Exam 2: Organizational Culture and the Organizational Environment

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Changing Organizational Culture (Scenario) Jenna has been asked by the company president to change the organizational culture to reflect the company's new organizational goals. As executive vice-president, she certainly understands the goals but is really not sure that she understands what to do about the culture. -Jenna wants to ensure that her organization's culture will help shape high ethical standards for all employees and managers. She proposes that it be high in risk tolerance, low to moderate in aggressiveness, and focused on __________.

Organizational culture is most similar to an individual's __________.

Corporate rituals are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the key values of an organization.

As employees have begun to seek more balance in their lives, organizations have had to adjust by offering family leave policies, more flexible work hours, and even on-site childcare facilities. This is an example of how changing __________ conditions can affect an organization.

According to our textbook, __________ is having an impact on determining an organization's competitors because it has virtually eliminated geographic boundaries.

The symbolic view of management helps to explain the high turnover among college/university and professional sports coaches, who are often fired and replaced when their teams perform poorly.

The first step in managing external stakeholder relationships is to identify who the stakeholders are. The second step is to determine __________.

Socio-cultural conditions consist of the __________.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Environmental Uncertainty (Scenario) It is safe to say that managers do not have complete control over organizational outcomes; the environment has a significant impact. It is important for managers to learn both what the components of the environment are and how the environment will affect their organizations. -To help managers understand how the environment affects their organizations, the environmental uncertainty matrix sorts industries into four cells based on two dimensions: degree of __________ and degree of __________.

Organizational __________ typically contain(s) a narrative of significant events or people.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Manifestations of Culture (Scenario) Jacob is vice-president of human resources at Z-Mart, a large chain of department stores with 120 locations across Canada. He is developing a short orientation video to help new employees learn about the organization's culture. The video will begin with the story of Z-Mart's founder, Ziggy Zigwig, and how he started the company with one small store in Hamilton in 1960 and eventually built it into a national chain based on a simple philosophy: "cheaper is better." Today, Ziggy's founding values continue to guide employees and managers as they continually look for ways to reduce prices and pass the savings along to customers. Next, the video will discuss the daily Z-Mart chant, and how each morning the store managers lead all the employees in a rousing store anthem that ends with everyone shouting, "CHEAPER IS BETTER! " The chant usually takes place in the comfortable employee lounges located at the back of every store. Finally, the video will explain some of the key terminology used at Z-Mart. For example, all sales clerks are called "associates," managers are called "partners," and a price reduction is affectionately called a "ziggy" as a nod to the company's founder! -The daily Z-Mart chant is as an example of __________.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Managing Stakeholder Relationships (Scenario) Natasha has been hired by Virtual Screen Corporation, a manufacturer of custom window coverings and retractable screen doors. Virtual Screen has recently been having problems with some of their major stakeholders. Some suppliers have been shipping poor quality materials, and customer complaints are increasing. Natasha has been hired to help resolve the current issues and to develop a plan for managing other stakeholder problems in the future. -Natasha finds out through her research that managing stakeholder relationships can lead to ______________.

Which of the following is included in an organization's specific environment?

Since the emergence of digital music formats, the recorded music industry has been operating in an environment that is best described as __________.

An organizational culture most likely to shape high ethical standards is one that is __________.

Organizational stories typically contain a narrative of significant events or people.

The omnipotent view of management means __________.

Which of the following groups includes individuals who were born between the years 1946-1964?

In the symbolic view of management, managers are seen as directly responsible for an organization's success or failure.

Neighbourhood activists who demonstrate against the building of "big box" stores would be considered which factor in the specific environment for Wal-Mart or Home Depot?