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Organizational Culture The set of shared, taken-for-granted implicit assumptions that a
group holds and that determines how it perceives, thinks about, and reacts to its various
environments
The values shared by associates in an organization
What it's like to be a member of this organization
"The extent to which you like to come into work"
Strong culture = everyone has shared feelings/consistency
Weak culture = Peoples' feelings are all over the place or negative
Primary functions of culture 1. give members an organizational identity (sense of
belonging, how to behave, how to treat others)
2. Facilitate collective commitment (shared purpose, objectives, goal-based behavior)
, Larry Inks BUSMHR 3200 Exam 3
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3. Promote social system stability (systems/processes for dealing with change, managing
conflict)
4. Promote understanding of the organization (shapes behavior and allows everyone to have a
"clean line of sight" between what they do and business goals/success)
Values and culture Values are a fundamental part of culture
values drive attributes, attributes drive behavior
values change slowly unless something dramatic happens within the organization
five primary characteristics of values 1. broad concepts or beliefs
2. relate to the desirable end-states, behaviors, situations
, Larry Inks BUSMHR 3200 Exam 3
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3. apply across most/all situations
4. influence attitudes and behaviors
5. can be ordered by relative importance
Espoused values the values that the organization states that it believes (usually in their
mission statement or presentations)
the "desired"
Enacted values the values that the organization members perceive to be valued by the
organization
the "reality"
, Larry Inks BUSMHR 3200 Exam 3
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Espoused vs. Enacted Values The greater the difference, the greater likelihood that there is
dissatisfaction, cultural problems, etc
Big difference = big problems
Organizations and leaders need to "walk the walk" not just "talk the talk"
"the perfect fit" is when what they say = what they do = what I see
Assessing culture trying to see how well an organization is doing based off their culture
used a lot with staffing to test if an individual would fit in with the culture
Good cultural fit Higher internal commitment to the organization
Lower absenteeism/turnover