Deck 7: Organisation Development Interventions: People and Process

Question 1

Management by objectives (MBO) programs never go beyond the one-on-one, manager-subordinate relationship to focus on problem-solving discussions that also involve work teams.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

It is difficult to isolate the impact of process consultation from other interventions.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Conflict has both costs and benefits to the participants in third-party intervention.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The process consultant provides expert help.This allows groups and people to accept the solutions to problems provided by the consultant.

Question 5

The 'Johari Window' concept helps to understand how to improve the communication process between each other in the workplace.

Question 6

Pay secrecy can be a major source of job dissatisfaction.

Question 7

Process consultation (PC) is a general model for carrying out helping relationships in groups such as communication, interpersonal relations and leadership.

Question 8

Third-party intervention focuses on managing conflict between the consultant and the client.

Question 9

Intrinsic rewards are more effective than extrinsic rewards in the workplace.

Question 10

Performance management practices are typically driven by top management with little employee involvement in goal-setting.

Question 11

The latest organisation development (OD) intervention approach is known as the T-group or sensitivity training.

Question 12

Timeliness is a criterion for effective reward systems but not for performance appraisal designs.

Question 13

The evidence of the value of T-groups for organisations is clear and specific.

Question 14

A new approach to performance appraisal expands the appraiser role in the process of performance measurement.

Question 15

Team building helps work groups improve the way they accomplish tasks as well as improve interpersonal and problem-solving skills.

Question 16

The newer role of appraiser in the process of performance appraisal increases employees' acceptance and understanding of the feedback process.

Question 17

When employees are given specific goals, they do not tend to perform better than when they are simply told to 'do their best'.

Question 18

Performance appraisal is a systematic process of jointly assessing work-related achievements, strengths and weaknesses.

Question 19

T-groups are a highly controversial topic in organisation development (OD).

Question 20

Goal setting involves managers setting clear expectations for workers, including appropriate work behaviours and outcomes.

Question 21

Performance management involves:

A)goal setting, performance appraisal and reward systems
B)consultation, practice and assessment
C)job descriptions, expected outcomes and actual outcomes
D)some level of objectivity when done properly
E)some level of subjectivity dependent on the skills of management

Question 22

Research on the effects of performance appraisal strongly supports the notion that:

A)the role of feedback on performance is vital
B)the role of positive feedback on performance is vital
C)results differ depending on whether the feedback is group or individually based
D)subjective feedback is more potent than objective feedback
E)the effect of feedback on performance depends on the reward system

Question 23

The organisation confrontation meeting typically begins with a group meeting of top managers to limit the potential problems raised.

Question 24

Which of the following models relates work performance to rewards?

A)open systems theory
B)performance management theory
C)value expectancy theory
D)sociotechnical systems theory
E)performance measurement theory

Question 25

Intergroup relations interventions are necessary whenever there is conflict between two or more groups.

Question 26

Contextual factors play an important role when:

A)establishing challenging goals
B)clarifying goal measurement
C)assessing outcomes of the goal-setting process
D)engaging in the goal-setting process
E)clarifying challenging goals

Question 27

The decision as to whether performance management practices should be based on the individual or the group is dependent upon:

A)employee involvement
B)organisation culture
C)reward systems
D)workplace technology

Question 28

Performance appraisal systems represent:

A)an important part of managing by objectives
B)a scheduled annual performance meeting with employees
C)a one-way feedback system to align individuals with business strategy
D)an important link between goal-setting processes and reward systems
E)all of the above

Question 29

The following is NOT a step in the goal-setting process:

A)diagnosis
B)preparing for goal setting
C)setting goals
D)review
E)developing shared perceptions

Question 30

Management by objectives (MBO) seeks to:

A)ensure the organisation has goals and objectives
B)encourage shared perceptions between managers and workers about goals
C)enforce a culture of productivity in organisations that rely heavily on unskilled labour
D)identify weaknesses in performance
E)all of the above

Question 31

The confrontation meeting is a promising approach for mobilising organisational problem solving, particularly in times of highly effective performance.

Question 32

The goal-setting process involves:

A)establishing challenging goals
B)clarifying the necessary skills and knowledge
C)clarifying goal measurement
D)establishing challenging goals and clarifying the necessary skills and knowledge
E)establishing challenging goals and clarifying goal measurement

Question 33

Large-group interventions focus on issues that affect the whole organisation or large segments of it.

Question 34

The issue of who should lead a team-building session is partly a function of the capabilities of the manager.

Question 35

In high-stress situations, the confrontation meeting should be avoided - the stress levels can become much too explosive.

Question 36

A microcosm group consists of a small group of people who reflect the issue being addressed.

Question 37

Performance management is an integrated process of defining and:

A)assessing career planning
B)assessing organisational outcomes
C)assessing performance processes
D)assessing and reinforcing employee work behaviours and outcomes
E)assessing and reinforcing organisational processes

Question 38

Most technostructural, human resource management and strategy interventions depend on some form of team building for effective implementation.

