Deck 14: Organizational Development and Theory

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT true of organizational development?

A)It is based on behavioral science principles and procedures.
B)It is concerned only with lower-level employees.
C)It is designed to help employees improve their interactions with one another.
D)It usually involves changing how people do their work.

Answer 1

It is concerned only with lower-level employees.

Question 2

The field of organizational development is concerned with

A)the individual employee's job satisfaction.
B)the most effective methods for downsizing organizations.
C)helping organizations make changes that are planned and implemented rationally.
D)all of the above.

Answer 2

helping organizations make changes that are planned and implemented rationally.

Question 3

Which of the following would NOT be an individual characteristic affecting change in organizations?

A)self-efficacy.
B)willingness to change.
C)positive experiences with change in the past.
D)support from management.

Answer 3

support from management.

Question 4

The text argues that the strong support for MBO reported by Rodgers and Hunter (1991)is probably an overestimate of how well MBO typically works.What is the basis for the text's argument?

A)Rodgers and Hunter are MBO consultants,and probably ignored research contrary to their position.
B)If Rodgers and Hunter hadn't reported such strong support,their article would not have been accepted for publication.
C)Poor MBO efforts probably are not reported in the literature,so they weren't included in Rodgers and Hunter's analysis.
D)None of these were the basis of the text's argument.

Question 5

An organizational development effort is usually implemented by an individual called the

A)change agent.
B)change consultant.
C)OD agent.
D)focus group leader.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT an organizational change technique discussed in the text?

A)Management by objectives
B)Survey feedback
C)Quality circles
D)Team building

Question 7

Which of the following statements about employee acceptance of change is TRUE?

A)Leaders do not need to sell employees on change.
B)Having positive experiences with change in the past has no bearing on whether employees will accept new change.
C)Most employees find change to be an exciting opportunity to learn and grow.
D)Allowing employees to participate in the change process can increase change acceptance.

Question 8

Which of the following organizational development techniques is based on goal setting?

A)Management by objectives.
B)Survey feedback.
C)T-groups.
D)Teambuilding.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about research on management by objectives (MBO)is correct?

A)Research results have revealed mixed effects on productivity,with almost as many negative results as positive results.
B)Improvement in productivity following an MBO program is strongly related to the level of commitment by top management.
C)There have been few studies on the results of MBO.
D)Research has shown strong effects of MBO on employee job satisfaction.

Question 10

Organizational development

A)requires few financial resources
B)is often embraced with open arms by employees
C)involves only a few individuals in an organization
D)is a family of techniques designed to help organizations change for the better

Question 11

With management by objectives (MBO)the change agent provides managers with training on

A)the goal setting process.
B)self-efficacy.
C)the path goal theory.
D)goal orientation.

Question 12

If a company uses management by objectives (MBO),whose goals are set first?

A)The workers at the bottom
B)The mid-level managers
C)The executives
D)The change agent

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true of organizational development?

A)It changes how people do their work.
B)It changes people's self-efficacy
C)It changes how people communicate.
D)It changes how they coordinate their efforts.

Question 14

In order for MBO to work:

A)managers must understand how to state measurable goals and how to set goals with subordinates
B)sufficient financial backing must be provided
C)executives must use a transformational leadership style.
D)everyone must set the exact same goals

Question 15

Organizational downsizing refers to

A)the way in which companies sell food in smaller and smaller packages for the same amount of money.
B)the decrease in profits that accompanies international competition.
C)a reduction in the number of employees.
D)a reduction in executives' fringe benefits (luxury cars,company jets,$500/night hotel suites,etc.).

Question 16

When the survey feedback OD technique is used,the feedback is given to

A)top level management only.
B)all top and middle level management.
C)all employees.
D)only union employees.

Question 17

The change agent enters into an organization with a specific plan for change.

Question 18

With which of the following characteristics can transformational leaders influence employees to accept change?

A)Idealized influence over the employees
B)Inspirational motivation through a vision consistent with the change
C)Intellectual stimulation
D)Individualized consideration

Question 19

Usually,change agents are

A)mid-level employees within the organization.
B)executives of the organization.
C)members of the organization's human resource development department.
D)outside consultants.

