ASA in the "ASA framework," a process that can help keep culture of the organization strong, stands for
- anticipation-socialization-articulation.
- attraction-selection-attrition.
- attrition-selection-attraction.
- attribution-submission-anticipation.
- assertion-supplementation-apprehension.
ASA stands for attraction-selection-attrition. The ASA framework holds that potential employees will be attracted to organizations whose cultures match their own personality, meaning that some potential job applicants will not apply due to a perceived lack of fit.
ASA Framework: A theory (attraction–selection–attrition) that states that employees will be drawn to organizations with cultures that match their personality, organizations will select employees that match, and employees will leave or be forced out when they are not a good fit.
Attraction and selection processes do not always align employees' personalities with organizational culture.
Attraction and selection processes do not always align employees' personalities with organizational culture-one reason voluntary and involuntary turnover occurs in every organization.
Organizational Culture: The shared social knowledge within an organization regarding the rules, norms, and values that shape the attitudes and behaviors of its employees.
As a college senior, Mason researched many companies before deciding on those he wanted to apply to. He searched particularly for those where the company's values were in agreement with his personal values, and he didn't apply to those where they weren't. Recruiters for the companies he did apply to recommended hiring him partly because they saw Mason's values as a good fit with the company's values. When he made his selection, Mason was sure he would enjoy working for the company because it seemed like a perfect fit for him. Mason's job search reflects the attraction-selection-attrition framework.
Mason's job search reflects the attraction-selection-attrition framework.
Values: Things that people consciously or unconsciously want to seek or attain.
Which of the following hold(s) that potential employees will be attracted to organizations whose cultures match their own personality, organizations will weed out the potential misfits, and the remaining misfits will leave due to being unhappy or ineffective?
- reality shock
- creativity culture
- weak socialization
- the encounter stage
- the ASA framework
The ASA (attraction-selection-attrition) framework holds that potential employees will be attracted to organizations whose cultures match their own personality, meaning that some potential job applicants will not apply due to a perceived lack of fit.
ASA Framework: A theory (attraction–selection–attrition) that states that employees will be drawn to organizations with cultures that match their personality, organizations will select employees that match, and employees will leave or be forced out when they are not a good fit.
Which of the following is an example of the anticipatory stage of socialization?
- Participating in Friday afternoon karaoke sessions at BuzzwebNews cures Max of his fear of singing in public.
- After three months at Al's Auto Repair, Benjamin is no longer confused by the technical jargon his co-workers use.
- On her first day at Cakewalk Corporation, Jezebel is introduced to her new co-workers, and they take her out to lunch.
- During orientation training at Green Grocery Goods, Simone asks her fellow new hires about where they used to work.
- Miranda is unhappy at her current job and asks her friend Saul about the culture at Streaming Music Solutions, where he works.
The anticipatory stage of socialization happens prior to an employee spending even one second on the job. It starts the moment a potential employee hears the name of the organization.
Anticipatory Stage: A stage of socialization that begins as soon as a potential employee develops an image of what it would be like to work for a company.
The values of the marketing department culture at Clean Toothpaste Manufacturing, Inc., do not match with those of the overall organization, and the department consistently challenges the values of Clean Toothpaste and lobbies for change. The marketing department's culture can be described as a(n)
- counterculture.
- diverse culture.
- fragmented culture.
- individualized culture.
- customer service culture.
When their values do not match those of the larger organization, we call subcultures countercultures. Countercultures can sometimes serve a useful purpose by challenging the values of the overall organization or signifying the need for change.
Countercultures: When a subculture’s values do not match those of the organization.
Which of the following organizations has a strong culture?
- Blue Blood Investments, whose youthful sales team clashes with upper management over the best way to implement new product rollouts
- Global Package Delivery Systems, whose drivers dress the same, drive the same types of trucks, follow the most efficient routes, and rarely deviate from established delivery protocols
- Sandi's Sunglass Shack, whose retail clerks purposefully receive little training and are hired based on their personality and ability to come up with creative ways of selling the company's products
- Healthy Heart Snacks, whose purchasing department is predominantly vegan and frequently pushes to eliminate animal products from the company's catalog even though they are the best sellers
- Action Video Cameras, whose product development team is led by Vance, a well-known adventurer and maverick designer who sets up a satellite office for his team three miles from the main campus
A high level of culture strength exists when employees definitely agree about the way things are supposed to happen within the organization (high consensus) and when their subsequent behaviors are consistent with those expectations (high intensity). A strong culture serves to unite and direct employees.
