Culture Self-Assessment Practice
Sample Basic Quantitative Question Set
This quantitative question set may be used to assess a broader rendering of the current organization culture using scaled, objective, responses for each question, or may be modified to offer the opportunity for comments.
Questions are intended for the anonymous collection of data through employee interviews and focus groups, and responses are then shared in real-time with participants through the use of collaborative data collection and sharing tools such as OptionPower Virtual Base Station Moderator Tool from Option Technologies, or similar. This allows opportunity for facilitators to probe further as needed and is a critical component of the Culture Self-Assessment Practice Process Design.
Additional sample question sets include qualitative examples that can be used for in-depth assessment of topics or for probing about environmental risk and data security.
These materials are made available under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) for noncommercial use with attribution and no derivatives. If your organization adds to or changes these materials in any way, please distinguish clearly between these materials and those developed internally.
Sample Basic Quantitative Question Set
View the Question Set as a PDF
Q1. How many years have you worked at your current company/firm/organization?
Q2. In what locations have you worked at your current company/firm/organization?
Q3. In what functions have you worked at your current company/firm/organization?
Rate answers on a scale of 1—not at all to 7—to a great degree.
Q4. To what extent does your current company/firm/organization have a single culture?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q5. To what extent are the company’s/firm’s/organization’s key values put into practice?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) Policies are posted/articulated.
b) Policies are largely ignored.
c) Company/firm/organization fully practices articulated key values.
Q6. In relation to company/firm/organization values, to what extent does the company/firm/organization explicitly... (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) talk about their values?
b) reinforce their values?
Q7. Are methods used to communicate/reinforce the company/firm/organization ethical values effective? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) The methods used to communicate the company/firm/organization ethical values are effective?
b) The methods used to reinforce the company/firm/organization ethical values are effective?
Q8. For a minor transgression, if someone violates the ethical norms of the culture...
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) the behavior is noted.
b) the behavior is quickly forgotten.
c) prospects at the company become limited.
Q9. For a major transgression, if someone violates the ethical norms of the culture...
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) the behavior is noted.
b) the behavior is quickly forgotten.
c) prospects at the company become limited.
Q10. To what degree is there a free flow of information throughout the company/firm/organization? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q11. To what extent are people protected when they bring ethically troubling information to supervisors? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q12. To what extent do people feel their superiors are willingly open to hearing ethically troubling information? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q13. To what degree do people believe their superiors will act on information about reported ethical violations? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q14. Historically, when taking a business risk, to what extent within the company/firm/organization is it permissible to make an honest mistake with total forgiveness?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q15. Looking forward, when taking a business risk, to what extent within the company/firm/organization is it permissible to make an honest mistake with total forgiveness (if not repeated)? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q16. When thinking about dialogue with colleagues/peers to what extent is:
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) healthy disagreement frowned upon?
b) openness/healthy disagreement rewarded?
Q17. To what extent is healthy disagreement with superiors encouraged/rewarded?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q18. To what extent are formal internal communications marked by full disclosure?
(1-Not at all. Communications are opaque to 7- To a great degree. Transparency/candor are the norm.)
Q19. Relative to insisting on doing “the right thing” to what extent is loyalty/being a “team player” valued? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q20. Relative to insisting on doing “the right thing” to what extent is integrity valued?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q21. To what extent is there pressure to “make one’s numbers”?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q22. To what extent is there pressure to “cut corners” in order to make one’s numbers?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q23. To what extent are company/firm/organization's employees held accountable for meeting their financial goals? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q24. To what extent are all company/firm/organization employees held fully accountable for meeting commitments they make to fellow employees? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q25. To what extent are all company/firm/organization employees held fully accountable for meeting commitments they make to external parties? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q26. To what extent are all company/firm/organization employees held fully accountable for their behavior towards others? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q27. To what degree do company/firm/organization managers approach difficult decisions with possible ethical/legal ramifications with a “do whatever if it is technically legal” approach?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q28. To what degree do company/firm/organization managers approach difficult decisions with possible ethical/legal ramifications with a “do only what we should do” approach?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q29. To what extent are the company's/firm's/organization's executives...
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) visible to the entire company.
b) known throughout the organization.
c) make their expectations known.
Q30. To what extent do employees/managers at your level feel they have access to top management? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q31. To what extent are managers at your level seen as living/modeling company/firm/organization values? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q32. To what extent are company/firm/organization executives seen as living/modeling the company’s values? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q33. To what extent do employees/managers at your level feel they have access to the board?
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q34. To what extent are the board perceived as being actively concerned with the company’s/firm's/organization's ethics? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q35. To what extent is senior management perceived as being actively concerned with the company’s/firm's/organization's ethics? (1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
Q36. With employees to what extent does the company/firm/organization encourage...
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) fairness towards employees.
b) candor with employees.
c) showing respect for employees.
Q37. With customers, to what extent does the company/firm/organization encourage...
(1–Not at all to 7–To a great degree)
a) fairness towards customers.
b) candor with customers.
c) showing respect for customers.
Q38. To what extent is the company code a guide for actual ethical behavior in the organization? (1-Not at all confident to 7-Fully Confident)
Q39. Are you familiar with the company's/firms/organization's Code of Ethics?
a) Have not heard about it.
b) Have heard about it but have not seen or read it.
c) Have glanced at it.
d) Have read it.
Q40. To what extent are you confident that the company/firm/organization has...
(1-Not at all confident to 7-Fully Confident)
a) adequate security controls in place that protect its databases from outside hacking?
b) adequate security controls in place that protect its databases from inappropriate sharing by employees with outside parties?
c) adequate ethical and legal compliance procedures?
Q41. To what extent do we (1—Not at all to 7— To a great degree)
a) articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unit?
b) encourage full acceptance of these responsibilities?