58) Which one of the following statements highlights the shared aspect of culture?
A) Organizational culture is concerned with how members perceive the culture and describe it,
not with whether they like it.
B) Organizational culture is not something that can be physically touched or seen, but employees
perceive it on the basis of what they experience within the organization.
C) The original source of the culture of an organization reflects the vision of the organization’s
founders.
D) Even though individuals may have different backgrounds or work at different organizational
levels, they tend to describe the organization’s culture in similar terms.
59) 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.
A) stability
B) people orientation
C) aggressiveness
D) innovation and risk taking
60) Which one of the following most accurately reflects the difference between strong cultures
and weak cultures?
A) Strong cultures tend to encourage employees to try new approaches to changing conditions,
while weak cultures do not.
B) In strong cultures, organizational values are held by top management, while in weak cultures,
values are diffused throughout the organization.
C) Strong cultures have less influence on employee behavior than do weak cultures.
D) Company values are more deeply held and widely shared in strong cultures than in weak
cultures.
61) Which one of the following dimensions of organizational culture refers to the degree to
which organizational decisions and actions emphasize maintaining the status quo?
A) stability
B) attention to detail
C) innovation and risk taking
D) people orientation
62) 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?
A) stability
B) aggressiveness
C) people orientation
D) attention to detail
63) Martha is concerned with the degree to which managers focus on results rather than the
techniques and processes used to achieve those results. In other words, Martha is concerned that
the company will emphasize ________ over other dimensions of the organizational culture.
A) stability
B) aggressiveness
C) attention to detail
D) outcome orientation
64) Which one of the following would make Mary realize that the company where she works has
a strong culture?
A) Values are limited to the top management.
B) Upper management sends contradictory messages about what is important.
C) Most employees are aware of company history.
D) Shared values and behaviors are not connected.
65) Employees at Ottobath Corporation are encouraged to submit their ideas for improvements to
processes and for new products. Ottobath likely possesses a high degree of ________.
A) people orientation
B) team orientation
C) innovation and risk taking
D) aggressiveness
66) Bethany works for an international accounting firm noted for its superior quality of work.
Employees check and double-check their work. The culture of this firm emphasizes ________.
A) attention to detail
B) outcomes
C) people
D) teams
67) Which one of the following is a characteristic of an organization with a strong culture?
A) Management strives to delink shared values from behaviors as much as possible.
B) Culture conveys consistent messages about what is important to the organization.
C) The core set of organizational values is zealously guarded by the management.
D) Emphasis is laid on the future of the organization, rather than acquainting employees with
company history or past heroes.
68) Which one of the following is a disadvantage of having a strong organizational culture?
A) high employee turnover
B) decreased organizational performance
C) low loyalty towards the organization
D) inability to respond to changing conditions
69) If Melody wanted to build a strong culture, which of these actions would help most?
A) She and other managers should often tell stories about the company “heroes” and encourage
employees to emulate their behavior.
B) She should allow employees to pursue activities they believe will contribute to future
company growth.
C) She should encourage employees to continue their education and establish a tuition assistance
program.
D) She should hold an annual retreat at which upper management develops a values statement.
70) If Nanette is able to strengthen the culture of her organization, which one of the following
could she reasonably expect as a result?
A) an increase in absenteeism
B) a decrease in employee turnover
C) an increase in her stock trading price
D) a decrease in health insurance costs
71) The original source of an organization’s culture usually reflects ________.
A) the present conditions in which the organization functions
B) the composition of its productive workforce
C) the degree of success that the organization has achieved
D) the vision or mission of the organization’s founder
72) ________ is a process that helps new employees learn the organization’s way of doing
things.
A) Inculcation
B) Socialization
C) Enculturation
D) Transculturation
73) An organization’s culture can be perpetuated by ________.
A) selecting candidates for employment who share the organizations values
B) displaying artifacts that exemplify the culture
C) taking advantage of employees’ suggestions for improvement
D) expecting managers to produce results
74) Organizational ________ typically contain narratives about significant events or people in
the organization.
A) stories
B) rituals
C) language
D) material artifacts
75) ________ help anchor the present in the past, provide explanations and legitimacy for
current practices, exemplify what is important to the organization, and provide compelling
pictures of an organization’s goals.
A) Rituals
B) Symbols
C) Stories
D) Artifacts
76) The day before Disney World in Florida was to open, the sod around one of the resort hotels
had not been laid. CEO Michael Eisner took off his suit coat and tie, rolled up his sleeves, and
began laying sod. He instructed his managers to do likewise but many objected, saying they did
not know how to lay sod. “It’s not hard, boys,” said Eisner. “The green side goes up.” This is an
example of a ________ that reinforces culture.
A) tradition
B) ritual
C) artifact
D) story
77) The term ________ refers to repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the
important values and goals of the organization.
A) organizational culture
B) corporate rituals
C) corporate rites
D) employee mentoring
78) Which of the following is an example of a corporate ritual?
A) Joe and Ed swap stories about the company’s history and past heroes who have made
significant contributions to the company.
B) Company executives use company-specific jargon or slogans intended to inspire other
employees to perform better.
C) Every customer who buys a new car at Eby Ford and Lincoln rings a gong and is rewarded
with applause from the entire sales staff.
D) In the reception lobby is an assortment of material artifacts such as trade magazines, industry
awards, photos of the employees-of-the-month, and samples of products.
79) Which one of the following is an example of a material artifact or symbol?
A) The lines on the parking lot are repainted every year.
