Organizational Behavior, 17e (Robbins)
Chapter 16 Organizational Culture
1) Manuel is a manager for a manufacturing company in which managers are expected to fully
document all decisions and in which it is important 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
2) Danny’s boss is apathetic as 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
3) 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
4) Stability is one of the seven primary characteristics that capture 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
5) 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) averseness
D) risk taking
E) aggressiveness
6) 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.
7) 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.
8) 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.
9) 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
10) 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) Jean’s 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.
11) ________ 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
12) 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
13) 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
14) 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
15) A strong culture can act as a substitute for which of the following?
A) institutionalization
B) formalization
C) socialization
D) centralization
E) social support
16) 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
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.
17) The organizational culture of Rogue Vogue Corp. is an example of a(n) ________.
A) autocratic culture
B) subculture
C) lowly formalized culture
D) reflective culture
E) dominant culture
18) 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
19) In addition to the organizational culture at Rogue Vogue Corp., 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
20) Based on the information in the scenario, we can say that Rogue Vogue Corp. ________.
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
21) 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.
22) 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.
23) Individuals with different backgrounds or at different levels in the organization will tend to
describe the organization’s culture in similar terms.
24) Subcultures act to undermine the dominant culture.
25) A dominant culture expresses the core values a majority of members share and that give the
organization its distinct personality.
26) A strong culture tends to reduce employee turnover.
27) Big data is an effective decision aid only when it’s paired with a consistent and thoughtful
culture, one that acknowledges the need for human decision making and individual judgments.
28) What are the seven primary characteristics that capture the essence of an organization’s
culture?
29) Compare and contrast dominant culture and subculture.
30) Describe the characteristics of a strong culture.
31) “Formalization and culture are two different roads to a common destination.” Explain the
statement.
32) Discuss the difference between strong and weak organizational cultures and discuss the
effect that a strong culture can have on an acquisition or merger.
33) 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.
34) When formal authority and control systems are reduced, the ________ provided by a strong
culture ensure(s) that everyone is pointed in the same direction.
A) rules and regulations
B) shared meaning
C) rituals
D) socialization
E) rigid hierarchy
35) 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
36) 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.
37) ________ 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
38) 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
39) 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
40) 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
41) 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.
42) 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
43) 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
44) Sustainability refers to practices that can be maintained over very long periods of time
because the tools or structure that support the practices is not damaged in the process.
45) Instrumental climates are positively associated with employee job satisfaction and
organizational commitment.
46) Systematic reviews of the research literature show a generally positive relationship between
sustainability and financial performance.
47) To create a truly sustainable business, an organization must develop a long-term culture and
put its values into practice.
48) Explain the concept of organizational climate.
49) Describe the various situations under which culture acts as a liability.
50) Describe and explain the five most prevalent climate categories that comprise the ethical
dimensions of organization cultures.