socrates' culture. A) dominant mechanism B) ritual C) primary process D) protective mechanism E) fundamental procedure

Q: Ask Socrates Inc. is a computer software company that employs highly intelligent, but somewhat unusual people. Every Friday, free lollipops, toys, or other treats are given out to encourage employees to remember how creative they were when they were children. All the new members of the organization are told about the founders who were three young people who "got lucky" and sold a video game that they invented. The employees are allowed to dress informally and can set their own working hours. Which of the following is most likely to be used by Ask Socrates Inc. to inform its new employees about its founders? A) stories B) material symbols C) organizational charts D) rituals E) corporate chants

Q: Alcoa headquarters has few individual offices, even for senior executives. The space is essentially made up of cubicles, common areas, and meeting rooms. This informality conveys to employees that Alcoa values ________. A) autocracy B) competitiveness C) rigidity D) equality E) formalization

Q: Which of the following can act as a common denominator to unite members of a given culture or subculture? A) mechanistic organizational structure B) 360-degree appraisals C) jargons and acronyms that are specific to the organization D) bureaucratic organizational structure E) narrow span of control

Q: Company chants are used to ________. A) inform employees about changes in rules and policies B) transmit company culture to employees C) inform employees about latest technologies D) communicate company strategies to the employees E) update employees regarding performance of the company

Q: Company chants are examples of ________. A) rituals B) material symbols C) stories D) company policies E) business strategies

Q: Bruce is new at Wayne Corp., but after a week he already knows that the founder of the corporation started the business in his garage with only $4,000 and one client. This information was most likely transmitted to Bruce by way of ________. A) stories B) material symbols C) rituals D) organizational charts E) corporate chants

Q: ________ typically contain narratives about the organization's founders, rule breaking, and reactions to past mistakes. A) Stories B) Material symbols C) Rituals D) Organizational charts E) Corporate chants

Q: Your supervisor provides you a mentor to help you with your work and guide you. This shows that your supervisor is using a(n) ________ socialization technique. A) divestiture B) random C) informal D) serial E) variable

Q: When you start to accept the differences between your expectations and the reality of the organization, you move into the ________ stage of socialization. A) prearrival B) post-arrival C) acceptance D) metamorphosis E) post-encounter

Q: Which of the following steps could your supervisor take to best help you develop a commitment to your new company? A) encourage you to work independently at first to learn the ropes B) explain the rules and policies of the organization to you C) discourage you from putting too much emphasis on your perception of the organization D) encourage you to look carefully at your own assumptions, which may be biased E) encourage you to develop friendship ties within the organization

Q: When you begin to notice things that are not as you expected, you are in the ________ stage of socialization. A) orientation B) prearrival C) encounter D) metamorphosis E) post-arrival

Q: Your first day at work is a part of the ________ stage of socialization. A) orientation B) prearrival C) encounter D) metamorphosis E) post-encounter

Q: You are new to an organization and do not really know what to expect about the socialization process. You recently received your MBA and have an undergraduate degree in computer science. Your new firm is a software development company with an emphasis in the healthcare industry. Your hiring process included campus interviews, a daylong trip for an interview at the company, an offer phone call and letter, and some promotional material sent via the mail. When you arrive for your first day at work, you spend half a day in an orientation session that is conducted by the human resources department, where you complete paperwork and receive a company handbook. Then you spend the rest of the day with your supervisor, who gives you a tour, introduces you to your co-workers, and explains your first project. After that, you begin working and getting to know the others in the company. You find that in most respects, your experience fits your expectations, but in some ways you are surprised by realities that you hadn't expected. None of these surprises is too difficult to accept, so you eventually begin to feel at home and happy with your new job. The information that you receive during the interviewing and hiring process is a part of the ________ stage of employee socialization. A) preencounter B) prearrival C) encounter D) metamorphosis E) post-encounter

Q: By the end of the ________ stage of socialization, the new members internalize and accept the norms of the organization and their work group, are confident in their competence, and feel trusted and valued by their peers. A) encounter B) post-arrival C) establishment D) metamorphosis E) adaptation

Q: Apprenticeship is an example of ________ socialization. A) divestiture B) variable C) serial D) informal E) investiture

Q: ________ socialization tries to strip away certain characteristics of the recruit. A) Random B) Fixed C) Collective D) Divestiture E) Formal

Q: Which of the following statements is true about formal socialization? A) Formal socialization involves socializing the new members individually. B) Specific orientation and training programs are examples of formal socialization. C) Apprenticeship and mentoring programs are examples of formal socialization. D) Formal socialization lacks a fixed time schedule. E) In formal socialization, new employees are left on their own to figure things out.

Q: ________ socialization assumes that the newcomer's qualities and qualifications are the necessary ingredients for job success, so these qualities and qualifications are confirmed and supported. A) Variable B) Collective C) Serial D) Investiture E) Formal

Q: Which of the following types of socialization involves putting the new employee directly into the job, with little or no special attention? A) investiture socialization B) serial socialization C) collective socialization D) fixed socialization E) informal socialization

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding random socialization? A) Random socialization tries to strip away certain characteristics of the recruit. B) Random socialization is carried out per a fixed time schedule. C) In random socialization, new employees are left on their own to figure things out. D) Random socialization involves socializing the newcomers in groups. E) Specific orientation and classroom training programs are examples of random socialization.

