Organizational Behavior (Stephen Robbins)

(Joyce) #1
OB AT WORK

For Review


1. How can an outsider assess an organization’s culture?


  1. What defines an organization’s subcultures?

  2. Can an employee survive in an organization if he or she rejects its core values? Explain.

  3. What benefits can socialization provide for the organization? For the new employee?

  4. Describe four cultural types and the characteristics of employees who fit best with each.

  5. How can culture be a liability to an organization?

  6. How does Lewin’s three-step model of change deal with resistance to change?

  7. How does Kotter’s eight-step plan for implementing change deal with resistance to change?

  8. What are the factors that lead individuals to resist change?


1 0.What are the factors that lead organizations to resist change?


For Critical Thinking


1. How are an individual’s personality and an organization’s culture similar? How are they different?


  1. Is socialization brainwashing? Explain.

  2. Can you identify a set of characteristics that describes your college’s or university’s culture? Compare them with sev-
    eral of your peers’ lists. How closely do they agree?

  3. “Resistance to change is an irrational response.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.


OB for You


■ Carefully consider the culture of any organization at which you are thinking of being employed. You will feel more
comfortable in cultures that share your values and expectations.


■ When you work in groups on student projects, the groups create mini-cultures of their own. Be aware of the values
and norms that are being supported early on in the group’s life, as these will greatly influence the group’s culture.


■ Be aware that change is a fact of life. If you need to change something in yourself, be aware of the importance of cre-
ating new systems to replace the old. Saying you want to be healthier, without specifying that you intend to go to the
gym three times a week, or eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, means that change likely will not occur. It’s
important to specify goals and behaviours as part of that change.

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