Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Facts to Consider: Family Values Put Pressure on Organization Cultures
Pressure is on organizations to pay more attention to family values. Facts to Consider points to a
number of different facts which have to do with workers (68%) who feel they don’t have enough
Hot Topic: Saying “OK” to Chest Bumps at the Office
Bring a bit of ritual to the office culture and increase performance. At least that’s the wisdom
being followed by some forward-thinking organizations. When was the last time you shared a
chest bump with a co-worker? In many workplaces people are afraid to even try, given the
concerns about sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact. But at others, the organization
culture welcomes such practices.
Rituals are in at Salo LLC, a Minneapolis human resource management company. A
ringing gong signals a deal that has been closed. You might even see a couple of employees
doing a chest bump to celebrate a success. What’s it all about? Answer: harnessing the power of
organizational culture as a performance booster.
Insight: Get Comfortable with Tolerance for Ambiguity
The next time you are driving somewhere and following a familiar route only to encounter a
“detour” sign, test your tolerance for ambiguity. Is the detour just a minor inconvenience? Do
you go forward without any further thought? Or is it a big deal, perhaps causing you anxiety and
anger? Do you show a tendency to resist change in your normal routines? Change creates anxiety
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Ask students: Are you willing and able to work with less structure? Do you enjoy flexibility,
setting your own goals, and making decisions? Are you excited by the prospect of change and
new—as yet undefined—opportunities? It’s important to find a good fit between your personal
Quick Case: Proposal for Open Office Design and Hotdesking
You are just starting to work with an architect on designs for a new office space for your fast-
growing tech startup. She proposes a design that does away with private offices, includes two or
three personal cubicles with flexible dividers, and provides lots of flexible open spaces for casual
and arranged meetings. She also proposes a shift to “hotdesking” for the sales representatives
because they spend a lot of time away from the office. This means that they will not have
What’s on your pros and cons list? What are your notes and what are their implications for how
you will approach this change situation? What’s your strategy? What kind of change
Suggested Exercises for Chapter 9
Break the class into teams and have the teams perform the following discussion task.
Terms to Define
Business model innovation
Change leader
Changing
Commercializing innovation
Innovation
Observable culture
Organizational culture
Process innovations
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Stories told about an organization’s past accomplishments and heroes such as company
founders are all part of what is called the __________ culture.
2. Planned and spontaneous ceremonies and celebrations of work achievements illustrate how
the use of __________ helps build strong corporate cultures.
3. An organization with a strong culture is most likely to have __________.
(a) a tight, bureaucratic structure
4. Honesty, social responsibility, and customer service are examples of __________ that can
become
foundations for an organization’s core culture.
(a) rites and rituals
5. Product innovations create new goods or services for customers, while __________
innovations create new ways of doing things in the organization.
6. The Kindle e-reader by Amazon and the iPad by Apple are examples of __________
innovations.
(a) business model
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Self-Assessment 9: Tolerance for Ambiguity
Instructions
Rate each of the following items on this seven-point scale.
strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly disagree
_______ 1. An expert who doesn’t come up with a definite answer probably doesn’t know too
much.
_______ 2. There is really no such thing as a problem that can’t be solved.
_______ 3. I would like to live in a foreign country for a while.
_______ 4. People who fit their lives to a schedule probably miss the joy of living.
_______ 5. A good job is one where what is to be done and how it is to be done are always
clear.
_______ 6. In the long run it is possible to get more done by tackling small, simple problems
rather than large, complicated ones.
_______ 7. It is more fun to tackle a complicated problem than it is to solve a simple one.
_______ 8. Often the most interesting and stimulating people are those who don’t mind being
different and original.
_______ 9. What we are used to is always preferable to what is unfamiliar.
_______ 10. A person who leads an even, regular life in which few surprises or unexpected
happenings arise really has a lot to be grateful for.
_______ 11. People who insist upon a yes or no answer just don’t know how complicated things
really are.
_______ 12. Many of our most important decisions are based on insufficient information.
_______ 13. I like parties where I know most of the people more than ones where most of the
people are complete strangers.
_______ 14. The sooner we all acquire ideals, the better.
_______ 15. Teachers or supervisors who hand out vague assignments give a chance for one to
show initiative and originality.
_______ 16. A good teacher is one who makes you wonder about your way of looking at things.
Scoring
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Class Exercise 9: Force-Field Analysis
Instructions
2. Use force-field analysis and make lists of driving and resisting forces for one of the following
situations:
(a) Because of rapid advances in Web-based computer technologies, the possibility exists
that the course you are presently taking could be, in part, offered online. This would mean a
3. Choose the three driving forces that are most significant for the proposed change. For each
4. Choose the three resisting forces that are most significant for the proposed change. For each
force, develop ideas on how it could be reduced or turned into a driving force.
Team Project 9: Organizational Culture Walk
What organizational cultures do we encounter and deal with every day, and what are their
implications for employees, customers, and organizational performance?
Instructions
1. In your team make two lists. List A should identify the things that represent the core cultures
2. Take an organizational culture walk through a major shopping area of your local community.
Choose at least three business establishments. Visit each as customers. As you approach, put
4. Use your results to make some general observations and report on the relationship between
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Practice Critical Thinking:
Gamification – Games Joins the Corporate Culture
1. DISCUSSION What arguments can you make that support making gamification as part of an
organization’s culture? What are the arguments against it? What logic or examples can you
offer in support of your arguments?
The new legitimacy of gaming in the corporate world is called “gamification.” Games are being
seen as a way to promote a culture of learning, leadership development, individualism, and fun,
2. PROBLEM SOLVING Consider yourself the go-to “idea person” for friends who head two
local organizations—a fire department and a public library. Both complain about morale
problems and ask you for advice on creating a positive organizational culture. They want to
know how your interest in gaming can be used to improve staff morale and performance. What
will you suggest and why?
3. FURTHER RESEARCH Review how organizations, including major corporations,
nonprofits, and the military, are using gaming. What role is gaming taking on in these settings,
and how does its use affect the organizational cultures? What does the evidence suggest – is
gamification merely a passing trend, or is it here to stay and may even grow in use in the future?
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Student answers will vary based on research. Here are a few actual examples:
For Example: Delta Airlines had a hard time motivating their call center employees to complete
their necessary training exercises.
For Example: Microsoft needed local language translations checked for many of their products,
but they were having a hard time getting their users to view their screens, check for accuracy,
For Example: Quirky is a community-led invention platform that has gamified product
development. It engages over 700,000 inventors to submit ideas for consumer products and the
Gamification Examples: AstraZeneca (a biopharmaceutical company) wanted to better
communicate their corporate culture, improve the work environment, and create an effective
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Suggested Team Exercise for Chapter 9
Break the class into teams and have the teams perform the following discussion task.