Exam 16: Organizational Culture

The process of socialization consists of three stages. Which of the following is one of these three stages?

Explain the concept of organizational climate.

The primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization are known as ________.

Culture is most likely to be a liability when ________.

You are new to an organization and do not really know what to expect about the socialization process. You recently received your MBA and have an undergraduate degree in computer science. Your new firm is a software development company with an emphasis in the healthcare industry. Your hiring process included campus interviews, a daylong trip for an interview at the company, an offer phone call and letter, and some promotional material sent via the mail. When you arrive for your first day at work, you spend half a day in an orientation session that is conducted by the human resources department, where you complete paperwork and receive a company handbook. Then you spend the rest of the day with your supervisor, who gives you a tour, introduces you to your co-workers, and explains your first project. After that, you begin working and getting to know the others in the company. You find that in most respects, your experience fits your expectations, but in some ways you are surprised by realities that you hadn't expected. None of these surprises is too difficult to accept, so you eventually begin to feel at home and happy with your new job. -When you begin to notice things that are not as you expected, you are in the ________ stage of socialization.

If there is a basic conflict between the individual's expectations and the reality of working in an organization, the employee is most likely to be disillusioned and quit during the ________ stage of socialization.

Company chants are used to ________.

When Mary joins Wayne Enterprises, she is made to sign an agreement including the "non-compete clause" (an agreement where the employee promises not to work for a competing firm for a set period after leaving his or her current employer), as a condition of her employment. Though courts nowadays are increasingly ruling that these agreements are not binding, most competitor firms are unwilling to consider hiring Mary during the period covered by the agreement. Which of the following, if true, explains this situation?

Explain the primary methods of maintaining an organization's culture.

Which of the following statements is true regarding the functions of culture in an organization?

A culture that expresses the core values that are shared by a majority of the organization's members is known as a(n) ________ culture.

Ask Socrates Inc. is a computer software company that employs highly intelligent, but somewhat unusual people. Every Friday, free lollipops, toys, or other treats are given out to encourage employees to remember how creative they were when they were children. All the new members of the organization are told about the founders who were three young people who "got lucky" and sold a video game that they invented. The employees are allowed to dress informally and can set their own working hours. -Which of the following is most likely to be used by Ask Socrates Inc. to inform its new employees about its founders?

Formal socialization involves putting the new employee directly into the job, with little or no special attention.

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.

The key characteristic of organizational culture that addresses the degree to which people are competitive rather than easygoing is termed ________.

Explain the characteristics of a positive organizational culture.

How does organizational culture develop?

Company chants are examples of ________.

Which of the following steps could your supervisor take to best help you develop a commitment to your new company?

Patricia is a team leader. When looking at an e-mail from one of her team members, Patricia noticed that the e-mail was sent at nine-thirty in the evening. The next day she personally went to the employee's cubicle and told him how much she appreciated him staying late to get the project to the client on time. Which aspect of creating a positive organizational culture is Patricia utilizing?