Organizational Behavior (Organizational Culture) Answer Key Part 1

Organizational Behavior Organizational Culture 1) Alessio's boss doesn't care whether Alessio works at home, at the office, or from his beach house. All he cares about is that the project is completed on time, on budget, and with exemplary quality. Which characteristic of organizational culture best describes this aspect of Alessio's job? A) low risk taking B) high outcome orientation C) high attention to detail D) low aggressiveness E) high stability Answer: B Explanation: Outcome orientation is the organizational culture characteristic that describes the degree to which management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on the techniques and processes used to achieve them. Alessio's boss has a high focus on outcome. 2) Which of the following is not a characteristic of organizational culture? A) attention to detail B) innovation C) formality orientation D) team orientation E) outcome orientation Answer: C Explanation: Seven primary characteristics seem to capture the essence of an organization's culture: innovation and risk taking, attention to detail, outcome orientation, people orientation, team orientation, aggressiveness, and stability. 3) Jose is a manager for a manufacturing company in which managers are expected to fully document all decisions, and it is important to provide detailed data to support any recommendations. Which characteristic of organizational culture best describes this aspect of Jose's job? A) low team orientation B) high aggressiveness C) low risk taking D) high stability E) high people orientation Answer: C Explanation: Innovation and risk taking describes the degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks. Jose's company wants full research and documentation and seems reluctant to take risks and is a low risk taking culture. 4) ________ orientation is the characteristic of organizational culture that addresses the degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization. A) Humanistic B) Community C) Team D) People E) Relationship Answer: D Explanation: People orientation describes the degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization. A company in which management is concerned with high productivity, regardless of the impact on employee morale or turnover rates low in people orientation. 5) The key characteristic of organizational culture that addresses the degree to which people are competitive rather than easygoing is termed ________. A) assertiveness B) competitiveness C) aversiveness D) risk taking E) aggressiveness Answer: E Explanation: Aggressiveness describes the degree to which people are aggressive and competitive rather than easygoing. 6) In contrasting organizational culture with job satisfaction, organizational culture is a(n) ________ term, while job satisfaction is a(n) ________ term. A) predictive; reactive B) implied; stated C) reflective; affective D) descriptive; evaluative E) inductive; deductive Answer: D Explanation: The concept of organizational culture is concerned with how employees perceive the characteristics of an organization's culture, not whether they like them, and is therefore a descriptive term. On the other hand, the concept of job satisfaction seeks to measure how employees feel about the organization's expectations, reward practices and therefore is an evaluative term. 7) The macro view of culture that gives an organization its distinct personality is its ________ culture. A) dominant B) subC) strong D) national E) marginal Answer: A Explanation: A dominant culture expresses the core values shared by a majority of the organization's members. When we talk about an organization's culture, we are referring to its dominant culture, which gives an organization its distinct personality. 8) Jean works for HJC publishing which is a publisher of scientific journals. The company is dominated by low risk taking and high attention to detail. Jean's department is also committed to high team orientation and provides many team-building activities in which Jean and other department members work together and socialize. Which of the following statements best describes Jean's department? A) It represents the dominant culture. B) It does not include core values. C) It is a subculture sharing core values. D) The organizational culture is undefined. E) It has low stability. Answer: C Explanation: Jean's department is a subculture that reflects the common situations, or experiences faced by group members in the same department or location. It includes the core values of the dominant culture plus additional team values unique to members of the department. 9) Cultures within an organization that are defined by departmental designations are often called ________. A) micro-cultures B) subcultures C) divisional cultures D) microcosms E) counter cultures Answer: B Explanation: Subcultures tend to develop in large organizations to reflect common problems, situations, or experiences faced by groups of members in the same department or location. The purchasing department can have a subculture that includes the core values of the dominant culture plus additional values unique to members of the purchasing department. 10) Which characteristic is not reflective of subcultures? A) includes core values of the organization B) typically defined by department designations C) includes values shared only within the organization D) can influence individuals behavior E) includes values unique to members of a department or group Answer: C Explanation: Subcultures tend to develop in large organizations to reflect common problems, situations, or experiences faced by groups of members in the same department or location. They include the core values of the dominant culture plus additional values unique to members of a department. Many organizations have subcultures that can influence members' behavior. 