BUAD 309 Chapter 16 | Answered with Rationales (Complete Solutions)

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BUAD 309 Chapter 16 | Answered with Rationales (Complete Solutions) Manuel is a manager for a manufacturing company in which managers are expected to fully document all decisions, and it is importan ... t to provide detailed data to support any recommendations. Also, out-of-the-box thinking is dissuaded. Which characteristic of organizational culture describes this aspect of Manuel's job? A) low team orientation B) high aggressiveness C) low risk taking D) low outcome orientation E) high people orientation Innovation and risk taking describes the degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks. Manuel's company wants full research and documentation and seems reluctant to take risks and is a low risk-taking culture. Danny's boss is apathetic to whether Danny 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 describes this aspect of Danny's job? A) low risk taking B) high outcome orientation C) high attention to detail D) low aggressiveness E) high stability 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. Danny's boss has a high focus on outcome. Which of the following characteristics of an organization's culture indicates the degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on employees within the organization? A) attention to detail B) outcome orientation C) team orientation D) people orientation E) stability People orientation indicates the degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization. Stability" is one of the seven primary characteristics that captures the essence of an organization's culture. It indicates the degree to which ________. A) employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks B) management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on the techniques and processes used to achieve them C) management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization D) work activities are organized around teams rather than individuals E) organizational activities emphasize maintaining the status quo in contrast to growth Stability indicates the degree to which organizational activities emphasize maintaining the status quo in contrast to growth. The key characteristic of organizational culture that addresses the degree to which people are competitive rather than easygoing is termed ________. A) assertiveness B) team orientation C) aversiveness D) risk taking E) aggressiveness Aggressiveness describes the degree to which people are aggressive and competitive rather than easygoing. Which of the following statements best describes the difference between organizational culture and job satisfaction? A) Job satisfaction depends upon the level of "power distance" in the country but organizational culture does not. B) Organizational culture is static, whereas job satisfaction is dynamic. C) Job satisfaction is immeasurable, whereas organizational culture is measurable. D) Organizational culture is descriptive, whereas job satisfaction is evaluative. E) Job satisfaction depends on the structure of the organization but organizational culture does not. 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. Porco Rosso, an aircraft manufacturer with a strong presence in the United States, is looking to expand its market overseas. The firm currently sells its aircraft to several airlines in the United Kingdom, but now wants to establish manufacturing units there as well in order to acquire a bigger share in the European market. Hence, it plans to merge with QueenAir, a British aircraft manufacturer. Which of the following, if true, would weaken the company's decision to merge with QueenAir? A) Merging with QueenAir would increase its profits considerably. B) There is increasing economic uncertainty in its U.S. market. C) The preferences of airline customers in Europe and the U.S. are similar. D) There is a striking difference in the organizational cultures of the two firms. E) A competitor in the U.S. market recently went out of business. As merging with QueenAir would increase the firm's profits, it strengthens the firm's decision. So does the economic uncertainty in the U.S. market and the customers' preferences. The fact that a competitor in the U.S. market recently went out of business, is irrelevant. As the two merging firms have different organizational cultures, it may lead to various problems in the future. Hence, it weakens the firm's decision. Which of the following statements is true regarding an organization's culture? A) Organizational culture is evaluative rather than descriptive. B) Large organizations rarely have subcultures. C) A dominant culture expresses the core values shared by a majority of the organization's members. D) A strong culture reduces employee satisfaction and increases employee turnover. E) Subcultures and dominant cultures do not share any common values. Organizational culture is descriptive. Most large organizations have a dominant culture and numerous subcultures. A dominant culture expresses the core values shared by a majority of the organization's members. A strong culture should reduce employee turnover, because it demonstrates high agreement about what the organization represents. Cultures that tend to develop in large organizations to reflect common problems or experiences faced by the members in the same department or location are often called ________. A) micro-cultures B) subcultures C) divisional cultures D) microcosms E) countercultures 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. Jean works for Fahrenheit 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 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) Jeans department is an example of a primary microcosm. B) Jean's department's culture is stronger than the dominant culture in the organization. C) Jean's department has developed a subculture. D) Jean's department's culture is undefined. E) Jean's department's culture has low stability. Jean's department has developed 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. ________ are indicators of a strong organizational culture. A) High levels of dissension B) High rates of employee turnover C) Completely horizontal organizational charts D) Narrowly defined roles E) Widely shared values 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 The primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization are known as ________. A) foundational traits B) core values C) shared values D) institutional traits E) unique values The dominant culture includes the core values; the primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization. Which of the following is most likely to result from a strong organizational culture? A) low employee turnover B) low employee satisfaction C) low organizational commitment D) high absenteeism E) low behavioral control resulting from the climate within the organization 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. A strong culture should reduce employee turnover, because it results in ________. A) a highly centralized organization B) narrow spans of control C) cohesiveness and organizational commitment D) a highly formalized organization E) an outcome-oriented organization 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. A