Question 39

Performance appraisal is a system that involves the indirect evaluation of:

A)individual performance
B)work group performance
C)performance by a manager
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 40

Newer approaches to the timing of performance appraisals tend to be:

A)fixed by appraisers
B)based on administrative criteria
C)based on the number of formal appraisals
D)dynamic, timely and employee-driven
E)goal-driven

Question 41

The process consultation deals primarily with which organisational areas?

A)communications
B)roles and functions of group members
C)leadership and authority
D)development and growth of group norms
E)all of the above

Question 42

Team building can help groups overcome specific problems, such as:

A)loss of productivity
B)too many groups reporting to the same supervisor, manager or executive
C)eliminating temporary arrangements formed to do a specific, one-time task
D)including people whose work roles are traditionally independent
E)achieving tasks that people cannot accomplish as individuals

Question 43

When is third-party consultation appropriate and what are the two basic strategies that a third-party consultant might use?

Question 44

Which of the following should be avoided in a confrontation meeting?

A)small group size (5-15 people)
B)members from all different departments in the same group
C)top management separated from other groups
D)superiors and subordinates in the same group
E)criticism for bringing up irrelevant problems

Question 45

Process consultation is most appropriate when:

A)the process of direct confrontation is needed
B)clients are incapable of solving their own problems
C)working with mental tasks, rather than behaviours
D)the client is capable of learning how to assess and resolve his or her own problem
E)the client doesn't know what interventions are most applicable

Question 46

In planning effective intergroup interventions, organisation development (OD) practitioners would be wise to:

A)encourage attitudinal and behavioural changes
B)ignore attitudinal and behavioural changes
C)distinguish attitudinal and behavioural changes
D)exclude attitudinal changes
E)exclude behavioural changes

Question 47

Microcosm groups may be a useful approach in addressing:

A)minor issues which have an adverse impact on strategic outcomes
B)diversity issues
C)productivity issues
D)leadership issues
E)conflict

Question 48

Intergroup conflict resolution methods aim to:

A)change how each group perceives the other
B)limit interaction between groups
C)physically separate the groups from each other
D)avoid conflict
E)resolve problems by meeting during normal work situations

Question 49

Define process consultation and outline the role of a process consultant in this type of intervention.

Question 50

The role of group members may be:

A)functional
B)task-related
C)task-related and maintenance-related
D)functional and task-related
E)functional and maintenance-related

Question 51

Which of the following is correct regarding secrecy about pay rates?

A)most organisations maintain secrecy about pay rates
B)managers typically argue that employees prefer secrecy
C)secrecy can lead to dissatisfaction with pay
D)secrecy reduces motivation by obscuring the relationship between pay and performance
E)all of the above

Question 52

Based on value expectance theory, the ability of rewards to motivate desired behaviour depends on:

A)availability
B)performance contingency
C)durability and equity
D)visibility
E)all of the above

Question 53

The common objectives of T-group training are:

A)increased understanding of one's own behaviour
B)increased understanding and sensitivity about the behaviour of others
C)better understanding of group and intergroup situations
D)increased ability to transform learning into action
E)all of the above

Question 54

In a third-party intervention, the third party must develop considerable skill at:

A)enhancing motivation
B)labour-management negotiations
C)alternative dispute-resolution processes
D)recognising and avoiding conflict
E)facilitating dialogue between the parties

Question 55

Which of the following are basic consequences of conflict resolution?

A)it prevents the ignition of conflict
B)it sets limits on the form of the conflict
C)it focuses directly on the conflict itself
D)it eliminates the underlying issues causing the conflict
E)all of the above

Question 56

Process consultation involves:

A)an expert helper who guides workers through policies and procedures
B)consulting with organisation members to ensure compliance
C)helping group members to understand, diagnose and improve their behaviour
D)a less-intrusive way to deal with dysfunctional interpersonal conflict
E)embedding group goals and norms into procedures

Question 57

Explain the goal-setting method known as 'management by objectives'.

Question 58

Successful large-group interventions require:

A)a compelling meeting theme
B)appropriate participants
C)a range of relevant tasks
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 59

How does the performance management model enable organisations to influence employee work behaviours and outcomes?

Question 60

The main components of group problem-solving are:

A)understanding group dynamics and task structure
B)assessing the emotions and feelings of group members
C)identifying problems, examining alternatives and making decisions
D)clarifying role relations and group norms
E)implementing and evaluating the decision

Question 61

Performance appraisal is often done poorly.Discuss.

Question 62

'Goal setting involves managers and subordinates in jointly establishing and clarifying employee goals.' Discuss.

Question 63

Explain the organisation-wide process approach known as the 'large-group intervention'.

Question 64

Why are organisation processes so important in the positive model and knowledge management in particular?

Question 65

Describe a work situation in which team building could have been used to good effect.What steps would you take in implementing team building in this situation and what results would you expect?