Context:

In an organization, culture serves four basic functions.

First, culture provides a sense of identity to members and increases their commitment to the organization. When employees internalize the values of the company, they find their work intrinsically rewarding and identify with their fellow workers. As a result, motivation is enhanced, and employees are more committed.

Second, culture provides a way for employees to interpret the meaning of organizational events. Leaders can use organizational symbols such as corporate logos to help employees understand the changing nature of their organizational identity. Sometimes symbols should remain the same to ensure that some things stay constant despite changing conditions. Other times symbols may have to change to reflect the new culture in the organization.

Third, culture reinforces the values of the organization.

And, fourth, culture serves as a control mechanism for shaping behavior. Norms that guide behavior are part of culture. Thus, if the norm the company wants to promote is teamwork, then its culture must reinforce that norm. The companys culture must be characterized by open communication, cooperation between teams, and integration of teams. Some norms involve how to show emotion in acceptable or preferred ways. Firefighters, for example, engage in extremely dangerous work. They often have to suppress their emotions and they experience high levels of work-family conflict. When the fire stations where they work have cultures that are jovial and loving, firefighters take fewer unnecessary risks and cope better with their jobs.

Question

One of Starbucks core values is respect for others. The Starbucks mission statement says that employees will live the value of Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity and respect. In fact, after an incident in which police were called to escort African Americans out of a Starbucks coffee shop, Starbucks closed down all of their company-owned stores for a training session about racial bias. As a result, employees were expected to show more respect to all of the people in a Starbucks store, whether or not they were customers. This is an example of which of the following functions of culture?

a) Culture provides a sense of identity to members.

b) Culture serves as a control mechanism for shaping behavior.

c) Culture provides a way for employees to interpret the meaning of organizational events.

Note: MC Question. Only one answer is correct.