A pressing need in the study of organizations is for more research

Question

A pressing need in the study of organizations is for more research into how an organization's values (an organization's guiding principles and beliefs as perceived by its members) affect managerial decision-making. Traditional theories have been based on a  " rational model, "  which focuses on the decision-maker and either ignores the organizational value climate or conveniently assumes that the organization's values are consistent or clearly prioritized. In reality, however, decisions are shaped not only by a manager's own values, but also by those of the corporate culture and of organizational superiors. A recent study found that managers' most stressful decisions involved "value contention" (conflicts among any of these sets of values). Furthermore, different types of organizational value systems were associated with different frequencies of contending values as well as with different types of managerial response. Explicit corporate values, for example, produced a greater percentage of decisions that were stressful due to value contention. Hidden values (those that an organization practices but does not acknowledge or which a superior furtively pursues in opposition to the values of the organization) produced a lower level of value contention. Although explicit values created more value contention, they were nonetheless more likely to produce flexible, well-reasoned decisions. Conversely, managers perplexed by hidden values reported feeling unable to identify an appropriate range of options.    1 
 1. The passage suggests that which of the following has resulted from the influence of the rational model ( Highlighted )?

(A) It has deflected researchers’ attention from a critical factor affecting managerial decision-making.
(B) It has focused decision-making procedures on managers’ presumed ability to prioritize key corporate values.
(C) It has diverted attention from the need for orientation of nonsupervisory employees to organizational values.
(D) It has hampered communication between academic researchers and mangers of organizations.
(E) It has produced theories that are practicable for analyzing decision-making processes only in relatively large organizations.

2 
 2. The passage identifies which of the following as a way in which hidden corporate values affect managerial decision-making?

(A) They tend to discourage consultation with organizational subordinates and superiors.
(B) They tend to undermine managers’ confidence in their own ability to determine the available alternatives.
(C) They tend to produce a heightened degree of value contention.
(D) They tend to produce a heightened degree of conflict among different levels of the organizational structure.
(E) They tend to cause greater anxiety among managers than do explicit corporate values.

3 
 3. According to the passage, value contention has been shown to affect managers by

(A) decreasing their ability to conform to the values of the organization
(B) decreasing their ability to discern clearly the guiding principles and beliefs of the organization
(C) narrowing their range of options in the decision-making process
(D) increasing the frequency and intensity of conflicts with superiors and subordinates
(E) increasing the level of mental or emotional strain that accompanies the decision-making process

RC Butler 2021  -  Practice Two RC Questions Everyday.   
Passage # 117 Date: 24-Mar-2021
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2021 .  Click here for Details  
Source: GWD

suminha · Accepted Answer

PASSAGE 
 Main Idea  We NEED to study how org’s values  affect  employer’s decisions making.
Org’s values = assumptions by members
There is causality between org’s values and employer’s decision making.

Supporting Idea 
 Common assumption is based on “rational model” and either ignores org’s value or assumes org’s values doesn’t have influence or org’s values are (falsely) prioritized.
Traditional view says an idea opposite to main idea(= org’s value affects, or has influence to, managerial decision making)
Rational model = focusing in decision maker 
Traditional assumption = org’s values are not important(= no effect, no influence), decision-maker(=manager, employer) is more important(= has effect, has influence).

Supporting Idea 
 Author’s voice(challenging traditional view) = Main Idea = traditional view has problem therefore we need fact
Certain (=recent, particular, modern, uncommon) fact says that decision making is shaped(= is affected) not only by manager(= employer)’s own values, but also values of culture(=society, community, group, members) and superiors.
«Not only A, but also B» = «A ≠ B» thus, managers ≠ members and superiors.
Particular(=recent, uncommon) fact(=study): managerial decision making is involved with(= be associated with, affect) “value contention” (= value contention affects to managerial decision making)
Value contention = conflicts between values

Supporting Idea 
 Different types of value systems cause different frequencies of contending values and different types of managerial decision making.
Managerial response = managerial decision making 
Response = reaction, result, outcome, effect, consequence 
Examples of different types of organizational value systems  • Explicit value: produces stress, creates conflict(= value contention), produces well-reasoned, flexible decisions, has options, has agreement.
• Hidden value: has no conflict, produces not well-reasoned, not flexible decision, has no options, has no agreement(= not acknowledge or pursue opposition) 
Acknowledge = agree

QUESTION 1 
 What is the consequence(=result, effect) of rational model? We NEED to study on causality between org’s value and managerial decision-making because traditional theories(=common view, assumption in the past) based on “rational model” focuses (only) on decision-maker, covering up(= deflecting) influence(=cause, factor) of org’s value.

