Mngt exam 3 final
Errors that are corrected by modifying the organization's objectives, policies, and standard routines are part of ________. A) single-loop learning B) double-loop learning C) process reengineering D) the continuous improvement process E) tertiary continuance
Answer: B Explanation: Learning organizations that use double-loop learning correct errors by modifying objectives, policies, and standard routines. Double-loop learning challenges deeply rooted assumptions and norms. It provides opportunities for radically different solutions to problems and dramatic jumps in improvement.
________ involves correcting errors using past routines and present policies. A) Process reengineering B) Single-loop learning C) Double-loop learning D) Continuous improvement process E) Organizational reaction
Answer: B Explanation: Most organizations engage in single-loop learning. When they detect errors, their correction process relies on past routines and present policies.
1) Which of the following is not a primary force for change in organizations? A) technology B) economic shocks C) decreasing skill sets D) social trends E) the nature of the workforce
Answer: C Explanation: The six primary forces of change are the nature of the workforce, technology, economic shocks, competition, social trends, and world politics. Decreasing skill sets are not considered a primary force for change in organizations.
If individuals resisting change are included in making change decisions in an attempt to gain their support, this approach is called ________. A) cooptation B) exploitation C) manipulation D) coercion E) education
Answer: A Explanation: Cooptation, on the other hand, combines manipulation and participation. It seeks to "buy off" the leaders of a resistance group by giving them a key role, seeking their advice not to find a better solution but to get their endorsement.
6) ________ are persons who act as catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing change activities. A) Planned changes B) Accidental changes C) Economic shocks D) Change agents E) Social trends
Answer: D Explanation: Change agents are responsible for managing change activities in an organization. They see a future for the organization that others have not identified, and they are able to motivate, invent, and implement this vision. Change agents can be managers or nonmanagers, current or new employees, or outside consultants.
The application of direct threats or force upon resisters is called ________. A) exploitation B) cooptation C) manipulation D) coercion E) destruction
Answer: D Explanation: Coercion is the application of direct threats or force on the resisters. If management really is determined to close a manufacturing plant whose employees don't acquiesce to a pay cut, the company is using coercion. Other examples are threats of transfer, loss of promotions, negative performance evaluations, and a poor letter of recommendation.
The most potent means of transmitting culture to employees are stories, rituals, related symbols, and language.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Culture is transmitted to employees in a number of forms, the most potent being stories, rituals, material symbols, and language.
A strong company that encourages pushing the limits can be a powerful force in shaping unethical behavior.
Answer: TRUE Explanation: The organizational culture most likely to shape high ethical standards among its members is one that's high in risk tolerance, low to moderate in aggressiveness, and focused on means as well as outcomes. On the other hand, a strong culture that encourages pushing the limits can be a powerful force in shaping unethical behavior.
Which of the following is not a method managers use to foster a learning organization? A) Establish a strategy. B) Redesign the organization's structure. C) Increase departmental boundaries. D) Reshape the organization's culture. E) Encourage functional conflict.
Answer: C Explanation: To make their firms learning organizations managers should: establish a strategy, redesign the organization's structure, reshape the organization's culture by flattening the structure, eliminating or combining departments, and increasing the use of cross-functional teams, reinforces interdependence and reduces boundaries.
Alex has a new idea for a way to cut costs in his department, but he is not willing to share his idea with his boss because the last department head that tried new cost cutting methods was recently fired. Based on the example, how can Alex's company improve the culture to create innovation? A) flatten the management structure in the organization B) reward both successes and failures organizationally C) increase the resources in Alex's department D) encourage communication between various departments E) promote tenured management in Alex's department
Answer: B Explanation: Innovative organizations tend to have similar cultures. They encourage experimentation. People will suggest and try new ideas only when they feel such behaviors exact no penalties. Managers in innovative organizations recognize that failures are a natural by-product of venturing into the unknown.
