Chp 16- OB – Flashcards

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question
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?
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low risk taking
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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?
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high outcome orientation
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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?
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people orientation
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Stability is one of the seven primary characteristics that capture the essence of an organization's culture. It indicates the degree to which ________.
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organizational activities emphasize maintaining the status quo in contrast to growth
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The key characteristic of organizational culture that addresses the degree to which people are competitive rather than easygoing is termed ________.
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aggressiveness
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Which of the following statements best describes the difference between organizational culture and job satisfaction?
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Organizational culture is descriptive, whereas job satisfaction is evaluative.
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Porco Rosso, 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?
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There is a striking difference in the organizational cultures of the two firms.
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Which of the following statements is true regarding an organization's culture?
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A dominant culture expresses the core values shared by a majority of the organization's members.
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Cultures 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 ________.
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subcultures
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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?
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Jean's department has developed a subculture.
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________ are indicators of a strong organizational culture.
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Widely shared values
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The primary or dominant values that are accepted throughout the organization are known as ________.
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core values
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Which of the following is most likely to result from a strong organizational culture?
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low employee turnover
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A strong culture should reduce employee turnover because it results in ________.
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cohesiveness and organizational commitment
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A strong culture can act as a substitute for which of the following?
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formalization
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A culture that expresses the core values that are shared by a majority of the organization's members is known as a(n) ________ culture.
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dominant
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Rogue Vogue Corp. is an apparel company. To keep up with the latest changes in the fashion industry, the company has to come up with innovative designs and follow strict timelines. The culture of the company values aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking. The members of the organization accept these cultural values. They know exactly what is expected of them, and these expectations go a long way in shaping their behavior. In addition to this, the culture of the marketing department is outcome oriented and the finance department emphasizes attention to detail. The organizational culture of Rogue Vogue Corp. is an example of a(n) ________.
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dominant culture
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Aggressiveness, innovation, and risk taking are called the ________ of the culture at the Rogue Vogue Corp.
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core values
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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.
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subculture
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Based on the information in the scenario, we can say that Rogue Vogue ________.
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has a strong culture
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Which of the following statements is true regarding the functions of culture in an organization?
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It conveys a sense of identity for organization members.
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When formal authority and control systems are reduced, the ________ provided by a strong culture ensure(s) that everyone is pointed in the same direction.
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shared meaning
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In ________ organizations, the lack of frequent face-to-face contact makes establishing a common set of norms very difficult.
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virtual
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Which of the following statements is true regarding the establishment of the organizational culture and its effects on the organization?
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Culture acts as a control mechanism and guides the behavior of employees.
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________ refers to the shared perceptions organizational members have about their organization and work environment.
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Organizational climate
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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 ________.
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organizational climate
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A(n) ________ organization is an organization that takes on a life of its own, apart from its founders or members; it is valued for itself and not for the goods or services it produces.
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institutionalized
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Culture is most likely to be a liability when ________.
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the organization's environment is dynamic
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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?
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Polonova has a strong sense of personal ambition and independence.
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The ultimate source of an organization's culture is ________.
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its founders
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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.
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selection
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Which of the following is not one of the five most prevalent climate categories making up the ethical dimensions of organization culture?
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dependence
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The selection process helps sustain the organization's culture by ________.
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hiring candidates who fit well within the organization
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Top management has a major impact on the organization's culture by ________.
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establishing norms that filter down through the organization
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________ is a process that helps new employees adapt to the prevailing organizational culture.
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Socialization
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The process of socialization consists of three stages. Which of the following is one of these three stages?
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metamorphosis
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Identify the correct order of stages in the socialization process.
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prearrival, encounter, metamorphosis
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The ________ stage of the socialization process explicitly recognizes that each individual the organization comes across during the selection process has a set of values, attitudes, and expectations about both the work to be done and the organization.
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prearrival
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During the ________ stage, a new employee compares his or her expectations with the realities in the organization.
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encounter
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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.
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encounter
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Higgins has recently joined a new law firm expecting to participate in exciting environmental law cases and cutting-edge research. After one month at the firm, he still hasn't been assigned a case and spends most of his time filing standardized appeals for title disputes with insurance companies. In which stage of the socialization process is Higgins?
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encounter
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During the socialization process, to work out any problems discovered during the encounter stage, the new member changes or goes through the ________ stage.
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metamorphosis
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Which of the following statements is true regarding random socialization?
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In random socialization, new employees are left on their own to figure things out.