Choice B is a wrong answer because it has not focused on managers’ presumed  ability  to prioritize key corporate values.

QUESTION 2 
 What is the effect of hidden values on managerial decision-making? Options = alternatives
Undermine managers’ confidence = managers perplexed 
Feeling unable to do = undermined in their own ability

QUESTION 3 
 What is the result of value contention? Value contention cause stress to managers
Involved = causal signal 
Increasing the level of mental or emotional strain = Causing stress

honey1 · Answer

in question 3 why option C is wrong 
THANK YOU

bM22 · Answer

Hi  honey1 ,

Consider the lines: "Furthermore, different types of organizational value systems were associated with different frequencies of contending values as well as with different types of managerial response. Explicit corporate values, for example,  produced a greater percentage of decisions that were stressful due to value contention.  Hidden values (those that an organization practices but does not acknowledge or which a superior furtively pursues in opposition to the values of the organization) produced a lower level of value contention. "
and "Conversely,  managers perplexed by hidden values reported feeling unable to identify an appropriate range of options. "
We can infer from the last paragraph that value contention increased the range of option in the decision-making process instead of actually decreasing and that led to increase in the level of mental or emotional strain.

Thus we can that C is clearly incorrect and E is the correct answer.

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

Gaurav2896 · Answer

No offence , but your second answer solution doesn't make much sense.
Undermine managers’ confidence = managers perplexed ? how --> if perplexed we can take that this make mental strain .. so option E can be correct .
Feeling unable to do = undermined in their own ability

Sajjad1994  please help

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. The passage identifies which of the following as a way in which hidden corporate values affect managerial decision-making?

Difficulty Level:   650

Explanation

Following are the lines/text from the passage which are helpful to ascertain the answer to the question.

This is general consideration. What is being belived usually (According to the author)

Traditional theories have been based on a "rational model," which focuses on the decision-maker and either ignores the organizational value climate or conveniently assumes that the organization's values are consistent or clearly prioritized.

However, the author didn't think so and what he or she thinks is given below.

In reality,  however,  decisions are shaped not only by a manager's own values but also by those of the corporate culture and of organizational superiors.

Now below is the text which really matters for the question at hand.

A recent study found that managers' most stressful decisions involved "value contention"

It is saying that the decision involving value contention, the values of the company or/and the values of the managers themselves, are the most stressful for the managers. They have to consider the company's explicit + hidden values and also they cannot ignore what they personally perceive (their own values).

Now read each answer choice one by one.

(A) They tend to discourage consultation with organizational subordinates and superiors.

This option is clearly inducting out of the scope knowledge and hence it is out of the race.

(B) They tend to undermine managers’ confidence in their own ability to determine the available alternatives.

This option is correct according to our above understanding. This option is saying that the managers' confidence get down when they have to decide which to follow between the company's hidden values and their own values.

(C) They tend to produce a heightened degree of value contention.

This is totally unrelated just a piece of text taken from the passage. It has no connection with what we are looking for.

(D) They tend to produce a heightened degree of conflict among different levels of the organizational structure.

This option is again the same as option  (A)  and is out of the context of the question and passage.

(E) They tend to cause greater anxiety among managers   than do explicit corporate values.

This is half right and half wrong answer choice, it starts with something considerable but ends in something out of the context. We know nothing about the explicit corporate values and the passage didn't, at any place, compares the both.

Answer: B

Ayush8765 · Answer

why is the ans of question 1 not b?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

1. The passage suggests that which of the following has resulted from the influence of the rational model (   Highlighted   )?

Explanation

The  “rational model”  is described in the passage as:

Focusing on the decision-maker. 
 Ignoring the organizational value climate or assuming organizational values are consistent/clearly prioritized.

The passage then argues that in reality, decisions are shaped by multiple layers of values (manager’s own, corporate culture, superiors’ values), and value contention among these causes stress.

The question asks:  what has resulted from the influence of the rational model?

That means:  what has the rational model caused in research or practice?

From the passage:  because of the rational model’s assumptions, researchers have not paid enough attention to how organizational values (and conflicts among them) affect decisions.

That matches  (A)  deflected researchers’ attention from a critical factor (the effect of organizational values on decision-making).

(B) “Focused decision-making procedures on managers’ presumed ability to prioritize...”  The rational model assumes values are prioritized, but it didn’t focus procedures on that; it’s a theoretical assumption, not a procedural focus. Also, the passage is about research focus, not managerial procedures.

(C)  Nonsupervisory employees aren’t discussed.

(D)  No mention of hampered communication between researchers and managers.

(E)  No restriction to large organizations.

Correct answer: A

A pressing need in the study of organizations is for more research

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A pressing need in the study of organizations is for more research

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