Chapter 14 - 18 Progress Check

Who is likely to act as an impediment to change in an organization?

A senior manager who has been with the organization for a long time.

Which of the following statements is true regarding a virtual organization?

A virtual organization tends to have unclear roles, goals, and responsibilities.

________ is a change process based on systematic collection of data and selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicate.

Action research

Which individual is least likely to accept and adapt easily to change?

An employee who prefers predictability.

Your ________ determines the lowest value acceptable to you for a negotiated agreement.

BATNA

Which of the following statements is true regarding a bureaucracy?

Bureaucracies can get by with less talented middle- and lower-level managers.

________ bargaining is negotiation that seeks to divide a fixed amount of goods or services.

Distributive

Elena is the senior manager of a scientific operations team at a well-known clinical research organization. The organization delivers more than 4,000 solutions across more than 18 therapeutic areas. Being a perfectionist, Elena has reached her present position through hard work and dedication. Given that she has also worked effectively with teams in the past, she has recently been assigned to lead a team working on a new project which is critical to the company. Elena refuses to allocate any tasks to her team and decides to put in extra hours and weekends to complete the groundwork herself. Based on the information presented here, which of the following would best explain this contradiction?

Elena is reluctant to delegate work as she lacks confidence in her team's abilities.

Fony Corp., headquartered in China, is a leading manufacturer of electronic devices and solutions intended for professional markets. The company is considering upgrading the technology currently being used at Fony's manufacturing facility, located in Guangdong, that specializes in producing lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power laptops, cameras, cell phones, and other similar gadgets. The new technology is expected to increase efficiency levels and will also allow for greater adherence to quality standards. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument that Fony Corp. should upgrade its technology?

Fony's main client account is at risk after the client had to recall nearly 2 million notebooks owing to defective batteries.

A conflict-intensity continuum has "annihilatory conflict" at the upper end and "no conflict" at the lower end. In the context of this conflict-intensity continuum, which of the following statements is true of conflict intensities?

Functional conflicts are typically confined to the lower range of the conflict-intensity continuum.

________ ranking requires the evaluator to place employees into a particular classification, such as top one-fifth or second one-fifth.

Group order

Charlie Woods started working for E-Z Freeze, a major frozen food company, as a college intern. Most recently, Charlie had held the position of VP Marketing. Now however, as a result of a change in corporate leadership, Charlie finds himself unemployed for the first time in decades. Looking for a new job has been an eye-opening experience for Charlie. He has been especially frustrated with his lack of success in getting even a call back for the applications he has completed online. Which of the following best describes why Charlie may not be getting the initial feedback he thinks he should be receiving?

His online applications don't have the right keywords.

Span of control is a key element of an organization's structure. Which of the following key questions is addressed by this element?

How many individuals can a manager efficiently and effectively direct?

Which of the following statements is true regarding random socialization?

In random socialization, new employees are left on their own to figure things out.

________ is one way to achieve unfreezing of an organization's status quo.

Increasing the driving forces directing behavior away from the status quo

________ is the third stage in the conflict process and it intervenes between people's perceptions and their overt behavior.

Intention

Which of the following statements is true about the simple structure?

It becomes increasingly inadequate as an organization grows.

Which of the following statements is true regarding the functions of culture in an organization?

It conveys a sense of identity for organization members.

Which of the following is a drawback of a narrow span of control?

It is more expensive.

Which of the following is not an ideal feature of a benefits program?

It should clearly outline expectations for conduct.

________ refers to the shared perceptions organizational members have about their organization and work environment.

Organizational climate

________ is a collection of change methods that seek to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well-being.

Organizational development

Stratford Inc. is a company that hires culturally diverse people to perform Shakespearean plays for high school students. The company employs actors and actresses from all over the world. The actors and actresses have joined together to ask the company for higher salaries. The employees are struggling over deciding who will negotiate for them. Which of the following statements is true pertaining to the effect of individual differences on negotiations?

People who are highly interested in having positive relationships with other people are poor negotiators.

Mike Morrell is a production supervisor in Porco Rosso, an aircraft manufacturing firm. After evaluating Mike's managerial capabilities, some members of the senior management feel that average productivity would improve if more workers were assigned to him. However, some managers are skeptical about Mike's ability to handle more workers. Which of the following statements, if true, would weaken the argument favoring increased span of control?