Question 20

Which factor would NOT lead to acceptance of change by employees?

A)providing sufficient information about the change provided.
B)emphasizing positive experiences with change in the past.
C)involving employees in the process and allowing them to participate.
D)providing sufficient financial resources.

Question 21

__________ theories indicate how organizations should operate.

A)Descriptive
B)Prescriptive
C)Operational
D)Prophetic

Question 22

New Millennium Enterprises asks each employee detailed questions about their opinions of the company.The information gathered is then summarized and given back to the employees and is then used as the starting point for organizational change.Which OD technique was used?

A)Management by Objectives
B)Team Building
C)Survey feedback
D)T-groups

Question 23

Lisa was hired as a change agent for New Millennium Enterprises.She will use the OD technique of survey feedback.What should be her first step?

A)Have upper management set organizational goals.
B)Design and administer questionnaires to all employees.
C)Interview top management as to job attitudes and their perception of job conditions.
D)Meet with each supervisor-subordinate dyad and facilitate discussions about job conditions and job attitudes.

Question 24

When evaluating the effectiveness of organizational development programs,

A)it is clear that they are often very effective.
B)it is clear that they most often result in changes that are not effective.
C)it is difficult to access their effectiveness due to the complexity of the programs and the wide variety of approaches.
D)no research has been conducted on the effectiveness of such programs.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT true about T-groups?

A)People can be hurt and upset.
B)It can cause detrimental effects to the organization.
C)It is similar to individual psychotherapy.
D)Some consider it unethical.

Question 26

The OD technique "team building" focuses on

A)helping work groups set measurable goals and objectives.
B)improving a work team's functioning.
C)increasing the job satisfaction ratings of all members of a work group.
D)measuring the attitudes of all employees at an organization.

Question 27

Team building techniques have one of two orientations.What are they?

A)Task and interpersonal
B)Authority and communication
C)Communication and interpersonal
D)Intrapersonal and interpersonal

Question 28

Jim is sent to a training group in which he is encouraged to experiment with his interpersonal behavior and receives nonjudgmental feedback.Which type of organizational development technique is his employer using?

A)Team building
B)Survey feedback
C)Modeling
D)T group

Question 29

Research into the effectiveness of organizational development programs indicates that

A)the wide variety of approaches and the complexity of programs make it difficult to determine the effectiveness of OD techniques.
B)the outcome is always a positive one; that is,no detrimental effects have resulted as a result of the application of any OD techniques.
C)OD is not that important of an activity in most large organizations.
D)most of the effects that have been noted are the result of a Hawthorne effect.

Question 30

A group of New Millennium Enterprises employees meet with a facilitator to improve their performance by learning to work together more effectively.Which OD technique is being used?

A)Management by objectives
B)Survey feedback
C)Team building
D)Goal setting

Question 31

Weber intended bureaucracy theory to be descriptive.

Question 32

What allows organizations to compare their data with other organizations in survey feedback?

A)the use of standardized scales
B)the use of open-ended comments
C)the use of custom-made scales
D)none of the above

Question 33

T-groups are

A)teamwork groups.
B)teaching groups.
C)tutoring groups.
D)training groups.

Question 34

Which OD technique is designed to enhance the communication and interpersonal skills of individual employees through group exercise technique,usually with groups of strangers?

A)T-group
B)Team building
C)Survey feedback
D)Management by objectives

Question 35

Which OD technique typically has no effect or negative effects?

A)Management by objectives
B)T-group
C)Team building
D)Survey feedback

Question 36

Which is the oldest of the four organizational theories that the text discusses?

A)Bureaucracy
B)Theory X/Theory Y
C)Open systems theory
D)Sociotechnical systems theory

Question 37

Which of the following statements about the survey feedback OD technique is TRUE?

A)It allows employees to express their opinions in a nonthreatening way.
B)Survey results are usually given only to upper level executives in a series of group meetings.
C)It does not allow employees to participate in policy decisions.
D)Research reviews reveal that it rarely leads to improvements in job satisfaction.

Question 38

Which of the following is not an issue that organizational theories deal with?