Q: During the socialization process, to work out any problems discovered during the encounter stage, the new member changes or goes through the ________ stage. A) post-arrival B) metamorphosis C) post-encounter D) analysis E) evaluation

Q: Higgins has recently joined a new law firm expecting to participate in exciting environmental law cases and cutting-edge research. After one month at the firm, he still hasn't been assigned a case and spends most of his time filing standardized appeals for title disputes with insurance companies. In which stage of the socialization process is Higgins? A) prearrival B) encounter C) metamorphosis D) post-encounter E) post-arrival

Q: If there is a basic conflict between the individual's expectations and the reality of working in an organization, the employee is most likely to be disillusioned and quit during the ________ stage of socialization. A) prearrival B) post-arrival C) encounter D) metamorphosis E) post-encounter

Q: During the ________ stage, a new employee compares his or her expectations with the realities in the organization. A) prearrival B) encounter C) metamorphosis D) post-arrival E) post-encounter

Q: The ________ stage of the socialization process explicitly recognizes that each individual the organization comes across during the selection process has a set of values, attitudes, and expectations about both the work to be done and the organization. A) post-encounter B) prearrival C) metamorphosis D) preencounter E) post-arrival

Q: Identify the correct order of stages in the socialization process. A) encounter, metamorphosis, post-encounter B) prearrival, arrival, evaluation C) prearrival, arrival, post-arrival D) prearrival, encounter, metamorphosis E) metamorphosis, preencounter, arrival

Q: The process of socialization consists of three stages. Which of the following is one of these three stages? A) metamorphosis B) preencounter C) evaluation D) post-arrival E) post-encounter

Q: ________ is a process that helps new employees adapt to the prevailing organizational culture. A) Satisficing B) Reciprocal interdependence C) Socialization D) Formalization E) Social loafing

Q: Top management has a major impact on the organization's culture by ________. A) establishing norms that filter down through the organization B) ensuring a proper match of personal and organizational values C) socializing new applicants in the pre-hiring phase D) providing a framework for metamorphosis of new hires E) properly rewarding employees' initiatives

Q: The selection process helps sustain the organization's culture by ________. A) establishing and enforcing norms B) hiring candidates who fit well within the organization C) socializing the new employees D) developing performance evaluation criteria E) rewarding conformity

Q: Which of the following is not one of the five most prevalent climate categories making up the ethical dimensions of organization culture? A) instrumental B) caring C) dependence D) law and code E) rules

Q: The ________ process helps candidates learn about the organization, and if employees perceive a conflict between their values and those of the organization, they can remove themselves from the applicant pool. A) orientation B) training C) performance evaluation D) selection E) institutionalization

Q: The ultimate source of an organization's culture is ________. A) its top management B) its environment C) the country in which the organization operates D) its founders E) the sociocultural backgrounds of its employees

Q: Rainbow Corp. hires a new secretary, Polonova, who differs from the vast majority of the company's employees in terms of her ethnicity. The company has a collectivist culture with a culturally diverse workforce and several policies to support the minorities. Yet, after a few weeks, she quits the company. Which of the following, if true, helps explain why she quit? A) Rainbow Corp. recently had a huge turnover and plans to expand its market. B) All secretaries, regardless of their gender, are paid equal salaries at Rainbow Corp. C) Polonova is gregarious and comfortable in changing contexts and ambiguous situations. D) Polonova has a strong sense of personal ambition and independence. E) Polonova is more likely to conform to others' ideas and opinions rather than come up with her own.

Q: Culture is most likely to be a liability when ________. A) the employees of the organization are highly skilled B) the organization's environment is dynamic C) the organization's management is highly efficient D) the organization is highly centralized E) the organization scores low on the degree of formalization

Q: A(n) ________ organization is an organization that takes on a life of its own, apart from its founders or members; it is valued for itself and not for the goods or services it produces. A) virtual B) matrix C) boundaryless D) institutionalized E) centralized

Q: Grace works for a pet store where everyone is committed to the happiness of the animals. Often employees, bosses, and hourly workers alike come into the store "off the clock" and spend time training the animals. Everyone loves the store, the animals, and their jobs. This attitude of her co-workers inspires Grace to do her best. Based on this information, we can say that Grace is experiencing the effects of ________. A) decentralization B) organizational climate C) high departmentalization D) low formalization E) high work specialization

Q: ________ refers to the shared perceptions organizational members have about their organization and work environment. A) Organizational climate B) Institutionalization C) Microcosm D) Groupthink E) Organizational apprehension

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding the establishment of the organizational culture and its effects on the organization? A) Today's trend toward decentralized organizations makes it is easier to establish a strong culture. B) In a virtual organization, a strong culture can be established quickly and easily. C) Employees organized in teams always show greater allegiance to the values of the organization as a whole than to their team and its values. D) Culture acts as a control mechanism and guides the behavior of employees. E) Cultures reduce the stability of the social system in an organization.