Which tactic for overcoming resistance to change basically assumes that the source of resistance lies in misinformation? A) training and development B) facilitation and support C) education and communication D) teaching and advancement E) cooptation and manipulation
Answer: C Explanation: Communicating the logic of a change can reduce employee resistance on two levels. First, it fights the effects of misinformation and poor communication: If employees receive the full facts and clear up misunderstandings, resistance should subside. Second, communication can help "sell" the need for change by packaging it properly.
10) An example of a source of individual resistance to change is ________. A) inertia B) structural inertia C) a habit D) threat to expertise E) a policy conflict
Answer: C Explanation: Individual sources of resistance to change are habit, security, economic factors, fear of the unknown, and selective information processing.
Darg's team just had a research breakthrough. They'll need several more thousands of dollars to complete the project, but today Darg has called a series of meetings in which he's promoting the significance of the new discovery, explaining the economic benefits that will result from the final project, and answering questions. Darg is a(n) ________ within his company. A) change agent B) restraining force C) manipulator D) idea champion E) stress creator
Answer: D Explanation: Darg is an idea champion. Idea champions are individuals who take an innovation and actively and enthusiastically promote the idea, build support, overcome resistance, and ensure that the idea is implemented.
Which of the following is not a source of individual resistance to change? A) habit B) security C) fear of the unknown D) inertia E) economic factors Answer: D
Answer: D Explanation: Inertia is an organizational source. Organizational sources of resistance to change are structural inertia, processes and formalized regulations, limited focus of change, group inertia, threat to expertise, and threat to established power relationships
Change activities that are ________ and goal oriented are termed planned change. A) intentional B) discretionary C) random D) reflexive E) restorative
Answer: A Explanation: Change is the act of making things different in an organization. Planned change refers to activities that are intentional and goal oriented, compared to accidental change which refers to activities that just happen.
An example of change in competition is ________. A) U.S. manufactured Toyota vehicles B) collapse of Enron Corporation C) Iraq-U.S. war D) increased interest in urban living E) a decrease in interest rates
Answer: A Explanation: Competitors are as likely to come from across the ocean as from across town. Successful organizations will be fast on their feet, capable of developing new products rapidly and getting them to market quickly. They'll be flexible and will require an equally flexible and responsive workforce.
Who built upon the three-step model to create a more detailed approach for implementing change? A) John Kotter B) David McClelland C) Douglas Surber D) Lawrence Summers E) Kurt Lewin
Answer: A Explanation: John Kotter of the Harvard Business School built on Lewin's three-step model to create a more detailed approach for implementing change. Kotter began by listing common mistakes managers make when trying to initiate change. Kotter then established eight sequential steps to overcome these problems.
Which of the following is not a reason why organic structures promote innovation? A) high formalization B) low vertical differentiation C) high flexibility D) low centralization E) cross-fertilization
Answer: A Explanation: Organic structures positively influence innovation because they're lower in vertical differentiation, formalization, and centralization, therefore facilitating the flexibility, adaptation, and cross-fertilization that make the adoption of innovations easier.
All of the following are sources of organizational resistance to change except ________. A) structural inertia B) security C) limited focus of change D) threat to established power relationships E) group inertia
Answer: B Explanation: Organizational sources of resistance to change are structural inertia, processes and formalized regulations, limited focus of change, group inertia, threat to expertise, and threat to established power relationships. Security is an individual source of resistance.
The de-emphasis of hierarchical authority and control in organizational development is referred to as ________. A) participation B) power equalization C) trust and support D) respect for people E) vertical blending
Answer: B Explanation: Power equalization, when referred to in OD, means that effective organizations deemphasize hierarchical authority and control.
________ is when a person is faced with a challenge that is related to what that person wants to have or do, and he or she isn't sure exactly what the end result will be, but regardless of the outcome, it is perceived as important. A) Change B) Stress C) Innovation D) Stimulation E) Creativity
Answer: B Explanation: Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, demand, or resource related to what the individual desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important.