A)The distinguishing characteristics and structure of organizations
B)The interrelationships among people in organizations
C)The interactions among people and technology in organizations
D)The design of human-technology interfaces

Question 39

In the _________ approach team building helps teams improve their performance by helping them work together more efficiently.

A)interpersonal
B)task oriented
C)communicational
D)work oriented

Question 40

When the survey feedback OD technique is used,who is usually surveyed?

A)Top level management only
B)All top and middle level management
C)All employees
D)Only line employees

Question 41

Which organizational theory fits best with the path-goal leadership theory?

A)Open system theory
B)Theory X
C)Theory Y
D)Theory Z

Question 42

Saul is a night shift maintenance worker at New Millennium Enterprises.He would be considered a

A)line employee.
B)staff employee.
C)consultant.
D)change agent.

Question 43

Which organizational theory is concerned with the interaction between supervisors and subordinates?

A)Bureaucracy
B)Theory X/Theory Y
C)Open systems theory
D)Sociotechnical systems theory

Question 44

Which organizational theory is based on the assumption that the average employee is lazy and selfish?

A)Sociotechnical systems theory
B)Theory X
C)Theory Y
D)Theory Z

Question 45

Theory X/Theory Y was developed by

A)Weber.
B)McGregor.
C)Katz and Kahn.
D)Trist and Bamforth.

Question 46

Which of the following university positions would be considered a staff (as opposed to line)position?

A)Dean of the college
B)Department chairperson
C)Professor
D)Training coordinator

Question 47

Roger is an OD consultant.His theoretical bias is toward a concern with the attitudes of managers towards their subordinates.Which organizational theory is most likely to ascribe to?

A)Bureaucracy
B)Theory X/Theory Y
C)Open systems theory
D)Sociotechnical systems theory

Question 48

The "it's not my job" mentality where each employee has a defined set of tasks to perform represents which aspect of bureaucracies?

A)Line vs.staff
B)Span of control
C)Delegation of authority
D)Division of labor

Question 49

Cal believes that his subordinates are self-motivated and committed to organizational goals.Which organizational theory best fits Cal's beliefs?

A)Open systems theory
B)Bureaucracy
C)Theory X
D)Theory Y

Question 50

Autonomous work groups provide an example of the __________ approach.

A)open system theory
B)Theory X
C)Theory Y
D)Theory Z

Question 51

The major disadvantage of __________________ is that it requires resources to coordinate the activities of many specialized people.

A)Line vs.staff
B)Span of control
C)Delegation of authority
D)Division of labor

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic or principle central to the concept of bureaucracy?

A)Division of labor
B)Consideration
C)Line versus staff
D)Span of control

Question 53

______________ refers to the number of subordinates who report to each supervisor.

A)Division of labor
B)Delegation of authority
C)Span of control
D)Line versus staff

Question 54

The CEO has authority over the vice-president,who has authority over the middle manager,who has authority over the group leader,who has authority over the assembly workers.This is a description of

A)division of labor.
B)delegation of authority.
C)span of control.
D)line versus staff.

Question 55

Sharyn holds a "Theory X" orientation when it comes to her view of her role as manager at New Millennium Enterprises.Which of the following statements best describes her belief?

A)She believes that workers are indifferent to the organization's needs and it is the manager's job to organize and direct the human and nonhuman elements of the organization.
B)She believes that mangers should make it possible for employees to recognize and develop their organizational capabilities.
C)She believes that managers should create organizational conditions such that subordinates can achieve their goals by achieving organizational goals.
D)She believes that long term employment is the root of an effective organization.

Question 56

____________ refers to the organization's specialized job positions,each of which is responsible for different tasks.

A)Division of labor
B)Delegation of authority
C)Span of control
D)Line versus staff

Question 57

Which organizational theory is concerned with the interaction between the people and the technology of an organization?

A)Bureaucracy
B)Theory X/Theory Y
C)Open systems theory
D)Sociotechnical systems theory

Question 58

Which organizational theory describes the 10 components common to all general systems?

A)Bureaucracy
B)Theory X/Theory Y
C)Open systems theory
D)Sociotechnical systems theory

Question 59

An advantage of ________________ is that each job requires relatively few skills.

