PASSAGE
Main IdeaQuote:
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.
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 Quote:
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.
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 IdeaQuote:
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).
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 IdeaQuote:
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.
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
Quote:
1. The passage suggests that which of the following has resulted from the influence of the rational model (line 8)?
(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.
What is the consequence(=result, effect) of rational model?
Quote:
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. (Because) 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.
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
Quote:
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.
What is the effect of hidden values on managerial decision-making?
Quote:
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. … Conversely, managers perplexed by hidden values reported feeling unable to identify an appropriate range of options.
Options = alternatives
Undermine managers’ confidence = managers perplexed
Feeling unable to do = undermined in their own ability
QUESTION 3
Quote:
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
What is the result of value contention?
Quote:
A recent study found that managers' most stressful decisions involved "value contention" (conflicts among any of these sets of values).
Value contention cause stress to managers
Involved = causal signal
Increasing the level of mental or emotional strain = Causing stress
close
Updated on: 14 Mar 2021, 00:23
60%
(03:05) wrong 
45%
(medium)
