Organizational Behavior and Culture Quiz

• Organizational Behavior (HUR 212) is a course with various topics covered, including the stages in the socialization process, socialization program options, and how employees learn culture, among others.
• Stages in the Socialization Process:
  • Prearrival: The period of learning prior to a new employee joining the organization.
  • Encounter: When the new employee sees what the organization is really like and confronts the possibility that expectations and reality may diverge.
  • Metamorphosis: When the new employee changes and adjusts to the work, work group, and organization.
• Socialization Program Options:
  • Choose the appropriate alternatives:
    • Formal versus informal: The degree to which the organization plans, organizes, and controls the socialization process.
    • Individual versus collective: Whether the process is geared towards the individual or the group.
    • Fixed versus variable: The extent to which the socialization process is consistent across employees or varies based on job and individual.
    • Serial versus random: Whether new employees are socialized sequentially or randomly.
    • Investiture versus divestiture: The degree to which the organization gives new employees power and authority versus taking it away.
• How Employees Learn Culture:
  • Stories: Narratives and legends that convey the history, beliefs, and values of the organization.
  • Language: The use of specialized terminology and jargon to indicate membership in the organization.
  • Material symbols: Physical objects that represent the organization's culture.
  • Rituals: Repetitive sequences of activities that express the key values of the organization.
  • Jargon and special ways of expressing oneself: Unique language and communication styles used by members of the organization.
• Creating an Ethical Organizational Culture:
  • Characteristics of Organizations that Develop High Ethical Standards:
    • High tolerance for risk.
    • Low to moderate in aggressiveness.
    • Focus on means as well as outcomes.
    • High commitment to ethical behavior.
  • Managerial Practices Promoting an Ethical Culture:
    • Being a visible role model.
    • Communicating ethical expectations.
    • Providing ethical training.
    • Rewarding ethical acts and punishing unethical ones.
    • Providing protective mechanisms.
• Creating a Positive Organizational Culture:
  • A culture that:
    • Builds on employee strengths.
    • Focuses on discovering, sharing, and building on the strengths of individual employees.
    • Rewards more than it punishes.
    • Emphasizes individual vitality and growth.
    • Encourages learning, growth, and development.
  • Limits of Positive Culture:
    • May not work for all organizations or everyone within them.
    • May not be effective in organizations or for employees who do not value or fit the culture.

Test your knowledge of organizational behavior and culture with this quiz. Explore topics such as institutionalization, barriers to diversity, and the impact of culture on organizational change.