48. Culture tends to differ between ____, but appears similar within ____.
a.
organizations, industries
b.
people, organizations
c.
groups, industries
d.
organizations, groups
e.
industries, geographical regions
49. All of the following are types of corporate cultures except
a.
adaptability culture.
b.
clan culture.
c.
consistency culture.
d.
involvement culture.
e.
achievement culture.
50. The adaptability culture emerges in an environment that requires ____ response and ____ decision
making.
a.
fast; high-risk
b.
fast; low-risk
c.
slow; high-risk
d.
slow; low-risk
e.
regulated; low-risk
51. Which of the following cultures is suited to organizations that are concerned with servicing specific
customers in the external environment but without the intense need for flexibility and rapid change?
a.
Adaptability culture
b.
Clan culture
c.
Achievement culture
d.
Consistency culture
e.
None of these
52. The involvement culture has a(n) ____ focus on the involvement and participation of employees to
rapidly meet changing needs from the environment.
a.
external
b.
internal
c.
structural
d.
competitive
e.
technological
53. The consistency culture has a(n) ____ focus and an orientation for a ____ environment.
a.
external; stable
b.
external; dynamic
c.
internal; stable
d.
internal; dynamic
e.
structural; dynamic
54. Which of the following cultures values and rewards a methodical, rational, orderly way of doing
things?
a.
Achievement culture
b.
Involvement culture
c.
Accomplishment culture
d.
Consistency culture
e.
Adaptability culture
55. ____ plays a key role in creating an organizational climate that enables learning and innovative
responses to threats from the external environment, challenging new opportunities, or organizational
crises.
a.
Mission statement
b.
Vision statement
c.
Competitive intelligence
d.
Employee training
e.
Corporate culture
56. What is likely to happen to organizations that pay little attention to either cultural values or business
results?
a.
Unlikely to survive for long
b.
No help for performance during hard times
c.
Profitable in short run but difficult to sustain over long term
d.
High performance
e.
none of these
57. What is likely to happen to organizations that pay little attention to cultural values and instead stress
business results?
a.
Unlikely to survive for long
b.
No help for performance during hard times
c.
Profitable in short run but difficult to sustain over long term
d.
High performance
e.
none of these
58. A high-performance culture is based on all of the following EXCEPT
a.
solid organizational mission
b.
shared adaptive values
c.
individual employee ownership of bottom-line results
d.
individual employee ownership of organization’s cultural backbone
e.
singular focus on business results
59. In a study by Kotter and Heskett evidence is provided to support the claim that ____ is important for
performance.
a.
managing cultural values
b.
leading partnerships within an industry
c.
surveying the external environment
d.
managing client relationships as boundary spanners
e.
empowering employees
60. Blockbuster’s weakened performance in recent years stems from which of the following?
a.
Weak internal culture
b.
Inability to respond to the changing environment
c.
Inability to become environmentally sustainable
d.
Growth in competition from oversees
e.
Weak supply chain management
61. Executives at One World Advertising have learned that it is necessary to establish strong personal
relationships and emotional bonds with Chinese business partners. This relates most closely to which
dimension of the general business environment?
a.
Natural
b.
Sociocultural
c.
Legal/Political
d.
International
e.
Internal
62. Stan is the owner of a small marketing firm. He designs ad campaigns that specifically target
demographic groups within U.S. markets. Which demographic category currently has the largest
market size?
a.
Baby boomers
b.
Generation X
c.
Generation Y
d.
Tweeners
e.
In-betweeners
63. Animal-One is a campaign organization that drums up public awareness about the use of animals in
cosmetic testing. The group condemns traditional cosmetic companies while promoting smaller,
all-natural companies that do not test on animals. Animal-One can best be described as a(n):
a.
Whistle-blower
b.
Government organization
c.
Pressure group
d.
Sustainable organization
e.
Small business
64. In response to pressure from environmental advocates, organizations have become increasingly
sensitive to diminishing:
a.
Natural resources
b.
Economic resources
c.
Financial resources
d.
Human resources
e.
Technology resources
65. SweetTooth Candies is a U.S.-based company that manufactures and distributes candy bars and snack
foods globally. The company sources most of its cocoa and sugar from South American companies.
This business relationship highlights which dimension of the task environment?
a.
Customers
b.
Competitors
c.
Labor market
d.
Culture
e.