Performance reports from the last few years show that teams that were monitored closely had higher productivity.

Which of the following steps in Kotter's eight-step plan for implementing change represents the movement stage in Lewin's three-step model?

Plan for, create, and reward short-term "wins" that propel the organization toward the new vision.

Which of the following is the last step in Kotter's eight-step plan for implementing change?

Reinforce the changes by demonstrating the relationship between new behaviors and organizational success.

Blastkrieg, a chain of audio equipment stores, uses computerized inventory control and customer self-service to eliminate the category of sales clerks from its force of employees. After diversifying into computer electronics, it now plans to employ the same concept in selling desktop PCs and laptops. Which of the following is an assumption made in Blast Krieg's strategy?

Sales personnel are not required for selling computer electronics successfully

Sirius Corp, an automobile manufacturer in Texas, has a number of vacancies at lower management levels, which is important for the company's future development, and wants to fill the positions from within the company itself rather than recruit externally. The company plans to e-mail the job specifications to all employees and post the jobs on the company Web site. Which of the following, if true, will strengthen the company's decision?

Several top performing entry level employees have received offers from rival companies.

________ typically contain narratives about the organization's founders, rule breaking, and reactions to past mistakes.

Stories

Research shows that ________ employees are stressed by a lack of control, while ________ employees are stressed by job evaluations and lack of training.

U.S., Chinese

According to the principle of unity of command, ________.

an individual should be directly responsible to only one supervisor

Which of the following conflict management techniques involves designating a critic to purposely argue against the majority positions held by the group?

appointing a devil's advocate

Which of the following methods of third-party negotiation always results in a settlement?

arbitration

The home buyer wants to bring in a third party who will have the authority to dictate an agreement. This person will be a(n) ________.

arbitrator

Formal performance appraisals are used more frequently in countries that ________.

are low in in-group collectivism

Luke's cubicle neighbor Leia, though an understanding and great co-worker, talks loudly on the phone. Luke gets annoyed every time Leia's phone rings, but he has decided it's simply not worth the trouble to talk to her about it. Luke's conflict-handling intention is called ________.

avoiding

The terms negotiation and ________ are used interchangeably.

bargaining

During which phase of the negotiation process do the parties have the actual discussion to hash out an agreement?

bargaining and problem-solving

In a negotiation between a man and a woman, we would expect the woman to ________ than the man.

be more accommodating

Which of the following dimensions of an environment describes the degree to which the environment can support growth?

capacity

The ________ stage of the conflict process is important because it's where conflict issues tend to be defined.

cognition and personalization

A strong culture should increase employee loyalty because it results in ________.

cohesiveness and organizational commitment

Which of the following resistances to change is overt and immediate?

complaint

What are the key dimensions to any organization's environment?

complexity, volatility, and capacity

Which of the following terms refers to the actions that actively damage the organization, including stealing, behaving aggressively toward co-workers, and being late or absent?

counterproductivity

Wiper Inc., a parts supplier, has separate departments for government aircraft and contracts, large commercial aircraft clients, and small personal aircraft clients. This is an example of departmentalization on the basis of ________.

customer

A culture that expresses the core values that are shared by a majority of the organization's members is known as a(n) ________ culture.

dominant

The concept of ________ can be applied to appraisals to increase the perception that employees are treated fairly.

due process

You have just been appointed as director of your company's corporate training division. The CEO of your company has been displeased with your company's prior training programs, so you are tasked with rehauling the entire training division. You convene a meeting of all training division managers to decide on the types of training that the division will implement. One of your managers is a firm supporter of e-training programs for employees in your company's international offices. He touts the benefits of e-programs by stressing that ________.

e-training is highly flexible and employees can complete the training at their convenience

Liz is the lead editor for a small, city newspaper. One of her advertising sales representatives is pulling in a lot of restaurant clients. Liz realizes that the representative is quite knowledgeable about food and speaks quite elegantly when describing different dishes. She has begun discussing with the representative the possibility of collaborating with a writer to include a weekly restaurant review that includes the representative on the byline. After the first couple of reviews, the representative is able to increase ad sizes and sales. He is very happy with his new job diversification. Which aspect of creating a positive organizational culture is Liz utilizing?