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Which of the following types of socialization involves putting the new employee directly into the job, with little or no special attention?
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informal socialization
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________ socialization assumes that the newcomer's qualities and qualifications are the necessary ingredients for job success, so these qualities and qualifications are confirmed and supported.
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Investiture
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Which of the following statements is true about formal socialization?
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Specific orientation and training programs are examples of formal socialization.
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_____ socialization tries to strip away certain characteristics of the recruit.
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Divestiture
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Apprenticeship is an example of ________ socialization.
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serial
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By the end of the ________ stage of socialization, the new members internalize and accept the norms of the organization and their work group, are confident in their competence, and feel trusted and valued by their peers.
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metamorphosis
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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. The information that you receive during the interviewing and hiring process is a part of the ________ stage of employee socialization.
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prearrival
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Your first day at work is a part of the ________ stage of socialization.
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encounter
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When you begin to notice things that are not as you expected, you are in the ________ stage of socialization.
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encounter
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Which of the following steps could your supervisor take to best help you develop a commitment to your new company?
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encourage you to develop friendship ties within the organization
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When you start to accept the differences between your expectations and the reality of the organization, you move into the ________ stage of socialization.
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metamorphosis
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Your supervisor provides you a mentor to help you with your work and guide you. This shows that your supervisor is using a(n) ________ socialization technique
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serial
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________ typically contain narratives about the organization's founders, rule breaking, and reactions to past mistakes.
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stories
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Bruce is new at Wayne Corp., but after a week he already knows that the founder of the corporation started the business in his garage with only $4,000 and one client. This information was most likely transmitted to Bruce by way of ________.
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stories
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Company chants are examples of ________.
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rituals
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Company chants are used to ________.
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transmit company culture to employees
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Which of the following can act as a common denominator to unite members of a given culture or subculture?
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jargons and acronyms that are specific to the organization
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Alcoa headquarters has few individual offices, even for senior executives. The space is essentially made up of cubicles, common areas, and meeting rooms. This informality conveys to employees that Alcoa values ________.
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equality
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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?
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stories
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The regular distribution of lollipops, toys, or treats every Friday is an example of a ________ that helps reinforce Ask Socrates' culture.
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ritual
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Ask Socrates Inc. employees are allowed to dress informally. This is an example of a ________ through which organizational culture is transmitted.
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material symbol
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An organizational culture most likely to shape high ethical standards among its members is one that ________.
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balances the rights of multiple stakeholders
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In which of the following climates do managers operate under the expectation that their decisions will positively affect the greatest number of stakeholders?
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caring
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Pam works for a corporation that recently fired three top managers who were caught using the company credit cards to lavishly furnish their offices and even purchase "office" furniture that was found in their personal homes. Which method of maintaining an ethical culture is Pam's company pursuing?
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visibly punish unethical acts
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A positive organizational culture emphasizes ________.
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individual vitality and growth
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Larry has an employee who is amazing at clearly seeing rules and enforcing them. He has recently promoted her to the lead position in quality assurance. Which method of creating a positive organizational culture is Larry utilizing?
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building on employee strengths
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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?
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rewarding more than punishing
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Liz is the lead editor for a small, city newspaper. One of her advertising sales representatives is pulling in a lot of restaurant clients. Liz realizes that the representative is quite knowledgeable about food and speaks quite elegantly when describing different dishes. She has begun discussing with the representative the possibility of collaborating with a writer to include a weekly restaurant review that includes the representative on the byline. After the first couple of reviews, the representative is able to increase ad sizes and sales. He is very happy with his new job diversification. Which aspect of creating a positive organizational culture is Liz utilizing?
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emphasizing individual vitality and growth
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Organizations that promote a spiritual culture ________.
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recognize that people seek to find meaning and purpose in their work
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Which of the following terms refers to the recognition that people have an inner life that nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work that takes place in the context of community?
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workplace spirituality
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How can U.S. managers be culturally sensitive?
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by listening more
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Art-Is-Us claims to be a spiritual organization. Company employees are encouraged to show kindness toward others. Employees are treated with esteem and value and supported for their creativity and flexibility. While the organization values profits, its purpose is to spread the pleasure of art to as many people as possible. Which of the following is not one of the cultural characteristics commonly found in spiritual organizations?
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competitiveness
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Which of the following statements is true regarding effects of national culture on organizational culture and ethical behavior within organization?
answer
Generally, U.S. managers see bribery, nepotism, and favoring personal contacts as highly unethical.
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