Which of the following has been the most studied potential source of innovation? A) cultural variables B) structural variables C) human resource factors D) champions E) brainstorming
Answer: B Explanation: Structural variables have been the most studied potential source of innovation. A comprehensive review of the structure-innovation relationship leads to the following conclusions. First, organic structures positively influence innovation.
The activities included in team building include all of the following except ________. A) goal setting B) personal development C) team process analysis D) team interpersonal relations E) defining priorities
Answer: B Explanation: Team building typically includes goal setting, development of interpersonal relations among team members, role analysis to clarify each member's role and responsibilities, and team process analysis.
________ is a new idea applied to initiating or improving a product, process, or service. A) A continuous improvement process B) Double-loop learning C) Innovation D) Process reengineering E) Organizational streaming
Answer: C Explanation: Innovation, a more specialized kind of change, is a new idea applied to initiating or improving a product, process, or service. So all innovations imply change, but not all changes necessarily introduce new ideas or lead to significant improvements. Diff: 2 Page Ref: 603
The purpose of ________ is for an outside consultant to assist a client, usually a manager, to perceive, understand, and act upon process events with which the manager must deal. A) a change agent B) survey feedback C) process consultation D) action research E) social reinforcement
Answer: C Explanation: Managers often sense their unit's performance can be improved but are unable to identify what to improve and how. The purpose of process consultation (PC) is for an outside consultant to assist a client, usually a manager, "to perceive, understand, and act upon process events" with which the manager must deal. These events might include work flow, informal relationships among unit members, and formal communication channels.
Managers who have spent their entire careers with an organization and are high in the hierarchy are ________. A) good change agents B) generally the impetus for change C) often impediments to change D) usually focused on radical change E) none of the above
Answer: C Explanation: Managers who have spent their entire careers with a single organization and achieved a senior position in the hierarchy are often major impediments to change. It is a very real threat to their status and position. Yet they may be expected to implement changes to demonstrate they're not merely caretakers.
8) Managing resistance to change that is ________ is extremely challenging. A) passive B) resolute C) deferred D) explicit E) overt
Answer: C Explanation: The great challenge is managing resistance that is implicit or deferred. These responses, loss of loyalty or motivation, increased errors or absenteeism, are more subtle and more difficult to recognize for what they are. Deferred actions also cloud the link between the change and the reaction to it and may surface weeks, months, or even years later.
A paper sales company designs and offers a new method of purchasing and shipping commercial quantities of paper through their Web site, versus contacting their sales representative. This is an example of ________. A) accidental change B) the nature of the workforce C) planned change D) a change agent E) competition demands
Answer: C Explanation: This is an example of planned change, or activities that are intentional and goal oriented, compared to accidental change which refers to activities that just happen. The change agent is not mentioned in the example, nor the competition demands, although both were probably present as parts of the planned change.
________ is a method of changing behavior through unstructured group interaction. A) Action research B) Planned change C) Process consultation D) Sensitivity training E) Psychoanalysis
Answer: D Explanation: Sensitivity training refers to an early method of changing behavior through unstructured group interaction. Members are brought together in a free and open environment in which participants discuss themselves and their interactive processes, loosely directed by a professional behavioral scientist who created the opportunity to express ideas, beliefs, and attitudes without taking any leadership role.
Which of the following is not an example of a hindrance stressor? A) red tape B) office politics C) role conflict D) time urgency E) job confusion
Answer: D Explanation: Time urgency is a challenge stressor. Hindrance stressors are stressors that keep you from reaching your goals , for example, red tape, office politics, confusion over job responsibilities. Diff: 2 Page Ref: 607
Who developed a three-step model for change that included unfreezing, movement, and refreezing? A) John Kotter B) David McClelland C) Douglas Surber D) Lawrence Summers E) Kurt Lewin
Answer: E Explanation: Kurt Lewin argued that successful change in organizations should follow three steps: unfreezing the status quo, movement to a desired end state, and refreezing the new change to make it permanent.