emphasizing individual vitality and growth

Higgins has recently joined a new law firm expecting to participate in exciting environmental law cases and cutting-edge research. After one month at the firm, he still hasn't been assigned a case and spends most of his time filing standardized appeals for title disputes with insurance companies. In which stage of the socialization process is Higgins?

encounter

Political uncertainties, economic uncertainties, and technological change are examples of the ________ factors of potential stress.

environmental

Performance-simulation tests have higher ________, which measures whether applicants perceive the measures to be accurate.

face validity

Which of the following is an example of an individual source of resistance to change?

fear of the unknown

During the design step of appreciative inquiry, participants ________.

find a common vision of how the organization will look in the future

In a negotiation process, which of the following activities is included in the closure and implementation step?

formalizing the agreement that has been worked out

Which of the following methods of performance evaluation allows for quantitative analysis and comparison?

graphic rating scale

Rogue Vogue Corp. is an apparel company. To keep up with the latest changes in the fashion industry, the company has to come up with innovative designs and follow strict timelines. The culture of the company values integrity, high ethical standards, and risk taking. The members of the organization accept these cultural values. They know exactly what is expected of them, and these expectations go a long way in shaping their behavior. In addition to this, the culture of the marketing department is outcome oriented and the finance department emphasizes attention to detail. Based on the information in the scenario, we can say that Rogue Vogue Corp. ________.

has a strong culture

What factor would most likely increase the negative impact of an arbitration session?

heavy-handedness of the arbitrator

Which of the following is a characteristic of a simple structure?

high centralization

Danny's boss is apathetic as to whether Danny works at home, at the office, or from his beach house. All he cares about is that the project is completed on time, on budget, and with exemplary quality. Which characteristic of organizational culture describes this aspect of Danny's job?

high outcome orientation

Brian's team just had a research breakthrough. They'll need several thousands of dollars to complete the project. Brian 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. Brian is a(n) ________ within his company.

idea champion

Anna's company needs to dramatically cut costs, speed decision making, and increase flexibility. Which of the following structural decisions will help her achieve the desired objectives?

increasing the span of control

Which approach to performance evaluation rank-orders employees from best to worst?

individual ranking

Selective information processing is a major source of resistance to change. It indicates that ________.

individuals hear what they want to hear and they ignore information that challenges the world they've created

Stefan is looking for a job. Today he went to the Web site of Qriosity Inc., where he filled out an online application and attached a copy of his resume. In which part of the selection process is Stefan?

initial selection

Volatility refers to the degree of ________ within an environment.

instability

Which of the following tends to have a disproportionate amount of influence on employee selection decisions?

interview

Which of the following can act as a common denominator to unite members of a given culture or subculture?

jargons and acronyms that are specific to the organization

Manuel is a manager for a manufacturing company in which managers are expected to fully document all decisions and in which it is important to provide detailed data to support any recommendations. Also, out-of-the-box thinking is dissuaded. Which characteristic of organizational culture describes this aspect of Manuel's job?

low adaptability

Assessment centers are typically used to evaluate a candidate's ________ potential.

managerial

Management of a company threatens to close a manufacturing plant in the company whose employees are resisting an across-the-board pay cut. But this threat is actually untrue. In this case, which of the following tactics of overcoming resistance to change is being used by the management?

manipulation

Using covert influence to overcome resistance to change is called ________.

manipulation

Which of the following types of organizational designs combines two forms of departmentalization, functional and product?

matrix structure

By the end of the ________ stage of socialization, the new members internalize and accept the norms of the organization and their work group, are confident in their competence, and feel trusted and valued by their peers.

metamorphosis

The process of socialization consists of three stages. Which of the following is one of these three stages?

metamorphosis

You are new to an organization and do not really know what to expect about the socialization process. You recently received your MBA and have an undergraduate degree in computer science. Your new firm is a software development company with an emphasis in the healthcare industry. Your hiring process included campus interviews, a daylong trip for an interview at the company, an offer phone call and letter, and some promotional material sent via the mail. When you arrive for your first day at work, you spend half a day in an orientation session that is conducted by the human resources department, where you complete paperwork and receive a company handbook. Then you spend the rest of the day with your supervisor, who gives you a tour, introduces you to your co-workers, and explains your first project. After that, you begin working and getting to know the others in the company. You find that in most respects, your experience fits your expectations, but in some ways you are surprised by realities that you hadn't expected. None of these surprises is too difficult to accept, so you eventually begin to feel at home and happy with your new job. When you start to accept the differences between your expectations and the reality of the organization, you move into the ________ stage of socialization.