Suppliers
66. _________ means that managers do not have sufficient information about environmental factors to
understand and predict environmental needs and changes.
a.
Adaptation
b.
Risk
c.
Uncertainty
d.
Knowledge
e.
Education
67. Jefferson and Squire is an advertising firm that is viewed as having a fast-paced and posh corporate
culture. The company uses bold coloring with expensive accents in all office décor. This
exemplifies which level of corporate culture?
a.
Visible artifacts
b.
Underlying assumptions
c.
Expressed values
d.
Heroes
e.
Ceremonies
68. Roadtec Tire Company has a corporate culture that emphasizes an internal focus on the involvement
and participation of employees, placing high value on meeting the needs of employees. The company
is known for its caring, family-like atmosphere. Which type of corporate culture does Roadtec
possess?
a.
Adaptability culture
b.
Achievement culture
c.
Consistency culture
d.
Involvement culture
e.
Matrix culture
69. Research indicates that the one factor that increases a company’s value the most is:
a.
Investment in research and development
b.
People and how they are treated
c.
Technology investment
d.
A centralized organizational structure
e.
Attention to values
70. Terry manages a food distribution company that is highly focused on creating a strong cohesive
culture, but the company does not tie organizational values directly to goals and desired business
results. Terry’s company most likely falls in which quadrant of organizational performance and
culture?
a.
Quadrant A
b.
Quadrant B
c.
Quadrant C
d.
Quadrant D
e.
Quadrant E
71. James, a casino manager, defines and uses signals and symbols to influence corporate culture by
communicating central values to employees. As such, James can be described as what type of leader?
a.
Egalitarian leader
b.
Totalitarian leader
c.
Cultural leader
d.
Servant leader
e.
Transitional leader
CASE
Scenario – Nikki Williams
Nikki Williams was working as the sales manager for Industrial Instruments. Some of the sales
executives were showing signs of burnout. They were losing interest in their jobs and were no longer
motivated to gain new accounts. The reward system focused on old reliable accounts, but Nikki was
now under pressure to expand the customer base. Nikki had recently been to a seminar on corporate
value systems. She recognized that the company’s CEO wanted to change the way employees thought
about the firm and the way they related to one another. She further recognized that a lasting solution to
her problem required a fundamental shift in perception.
1. To affect the value system, Nikki will be working primarily with
a.
the legal-political dimension.
b.
the sociocultural dimension.
c.
the internal cultural dimension.
d.
the economic dimension.
e.
the external dimension.
2. Nikki could use the following to affect the corporate culture:
a.
structured symbolic logic.
b.
stories about political heroes.
c.
stories about company officers, stressing a value.
d.
stories about economic depression.
e.
all of these.
3. Nikki could hold _______, which are planned activities at special events to provide examples of
company values.
a.
ceremonies
b.
slogans
c.
symbols
d.
pictures of heroes
e.
none of these
4. Industrial Instruments operates in an environment that requires fast response and high-risk decision
making. Which type of culture may be appropriate here?
a.
Consistency
b.
Adaptability
c.
Clan
d.
Achievement
e.
Involvement
Scenario – Melissa Hill
Melissa Hill, sales manager for One-Hit-Wonder Record Company, was trying to create a new strategy
to turn around the declining record sales the company was facing. Melissa needed to find a way to find
out what the customers really wanted, since One-Hit-Wonder didn’t have accurate information like the
competitors did. It was imperative that she find the correct strategy and information because the
company was in financial trouble. The company’s President wanted all employees to help find
information and work as a team to develop better relationships that might help the company. He also
stated that he wanted the company to remain an independent company. Melissa realized that through
hard work and team efforts, the company could get back on its feet as soon as they got reliable
information.
5. Melissa will be working primarily with
a.
the legal-political dimension.
b.
the labor market.
c.
the internal cultural dimension.
d.
pressure groups.
e.
the sociocultural dimension.
6. The problem Melissa faced was
a.
culture gap.
b.
structural instability.
c.
environmental uncertainty.
d.
company transformation.
e.
legal problems.
7. Which of the following would be the best way for One-Hit-Wonder to decrease its uncertainty?
a.
To create boundary-spanning roles
b.
To eliminate interorganizational partnerships
c.
To merge with another company
d.
To create a joint venture
e.
None of these
8. Which of the following best describes One-Hit-Wonder’s culture?
a.
Clan culture
b.
Achievement culture
c.