Using covert influence to overcome resistance to change is called ________. A) negotiation B) cooptation C) education D) coercion E) manipulation
Answer: E Explanation: Manipulation refers to covert influence attempts. Twisting facts to make them more attractive, withholding information, and creating false rumors to get employees to accept change are all examples of manipulation.
All organizations within an industry use the terminology designated by the industry so that their employees can move freely from organization to organization.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Because language for each organization is different, new employees may at first be overwhelmed by acronyms and jargon, that, once assimilated, act as a common denominator to unite members of a given culture or subculture.
Material symbols convey to employees the degree of egalitarianism that is desired by top management.
Answer: TRUE Explanation: Material symbols are what conveys to employees who is important, the degree of egalitarianism top management desires, and the kinds of behavior that are appropriate.
Which one of the following is not listed as a tactic for dealing with resistance to change? A) acceleration B) manipulation C) participation D) cooptation E) education
Answer: A Explanation: Seven tactics can help change agents deal with resistance to change: education and communication, participation, building support and commitment, developing positive relationships, implementing changes fairly, manipulation and cooptation, selecting people who accept change, and coercion.
Rather than looking for problems, ________ seeks to identify the unique qualities and special strengths of an organization, which can then be built upon to improve performance. A) appreciative inquiry B) action research C) team building D) process consultation E) social reinforcement
Answer: A Explanation: Most OD approaches are problem centered. They identify a problem or set of problems, then look for a solution. Appreciative inquiry (AI) instead accentuates the positive. Rather than looking for problems to fix, it seeks to identify the unique qualities and special strengths of an organization, which members can build on to improve performance. That is, AI focuses on an organization's successes rather than its problems.
________ encompasses a collection of planned-change interventions built on humanistic-democratic values that seek to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well-being. A) Organizational development B) Reflected change C) Process consultation D) Action research E) Economic validity
Answer: A Explanation: Organizational development (OD) is a collection of change methods that try to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well-being. OD methods value human and organizational growth, collaborative and participative processes, and a spirit of inquiry.
________ is one way to achieve unfreezing of an organization's status quo. A) Increasing the driving forces directing behavior away from the status quo B) Decreasing the restraining forces which hinder movement from inequality C) Increasing employee investment in the status quo D) Decreasing management's investment in change E) Increasing the rigidity of the organizational hierarchy
Answer: A Explanation: The status quo is an equilibrium state. To move from equilibrium, to overcome the pressures of both individual resistance and group conformity, unfreezing must happen. The driving forces, which direct behavior away from the status quo, can be increased to achieve unfreezing
All of the following are steps in the process of action research except ________. A) diagnosis B) forming C) feedback D) action E) evaluation
Answer: B Explanation: Action research consists of five steps that closely parallel the scientific method: diagnosis, analysis, feedback, action, and evaluation. Forming is not one of the five steps.
________ is a change process based on systematic collection of data and selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicate. A) Organizational development B) Action research C) Planned change D) Process consultation E) Organizational restructuring
Answer: B Explanation: Action research is defined as a change process based on systematic collection of data and then selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicate. Its value is in providing a scientific methodology for managing planned change.
Which of the following is considered a benefit of action research for an organization? A) Employees can carry out the specific actions to correct the problems identified. B) It is problem focused. C) It is solution centered. D) It is simple to implement. E) It has no financial costs associated with it.
Answer: B Explanation: Action research provides two specific benefits. First, it is problem focused. The change agent objectively looks for problems, and the type of problem determines the type of change action.