metamorphosis

Which of the following work-life initiatives is a direct service?

onsite child care

A(n) ________ model is a structure that is flat, uses cross-hierarchical and cross-functional teams, has low formalization, possesses a comprehensive information network, and relies on participative decision making.

organic

Which of the following characteristics of an organization's culture indicates the degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on employees within the organization?

people/customer orientation

Family issues, economic problems, and personality characteristics are examples of the ________ factor of potential stress.

personal

Identify the correct order of stages in the socialization process.

prearrival, encounter, metamorphosis

You are involved in training and development for your division at Dunder Mifflin Inc. You want to target some specific organizational problems through training. You are introducing self-managed teams and implementing quality-management programs. It would be important to conduct training in ________ skills.

problem-solving

Conflicts related to how the work gets done are called ________ conflicts.

process

Studies demonstrate that ________ conflicts are almost always ________.

relationship; dysfunctional

Which of the following actions can extinguish risk taking and innovation?

rewarding for the absence of failures rather than for the presence of successes

The ________ process helps candidates learn about the organization, and if employees perceive a conflict between their values and those of the organization, they can remove themselves from the applicant pool.

selection

You are new to an organization and do not really know what to expect about the socialization process. You recently received your MBA and have an undergraduate degree in computer science. Your new firm is a software development company with an emphasis in the healthcare industry. Your hiring process included campus interviews, a daylong trip for an interview at the company, an offer phone call and letter, and some promotional material sent via the mail. When you arrive for your first day at work, you spend half a day in an orientation session that is conducted by the human resources department, where you complete paperwork and receive a company handbook. Then you spend the rest of the day with your supervisor, who gives you a tour, introduces you to your co-workers, and explains your first project. After that, you begin working and getting to know the others in the company. You find that in most respects, your experience fits your expectations, but in some ways you are surprised by realities that you hadn't expected. None of these surprises is too difficult to accept, so you eventually begin to feel at home and happy with your new job. Your supervisor provides you a mentor to help you with your work and guide you. This shows that your supervisor is using a(n) ________ socialization technique.

serial

You are interested in explaining the different types of organizational designs to students of basic management. These students need to know the advantages and disadvantages of each structure as well as the structure's characteristics. You explain to your students the structure of a local grocery store situated in your neighborhood. The store employs two full-time employees, a salesperson and a cashier. The owner of the store acts as its manager and makes all the decisions. Which of the following organizational structures is being described by you?

simple structure

Organizations have built-in mechanisms-like their selection processes and formalized regulations-to produce stability. When an organization is confronted with change, these mechanisms act as a counterbalance to sustain stability. Which of the following organizational sources of resistance to change is represented by these mechanisms?

structural inertia

Labor and management at Leo Trucking cannot seem to agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. As each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, no agreement seems to be possible. The drivers are threatening to go on strike, and management knows that such a strike would prove to be costly. None of the parties involved in the dispute wants to reach a win-win agreement. They are each highly focused on their demands, which they would like to achieve, otherwise known as their ________ points

target

Conflict that relates to the content and goals of work is called ________ conflict.

task

Most training is directed at upgrading and improving an employee's ________ skills.

technical

If a manager uses critical incidents as a method of performance evaluation, then ________.

the focus of the evaluation will center on specific behaviors

The simple structure is most widely practiced in small businesses in which ________.

the manager and owner are one and the same

The conflict-handling intention of accommodating is ________.

unassertive and cooperative

A ________ is consistent with recent efforts by companies to reduce costs, cut overhead, speed up decision making, increase flexibility, get closer to customers, and empower employees.

wider span of control

Work-life conflicts became noticeable in the 1980s when ________.

women, with dependent children, started entering the workforce

Which of the following terms refers to the recognition that people have an inner life that nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work that takes place in the context of community?

workplace spirituality

Which performance evaluation method requires no complex forms or extensive training to complete?

written essays