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Organizational Behavior, 18e (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 adaptability
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/customer orientation
E) stability
4) Detail orientation is one of the six 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) employees are expected to exhibit precision, analysis, and attention to detail
5) The key characteristic of organizational culture that addresses the degree to which people
exhibit integrity and high ethical standards in their work is termed ________.
A) assertiveness
B) team orientation
C) averseness
D) risk taking
E) integrity
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) 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) Minicultures 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
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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) In the ________ employees value growth, variety, attention to detail, stimulation, and
autonomy.
A) market
B) adhocracy
C) clan
D) bureaucracy
E) hierarchy
13) Which of the following is most likely to result from a strong organizational culture?
A) high organizational commitment
B) low employee satisfaction
C) low loyalty
D) high absenteeism
E) low behavioral control resulting from the climate within the organization
14) A strong culture should increase employee loyalty 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
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) Integrity and high ethical standards 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 boundary-laden organization
E) is a matrix organization
21) The degree to which management decisions consider the effect of outcomes on people within
and outside the organization demonstrates collaboration/team orientation.
22) Detail orientation 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) Organizational culture represents a perception that the organization's members share.
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) The "shared meaning" aspect of culture makes it a potent device for guiding and shaping
behavior.
27) The market is a culture based on change.
28) What are the six 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.
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31) "Formalization and culture are two different roads to a common destination." Explain the
statement.
32) Discuss the difference between the clan, the adhocracy, the market, and the hierarchy.
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) A(n) ________ climate requires managers and employees to use an external, standardized
moral compass such as a professional code of conduct for norms.
A) independence
B) rules
C) law and code
D) caring
E) instrumental
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) ________ organizations often don't go out of business even if the original goals are no longer
relevant.
A) Virtual
B) Matrix
C) Independent
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.
51) 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
52) 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
53) 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