Consistency culture
d.
Adaptability culture
e.
None of these
COMPLETION
1. The external ____________________ includes all elements existing outside the boundary of the
organization that have the potential to affect the organization.
2. The ____________________ is the outer layer that is widely dispersed and affects organizations
indirectly.
3. A(n) ____________________ includes the elements within the organization’s boundaries.
4. The ____________________ environment includes the sectors that conduct day–to-day transactions
within the organization.
5. An example of ____________________ dimension is that Dixon Ticonderoga Co. is in trouble
because of increased competition especially from low-cost pencil companies in China.
6. The ____________________ environment represents an ever-changing and uneven playing field
compared with domestic environment.
7. The ____________________ dimension of the general environment includes scientific and
technological advancements in a specific industry and in society.
8. The ____________________ dimension of the general environment represents the demographic
characteristics as well as the norms, customs, and values of the general population.
9. Lying at the heart of Chinese culture, ____________________ is a supportive, mutually beneficial
connection between two people.
10. The general economic health of the country or region in which the organization operates is represented
by the ____________________ dimension.
11. The ____________________ dimension includes government regulations at the local, state, and
federal levels.
12. An interest group that works within the legal-political framework to influence companies to behave in
socially responsible ways, is called a(n) ____________________.
13. Included in a(n) ____________________ environment are sectors that have a direct working
relationship with the organization, among customers, competitors, suppliers, and the labor market.
14. The ____________________ of the general environment includes all elements that occur naturally on
earth.
15. Managers today are concerned because technologically speaking, the ____________________ has
given more power to customers and enabled them to directly impact an organization.
16. ____________________ are organizations in the same industry that provide goods or services to the
same set of customers.
17. People and organizations that provide raw materials the organization uses to produce its output are
called ____________________.
18. The ____________________ represents people in the environment who can be hired to work for the
organization.
19. Not having sufficient information about environmental factors to understand and predict
environmental needs and changes is called ____________________.
20. When environmental factors change rapidly, the organization experiences ____________________
uncertainty.
21. ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________ are three types of
strategies that organizations can use to adapt to environmental changes.
22. A(n) ____________________ is when two or more organizations combine to make one organization.
23. A(n) ____________________ involves a strategic alliance or program by two or more organizations.
24. ____________________ can be defined as the set of key values, beliefs, understandings, and norms
shared by members of an organization.
25. An object, act, or event that conveys meaning to others is known as a(n) ____________________.
26. A(n) ____________________ is a narrative based on true events that is repeated frequently and shared
among organizational employees.
27. The deeds of ____________________ are extraordinary, but not so extraordinary that other employees
cannot perform the same deeds.
28. A slogan is a phrase or a sentence that concisely communicates a key corporate
____________________.
29. Adaptability culture emerges in an environment that requires ____________________ response and
____________________ decision making.
30. A culture that is a results-oriented, that values competitiveness, aggressiveness, personal initiative, and
willingness to work long and hard to achieve results is called ____________________.
31. The ____________________ culture places high value on HR, and the organization may be
characterized by a caring, family-like atmosphere.
32. Organizations with internal focuses and consistency orientations for a stable environment should
create a(n) ____________________ culture.
33. ____________________ plays a key role in creating an organizational climate that enables learning
and innovative responses to threats from the external environment, challenging new opportunities, or
organizational crises.
34. A primary way in which managers shape cultural norms and values to build a high-performance
culture is through ____________________.
35. A(n) ____________________ defines and uses signals and symbols to influence corporate culture.
SHORT ANSWER
1. List the six dimensions of the general environment.
2. List three visible artifacts of an organization’s culture.
3. List two reasons why ceremonies are held in an organization.
4. Name one of the two dimensions that the categories of culture are based on.
5. Name one of the two dimensions that organizations with high-performance cultures emphasize.
1. Define the organizational task environment. List the four things this environment includes that could
influence an organization.
2. Name the six dimensions of the general environment and describe each dimension.
3. Briefly describe the task environment and its four primary sectors.
4. What are the three basic strategies for dealing with increased uncertainty with respect to customers,
competitors, suppliers, or government regulations?
5. Based on the model in the text, discuss the relationship between external environmental characteristics
and uncertainty.
6. Discuss the different levels of culture.
7. List the four categories of culture and describe what kind of environments each fit best in.
8. Briefly discuss the two key areas that cultural leaders influence culture.