B) The offices of upper management are carpeted; the offices of administrative personnel have
tile floors.
C) The company sponsors a local youth sports team.
D) Incoming calls are answered by a live person.
80) ________ often act(s) as a common denominator that bonds an organization’s members.
A) Rituals
B) Symbols
C) Artifacts
D) Language
81) Which one of the following is a cultural constraint that affects the decisions managers in a
company make?
A) the extent to which employees are encouraged to participate on problem-solving teams
B) the size of the operating budget
C) the location of the firm’s headquarters
D) the size of the employee population
82) Corporate rituals are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the key
values of an organization.
83) Strong cultures have more influence on employees than do weak cultures.
84) The shared aspect of culture implies that all employees in an organization agree with the
organization’s values and beliefs.
85) In strong organizational cultures, employees have little knowledge of company history or
heroes; what is important is present performance.
86) Organizations help employees adapt to the culture through socialization.
87) For the sake of clarity, the constraints imposed on managers by the organization’s culture are
explicitly stated in the employee handbook.
88) Because a company’s culture has so much influence on managers’ decisions, it is important
that each manager have a published code clearly stating the company’s cultural guidelines.
89) Define organizational culture and discuss its three primary implications.
90) Identify and define the seven dimensions that make up an organization’s culture.
91) How do employees of an organization learn its culture? In a short essay, explain the four
primary methods and provide an example of each.
92) Discuss how culture constrains managers. Include specific examples to support your answer.
93) Workplace spirituality has become important in the contemporary workplace because it
________.
A) increases organizational efficiency
B) boosts company profits
C) gives employees a sense of purpose
D) brings religion into business
94) Sam Walton was noted for his dedication to helping customers by offering products at the
lowest possible price. He strongly emphasized this to his store employees as the reason for
Walmart’s existence. In this sense, we could describe Walmart’s culture as ________.
A) spiritual
B) authoritarian
C) profit-oriented
D) outcome-oriented
95) To which dimension of the organizational culture is workplace spirituality most closely
related?
A) outcome-orientation
B) innovation and risk taking
C) team orientation
D) people orientation
96) Which of the following is a characteristic found in spiritual organizations?
A) focus on team development, rather than individual development
B) profit-oriented outlook towards all organizational activities
C) tolerance toward mistakes and openness with customers and employees
D) emphasis on controlling emotions and feelings
97) Which of the following is most likely to have a highly spiritual organizational culture?
A) a telemarketing company competing in a highly aggressive, competitive environment
B) a charitable non-profit that allows its employees to express opinions and emotions openly
C) a numbers-driven company that focuses strictly on quarterly performance reports
D) a multi-national business that requires headquarters approval of new ideas
98) Bill’s organization expects 50% of profits to be generated by products that did not exist five
years ago. What is the nature of the programs that the organization’s managers are likely to
follow?
A) short-term
B) risky
C) innovative
D) expansionary
99) Which of the following is a criticism of spiritual organizational cultures?
A) inhibition of employees’ expressions and emotions
B) incompatibility between profits and spirituality
C) lack of openness with stakeholders such as customers and suppliers
D) absence of employee empowerment
100) 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?
A) a serious outlook toward work
B) intolerance toward uncertainty or ambiguity
C) resolution of employee issues based on personal interest
D) freedom for employees to exercise discretion
101) If ABC Company wanted to create an innovative culture, which of the following actions
should it take?
A) Create detailed job descriptions and step-by-step procedures for every position.
B) Allow employees time for the generation of ideas.
C) Encourage employees to report slacking and other time wasting within their departments.
D) Require employees to document their activities to account for all paid hours.
102) 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?
A) precisely defining employees’ normal job requirements and ensuring they perform those
actions
B) giving service-contact employees continual training on product knowledge, listening, and
other behavioral skills
C) designing jobs with rigid rules and procedure that employees should stick to in order to satisfy
customers
D) preserving the discretion to make day-to-day decisions on job-related activities at the top
level of management
103) Companies that wish to emphasize ________ should develop it into the corporate culture.
A) rite of passage
B) motivation
C) spirituality
D) sustainability
104) Companies that wish to establish a culture of sustainability can ________.
A) expect new hires to observe the actions of others and act in a similar fashion
B) casually mention occasionally that the company is concerned about sustainability
C) vary the type and timing of its sustainability activities
D) create rituals to demonstrate the company’s efforts to support sustainability actions
105) In order to develop an innovative organizational culture, managers must minimize
ambiguity and uncertainty and discourage risk-taking.
106) Organizations that emphasize workplace spirituality focus on individual development.
107) Spiritual organizations tend to be intolerant of employees who commit mistakes.
108) Organizations that subscribe to workplace spirituality emphasize the importance of
employees controlling their expressions and emotions.
109) A valid criticism of workplace spirituality is that secular institutions, especially businesses,
have no right to impose spiritual values on employees, if spirituality means bringing religion into
the workplace.
110) Giving service-contact employees the discretion to make day-to-day decisions on job-
related activities is instrumental in creating a customer-responsive culture.
111) Employees either agree with the concept of sustainability or they don’t; it is costly and
ineffective to try to create a culture of sustainability.
112) In a short essay, explain the reasons behind the increasing importance of workplace
spirituality in recent years.
113) How can managers best promote workplace spirituality within their organizations?
114) Describe the characteristics of an innovative organizational culture.
115) Discuss the criticisms of workplace spirituality.
116) Discuss sustainability and provide at least three examples of methods a firm can use to
create and maintain a culture of sustainability.