11) The primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization are known as ________. A) foundational values B) core values C) shared values D) institutional traits E) manifestos Answer: B Explanation: The dominant culture includes the core values, the primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization. 12) Which of the following terms is part of the definition of a strong culture? A) little influence over members' behavior B) low behavioral controls C) narrowly shared values D) intensely held values E) weakly held values Answer: D Explanation: In a strong culture, the organization's core values are both intensely held and widely shared. The more members who accept the core values and the greater their commitment, the stronger the culture and the greater its influence on member behavior because the high degree of sharedness and intensity creates an internal climate of high behavioral control. 13) ________ are indicators of a strong organizational culture. A) High levels of dissension B) Weak managers C) Completely horizontal organizational charts D) Narrowly defined roles E) Widely shared values Answer: E Explanation: In a strong culture, the organization's core values are both intensely held and widely shared. The more members who accept the core values and the greater their commitment, the stronger the culture and the greater its influence on member behavior because the high degree of sharedness and intensity creates an internal climate of high behavioral control. 14) Which of the following is most likely to result from a strong organizational culture? A) low employee turnover B) low employee satisfaction C) high employee turnover D) high absenteeism E) none of the above Answer: A Explanation: A strong culture should reduce employee turnover, because it demonstrates high agreement about what the organization represents. Such unanimity of purpose builds cohesiveness, loyalty, and organizational commitment. These qualities, in turn, lessen employees' propensity to leave. 15) The unanimity of a strong culture contributes to all of the following except ________. A) cohesiveness B) loyalty C) higher product quality D) organizational commitment E) close ties between workers within the organization Answer: C Explanation: In a strong culture, the organization's core values are both intensely held and widely shared. Such unanimity of purpose builds cohesiveness, loyalty, and organizational commitment. These qualities, in turn, lessen employees' propensity to leave. 16) A strong culture can act as a substitute for which of the following? A) institutionalization B) formalization C) socialization D) organizational rules E) social support Answer: B Explanation: High formalization creates predictability, orderliness, and consistency. A strong culture achieves the same end without the need for written documentation. Formalization and culture can be viewed as two different roads to a common destination. 17) High formalization in an organization creates all of the following except ________. A) predictability B) cohesiveness C) orderliness D) consistency E) none of the above Answer: B Explanation: High formalization creates predictability, orderliness, and consistency. A strong culture achieves the same end without the need for written documentation. Formalization and culture can be viewed as two different roads to a common destination. 18) Culture performs all the following functions except ________. A) displaying the dominance of particular organizations B) enhancing social system stability C) conveying a sense of identity for organization members D) facilitating commitment to something larger than individual self-interest E) defining boundaries Answer: A Explanation: Culture has a boundary-defining role. It conveys a sense of identity for organization members. Culture facilitates the generation of commitment to something larger than individual self-interest. It enhances the stability of the social system. It does not display organizational dominance. 19) As organizations have widened spans of control, flattened structures, introduced teams, reduced formalization, and empowered employees, the ________ provided by a strong culture ensures that everyone is pointed in the same direction. A) rules and regulations B) shared meaning C) rituals D) socialization E) rigid hierarchy Answer: B Explanation: Today's trend toward decentralized organizations makes culture more important than ever. When formal authority and control systems are reduced, culture's shared meaning points everyone in the same direction. 20) Janice works for a pet store in which everyone is absolutely committed to the happiness of the animals. Often employees, bosses and hourly workers alike, come into the store "off the clock" and spend time socializing and training the animals. Everyone loves the store, the animals, and their jobs. According to the information provided, Janice encounters a ________ in her job. A) positive safety climate B) positive performance climate C) negative safety climate D) positive diversity climate E) negative performance climate Answer: B Explanation: Organizational climate refers to the shared perceptions organizational members have about their organization and work environment. When everyone has the same general feelings about what's important, the effect of these attitudes will be more than the sum of the individual parts. A person who encounters a positive climate for performance will think about doing a good job more often and will believe others support his or her success. Janice's job