strong culture can act as a substitute for which of the following? A) institutionalization B) formalization C) socialization D) centralization E) social support Formalization and culture can be viewed as two different roads to a common destination. A culture that expresses the core values that are shared by a majority of the organization's members is known as a(n) ________ culture. A) dominant B) primary C) fundamental D) unique E) essential A dominant culture is a culture that expresses the core values that are shared by a majority of the organization's members. Rogue Vogue Corp. is an apparel company. To keep up with the latest changes in the fashion industry, the company has to come up with innovative designs and follow strict timelines. The culture of the company values aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking. The members of the organization accept these cultural values. They know exactly what is expected of them and these expectations go a long way in shaping their behavior. In addition to this, the culture of the marketing department is outcome oriented and the finance department emphasizes attention to detail. The organizational culture of Rogue Vogue Corp. is an example of a(n) ________. A) autocratic culture B) subculture C) highly formalized culture D) reflective culture E) dominant culture A dominant culture expresses the core values shared by a majority of the organization's members. Aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking are called the ________ of the culture at the Rogue Vogue Corp. A) foundational values B) institutional traits C) core values D) significant traits E) unique values The dominant culture includes the core values, the primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization. In this example, aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking are the core values of the organizational culture. In addition to the organizational culture, the finance department emphasizes attention to detail. In this example, attention to detail is a part of the ________ of the organization. A) core values B) significant traits C) dominant culture D) foundational values E) subculture 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. Subculture includes the core values of the dominant culture plus additional values unique to members of the respective department Based on the information in the example, we can say that Rogue Vogue ________. A) is a highly decentralized organization B) is a virtual organization C) has a strong culture D) is a boundaryless organization E) is a matrix organization Based on the information in the example, we can say that Rogue Vogue has a strong culture. 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. If an organization has a strong culture then the members of the organization know exactly what is expected of them, and these expectations go a long way in shaping their behavior. Which of the following statements is true regarding the functions of culture in an organization? A) It hinders the generation of commitment to something larger than individual self-interest among employees. B) It conveys a sense of identity for organization members. C) It reduces the stability of the organizational system. D) It reduces distinctions between one organization and others. E) It does not affect employees' attitudes and behavior. Culture facilitates the generation of commitment to something larger than individual self-interest. It conveys a sense of identity for organization members. Culture has a boundary-defining role: it creates distinctions between one organization and others. It is a sense-making and control mechanism that guides and shapes employees' attitudes and behavior. When formal authority and control systems are reduced, 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 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. In ________ organizations, the lack of frequent face-to-face contact makes establishing a common set of norms very difficult. A) highly formalized B) boundaryless C) virtual D) matrix E) highly centralized In virtual organizations, the lack of frequent face-to-face contact makes establishing a common set of norms very difficult. 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. Today's trend toward decentralized organization makes establishing a strong culture more difficult. In virtual organizations, the lack of frequent face-to-face contact makes establishing a common set of norms very difficult. When formal authority and control systems are reduced, culture's shared meaning points everyone in the same direction. However, employees organized in teams may show greater allegiance to their team and its values than to the values of the organization as a whole. Culture enhances the stability of the social system and acts as a control mechanism that guides and shapes employees' attitudes and behavior. ________ 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 Organizational climate refers to the shared perceptions organizational members have about their organization and work environment. This aspect of culture is like team spirit at the organizational level. 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 Organizational climate refers to the shared perceptions organizational members have about their organization and work environment. This aspect of culture is like team spirit at the organizational level. A(n) ________ organization is an organization that takes on a life of its own, apart from its founders or members and is valued for itself and not for the goods or services it produces. A) virtual B) matrix C) boundaryless D) institutionalized E) centralized An institutionalized organization is an organization that takes on a life of its own, apart from its founders or members and is valued for itself and not for the goods or services it produces. 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 Culture is a liability when the shared values are not in agreement with those that further the organization's effectiveness. This is most likely when an organization's environment is dynamic and is undergoing rapid change. In this case, its entrenched culture may no longer be appropriate. 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. Hiring new employees who differ from the majority in race, age, gender, disability, or other characteristics creates a paradox: management wants to demonstrate support for the differences these employees bring to the workplace, but newcomers who wish to fit in must accept the organization's core cultural values. In this case, Polonova couldn't accept the organization's collectivist culture due to her individualistic nature and hence quit. All other options are either irrelevant or add to the seeming paradox. If all secretaries were paid equal salaries, then it offers no grounds for Polonova to quit. 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 An organization's customs, traditions, and general way of doing things are largely due to what it has done before and how successful it was in doing it. Because of this, the ultimate source of an organization's culture tends to be its founders. 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 [Show More]

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