) Which tactic to overcome resistance to change is a relatively easy way to gain the support of adversaries, but may backfire if the targets become aware of the tactic? A) negotiation B) conciliation C) manipulation D) coercion E) cooperation
Answer: C Explanation: Both manipulation and cooptation are relatively inexpensive ways to gain the support of adversaries, but they can backfire if the targets become aware they are being tricked or used. Once that's discovered, the change agent's credibility may drop to zero.
One of Verl's department employee's was severely injured on the job. Verl has called in psychological counselors to talk to the other employees, and scheduled a series of safety trainings for the department to be completed by the end of the week. He has also asked the HR personnel to talk to the department about the disability insurance that the company offers and make sure that his employees know what is available. Verl is using ________ to help cope with the stress caused by his employee's injury. A) demands B) technology C) resources D) innovation E) appreciative inquiry
Answer: C Explanation: Resources are things within an individual's control that he or she can use to resolve the demands. Research suggests adequate resources help reduce the stressful nature of demands when demands and resources match. Having resources to cope with stress is just as important in offsetting it as demands are in increasing it.
Which of the following is not a step in the appreciative inquiry process? A) discovery B) dreaming C) devising D) destiny E) design
Answer: C Explanation: The AI process consists of four steps: discovery, dreaming, design, and discovery. These steps are often played out in a large-group meeting over a 2- or 3-day time period and overseen by a trained change agent.
The step in the action research process where information is gathered about problems, concerns, and needed changes is known as the ________ stage. A) feedback B) evaluation C) diagnosis D) action E) prognosis
Answer: C Explanation: The change agent begins by gathering information about problems, concerns, and needed changes from members of the organization in the diagnosis stage. In action research, the change agent asks questions, reviews records, and interviews employees and listens to their concerns.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a learning organization? Its employees ________. A) have standard ways of doing their jobs B) pursue projects of interest C) focus on breaking down barriers created by hierarchical levels D) think in terms of independent relationships E) have high levels of technical knowledge
Answer: C Explanation: The formal structure of an organization can be a serious impediment to learning. Flattening the structure, eliminating or combining departments, and increasing the use of cross-functional teams, reinforces interdependence and reduces boundaries, helping to create a learning organization.
Which of the following is not an organizational aspect that leads to innovation? A) organic structure B) long tenured management C) slack amount of resources D) high interunit communication E) rewards absence of failures
Answer: E Explanation: Organic structures positively influence innovation. Long tenure in management is associated with innovation. Innovation is nurtured when there are slack resources. Interunit communication is high in innovative organizations. Organizations where people are rewarded for the absence of failures rather than for the presence of successes, extinguish risk taking and innovation.
It is easiest for management to deal with resistance when it is ________. A) covert B) deferred C) passive D) implicit E) overt
Answer: E Explanation: Resistance doesn't necessarily surface in standardized ways. It can be overt, implicit, immediate, or deferred. It's easiest for management to deal with overt and immediate resistance, such as complaints, a work slowdown, or a strike threat. The greater challenge is managing resistance that is implicit or deferred
An example of change in the nature of the work force is an increase in ________. A) college attendance B) mergers and consolidations C) capital equipment D) divorce rates E) more cultural diversity
Answer: E Explanation: The changing nature of the workforce is seen as almost every organization must adjust to a multicultural environment, demographic changes, immigration, and outsourcing.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of a learning organization? A) There is a shared vision upon which everyone agrees. B) People sublimate their personal self-interest to work together to achieve the organization's shared vision. C) Members integrate old ways of thinking with new ideas. D) People openly communicate with each other. E) There is consensus on the direction of the organization. Answer: C
Explanation: There are five basic characteristics of a learning organization: (1) There exists a shared vision that everyone agrees on; (2) People discard their old ways of thinking and the standard routines they use for solving problems or doing their jobs; (3) Members think of all organizational processes, activities, functions, and interactions with the environment as part of a system of interrelationships; (4) People openly communicate with each other without fear of criticism or punishment; (5) People sublimate their personal self-interest and fragmented departmental interests to work together to achieve the organization's shared vision.