Culture: The shared values, beliefs, motives, identities, and interpretations that result from common experiences of members of a society and are transmitted across generations.
Strong cultures are always good cultures as they guide their employees toward the most successful organizational outcomes.
"Strong" cultures are not always "good" cultures. Strong cultures guide employee attitudes and behaviors, but that does not always mean that they guide them toward the most successful organizational outcomes.
Culture: The shared values, beliefs, motives, identities, and interpretations that result from common experiences of members of a society and are transmitted across generations.
Which of the following is a disadvantage of a strong culture?
- It differentiates the organization from others.
- It allows employees to identify themselves in the organization.
- It attracts and retains similar kinds of employees.
- It creates stability within the organization.
- It facilitates the desired behaviors among employees.
One disadvantage of a strong culture is that it attracts and retains similar kinds of employees, thereby limiting diversity of thought.
Culture Strength: The degree to which employees agree about how things should happen within the organization and behave accordingly.
Robin, a former sales manager, has been out of the workforce for more than a decade and is thrilled when she lands a job at Yoyodyne Technology Systems. For her first day at work, she dresses in a conservative business suit and digs her old briefcase out of the closet. When she arrives at the office, she is shocked to see people dressed in jeans and sweatshirts, with some not even wearing shoes. Instead of working in a cubicle as she had for years, she is seated at a long, open table with numerous other employees where everyone wears headphones as they work. She finds that she has trouble keeping up with department communications because she still relies on e-mail instead of inter-office social networks. The casual office atmosphere is distracting and the level of familiarity her co-workers demonstrate with each other is foreign to her. After a few weeks, Robin gives her notice because she realizes she will never fit in at such an organization. This situation is indicative of
- bullying.
- a weak culture.
- a strong culture.
- a counterculture.
- a lack of self-confidence.
This story reflects an exceptionally strong culture at Yoyodyne. A strong culture makes adapting to the work environment more difficult.
Safety Culture: A specific culture type focused on the safety of employees.
Which of the following is an advantage of a strong culture?
- It makes merging with another organization more simple.
- It allows employees to identify themselves with the organization.
- It can be "too much of a good thing" if it creates extreme behaviors.
- It makes adapting to the environment less difficult.
- It attracts and retains similar kinds of employees.
One of the main advantages of strong culture is that it allows employees to identify with the organization.
Culture Strength: The degree to which employees agree about how things should happen within the organization and behave accordingly.
Eco-Adventure Gear is a well-respected apparel company. For over 50 years it has produced high-quality, durable products at a relatively high price point. Customers are willing to pay a premium for its wares because of the company's commitment to quality and its history of providing effective customer service. The company's headquarters are located at the base of a mountain range, and once a month the CEO closes the office for two days and leads the staff on a rock climbing trip. Since the company attracts outdoorsy types, nearly all the employees join in on these voluntary trips. Employees are proud to say they work at Eco-Adventure and rarely quit. Eco-Adventure Gear is demonstrating the advantages associated with which type of culture?
- weak
- ritual
- strong
- physical
- observable
Benefits of a strong culture include: the differentiation of the organization from others, the ability of employees to identify themselves with the organization, and the creation of organizational stability.
Storming: The second stage of team development, during which conflict occurs due to members’ ongoing commitment to ideas they bring with them to the team.
Which of the following statements about organizational culture is True?
- In a high consensus culture, employees disagree about the way things are supposed to happen.
- In a high intensity culture, employees' behaviors are inconsistent with expectations.
- Subcultures are less likely to exist in large organizations than in small firms.
- Strong cultures are not always good for the organization.
- Countercultures reinforce the values of an organization.
Strong cultures are not always "good" cultures. Strong cultures guide employee attitudes and behaviors, but that doesn't always mean that they guide them toward the most successful organizational outcomes.
Organizational Culture: The shared social knowledge within an organization regarding the rules, norms, and values that shape the attitudes and behaviors of its employees.