A)Line vs.staff
B)Span of control
C)Delegation of authority
D)Division of labor

Question 60

Which theory was developed to create a rational structure and several principles that would allow for the orderly and efficient functioning of an organization?

A)Bureaucracy
B)Theory X/Theory Y
C)Open systems theory
D)Sociotechnical systems theory

Question 61

Universities have separate departments of mathematics,psychology,music,etc.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Input information
B)Homeostasis
C)Coordination and integration
D)Specialization

Question 62

With the ________ approach managers are permissive and avoid conflict with their subordinates.

A)hard
B)moderate
C)soft
D)None of the above

Question 63

In some colleges most classes are lectures,whereas in other colleges most classes are seminars.Both approaches serve to educate students.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Transform energy
B)Specialization
C)Coordination and integration
D)Equifinality

Question 64

The idea that social and technological systems should be designed to fit as well as possible and that machines should be easy to use is known as

A)unit control of variances.
B)Theory X.
C)joint optimization.
D)Theory Z.

Question 65

Public universities must get money from the government,non-profit charities,and students if they are to avoid going broke and closing.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Escape entropy
B)Cycle of events
C)Homeostasis
D)Equifinality

Question 66

New Millennium Enterprises has implemented a new organizational policy that requires departmental secretaries to perform minor servicing on the departmental copiers.What organizational theory does the new CEO ascribe to?

A)Theory Y
B)Theory X
C)Bureaucracy theory
D)Sociotechnical systems theory

Question 67

The hard approach to management is likely to be adopted by managers who apply this theory:

A)Bureaucracy theory
B)Theory X
C)Theory Y
D)Theory Z

Question 68

Universities and colleges teach students how to analyze literature.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Equifinality
B)Output products
C)Specialization
D)Transform energy

Question 69

Photocopying machines frequently break down.In some organizations such breakdowns are always handled by staff from the photocopy center.Which organizational theory would argue that the secretaries who use the machines should be responsible for fixing all but major problems?

A)Theory Y
B)Sociotechnical systems theory
C)Open systems theory
D)Bureaucracy theory

Question 70

Universities try to maintain a constant enrollment by basing their number of acceptances on the number of students who graduate or drop out.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Homeostasis
B)Equifinality
C)Cycles of events
D)Specialization

Question 71

The Department Chairperson must assign classes to faculty members and graduate students.Ideally,graduate students are not supposed to teach classes at the same time they are taking classes.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Cycles of events
B)Specialization
C)Coordination and integration
D)Equifinality

Question 72

Which organizational theory assumes that effective organizations are based on long-term employment?

A)Sociotechnical systems theory
B)Theory X
C)Theory Y
D)Theory Z

Question 73

A lot of college classes meet 2 or 3 times a week at the same time and place.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Equifinality
B)Homeostasis
C)Cycle of events
D)Coordination and specialization

Question 74

Universities graduate educated students.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Transform energy
B)Output products
C)Cycles of events
D)Homeostasis

Question 75

Ginger is motivated to help her organization improve because she expects to work for it for the rest of my life,and wants to be part of a top-notch organization.This is the logic of which organizational theory?

A)Bureaucracy theory
B)Theory X
C)Theory Y
D)Theory Z

Question 76

Universities and colleges accept and enroll students.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Import energy
B)Escape entropy
C)Input information
D)Equifinality

Question 77

Stephen read in a business magazine that all the major companies use computers,so he bought a bunch of computers and told his employees to use them without arranging for any training.This is a direct violation of the principles of

A)Theory X.
B)open systems theory.
C)bureaucracy.
D)sociotechnical systems theory.

Question 78

Which organizational theory stresses the importance of designing machines and work procedures that are consistent with employee abilities and preferences?

A)Theory Z
B)Sociotechnical systems theory
C)Open systems theory
D)Bureaucracy

Question 79

State universities keep track of the number of high school graduates so they can anticipate enrollment demands.Which of the characteristics of open systems does this best exemplify?

A)Import energy
B)Escape entropy
C)Input information
D)Coordination and integration

Question 80

Which theory is based on ideas from the natural sciences?

A)Theory X/Theory Y
B)Sociotechnical systems theory
C)Open systems theory
D)Bureaucracy theory