Deck 7: Managing Change and Conflict

Question 1

A good manager is also a good leader who understands and anticipates the underlying reasons for resistance to change and acts pro-actively.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

O'Connor & Fiol identified the characteristics of formal and informal authority figures that make desirable sponsors effective change agents.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Strong conflict is mostly generated amongst very mature adults who work in top management with high knowledge and skill levels.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Very low conflict levels may be an indicator to management that with a lack of new ideas no problems have arisen.

Question 5

Emotionally based relationship conflict and task focused conflict generally detract from organisational performance.

Question 6

According to the conflict and performance dual curve perspective, an employee affected by a high level of task and process conflict and high level of relationship conflict is at their lowest performance level.

Question 7

Internal factors causing the need for change in organisations include:

A) employees.
B) culture.
C) industrial relations regulation.
D) All of the given answers are correct

Question 8

Factors causing the need for change are internally and externally driven. Which factors are not included in the internal and external environment?

A) Structure, employees - politics, regulations
B) Culture, jobs - imports, competition
C) Technology, internal changes - external factors, technical development
D) None of the given answers is correct

Question 9

Which factor below does not represent an external change factor?

A) Regulations
B) Politics
C) Competition
D) Technology

Question 10

To have a system for progress measurement in place is important when an organisation wants to monitor whether it achieved its strategic goals and objectives. Which communication tool is not a part of tracking changes?

A) History
B) Feedback by management and employees
C) Company's intranet
D) Notice boards

Question 11

The effective organisational change process is cyclical in nature. The first step in the cycle is:

A) identifying the opportunity for change.
B) identifying the need for change.
C) identifying that the organisation has a performance gap.
D) senior management deciding that change is necessary.

Question 12

The last step in the change cycle should be:

A) implementation of the changes decided upon.
B) evaluation of the changes against desired outcomes.
C) the selection of the most appropriate alternative change.
D) reaching the desired outcome.

Question 13

Bartol lists several reasons why individuals might resist change in the organisation. Which reason below is not correct?

A) The amount of misunderstanding and lack of trust that exists
B) The tolerance for change that the individual has
C) How strongly the individual feels his or her self-interests are affected
D) The individual's ability to accept changes that are political or philosophical in nature

Question 14

Kurt Lewin suggests a relatively simplified three-step model for overcoming resistance to change in organisations. The first of his steps is:

A) perceiving an opportunity or a problem.
B) unfreezing.
C) education and communication.
D) participation.

Question 15

Unfreezing, changing and refreezing are the:

A) first three of six steps in implementing planned change.
B) three stages in innovation monitoring.
C) steps in Lewin's model to overcome resistance to change.
D) basic ingredients in the negotiation and agreement phase of resistance modification.

Question 16

Education and communication, as well as participation and involvement, fit into the Lewin model for overcoming resistance to change at the:

A) unfreezing step.
B) implementation step.
C) preparatory step.
D) initialisation step.

Question 17

Kotter and Schlesinger identified a number of strategies for trying to overcome resistance to change. Which strategy do they recommend when the initiators do not have all the information they need to design the change?

A) Participation and involvement.
B) Manipulation and cooptation.
C) Education and communication.
D) Facilitation and support.

Question 18

Kotter and Schlesinger identified a number of strategies for trying to overcome resistance to change. Which strategy do they say is very quick to implement?

A) Education and communication.
B) Explicit and implicit coercion.
C) Negotiation and agreement.
D) Participation and involvement.

Question 19

Which method of overcoming resistance to change is likely to be too time-consuming if too many people are involved?

A) Negotiation and agreement.
B) Participation and involvement.
C) Education and communication.
D) None of the given answers.

Question 20

A successful, but often under-utilised, strategy for overcoming resistance is:

A) explicit and implicit coercion.
B) education and communication.
C) participation and involvement.
D) facilitation and support.

Question 21

Which of Kotter and Schlesinger's strategies for overcoming resistance to change may include provisions for training as well as for proper equipment and materials?

A) Education and communication.
B) Facilitation and support.
C) Explicit and implicit coercion.
D) Negotiation and agreement.

Question 22

Ethical questions arise with the use of which of Kotter and Schlesinger's strategies for overcoming resistance to change?

A) Facilitation and support.
B) Negotiation and agreement.
C) Education and communication.
D) Manipulation and co-optation.

Question 23

Participation or education would be preferred strategies for overcoming resistance to change according to Lewin's force-field model because:

A) reactive forces would be decreased.
B) restraining forces would be decreased.
C) driving forces would be increased.
D) all forces would be increased.

Question 24

To change the status quo to another condition, driving forces can be ____________ and restraining forces _______________.

A) increased/decreased
B) decreased/increased
C) increased/increased
D) decreased/decreased

Question 25

Perceived difference resulting in some form of mutual opposition is called:

A) change
B) competition
C) conflict
D) stress

Question 26

As people mature, interests, abilities and behaviours change. Which statement below is not correct?

A) A state of infant passivity changes to become increasingly adult.
B) The repertoire of behaviour becomes more diverse.
C) Short-time perspectives develop into longer time perspectives.
D) Deep interests are increasingly replaced by shallow or casual interests.

Question 27

A situation where the degree of conflict will be strongest is when:

A) the organisation gives workers autonomy to determine their own work procedures.
B) the organisation is highly structured.
C) the organisation is very informal.
D) the organisation involves high technology.

Question 28

Individuals in organisations deal with conflict in many different ways. Among these choices is:

A) quitting their job.
B) sabotaging the work.
C) striving for higher pay.
D) All of the given answers is correct

Question 29

Which statement below is not a consequence of organisational standardisation?

A) Individuals have little control over their work.
B) Individuals will be passive and dependent.
C) Individuals are given repetitive jobs, needing minimum skill.
D) Individuals have long term work horizons.

Question 30

Conflict can be constructive or destructive for an organisation. Which of the following is not a destructive consequence of conflict?

A) Individuals or groups become hostile to the organisation.
B) Information and resources are withheld from management.
C) Problems are highlighted.
D) Projects are delayed.

Question 31

An understanding of the causes of conflict is important for managers because they need to know how to reduce or resolve conflict and also how to:

A) recognise troublemakers and deal with them.
B) ensure problems are not being hidden.
C) stimulate conflict positively when appropriate.
D) encourage dissension to promote change.

Question 32

Which of the following is least likely to be a loss from conflict?

A) Energy is diverted from achievement of organisation goals.
B) Poor judgements and perceptions.
C) Increase in cohesion levels in a group
D) Decrease in coordination in the organisation.

Question 33

There are five major styles of conflict management that managers can adopt. Which of the following is not one of them?

A) Forcing
B) Collaborating
C) Compromising
D) Stimulating

Question 34

A very popular conflict management style that involves withdrawing from the conflict is called:

A) smoothing accommodation.
B) compromise.
C) problem solving.
D) avoidance.

Question 35

A traditional style of dealing with conflict in a democratic society is:

A) avoidance.
B) compromise.
C) smoothing collaboration.
D) forcing.

Question 36

Collaboration is said to be the best conflict management style:

A) to gain consensus and commitment.
B) in emergencies.
C) to build relationships for the future.
D) when a problem is minor.

Question 37

To achieve a compromise, individuals involved in conflict need to:

A) avoid obvious disagreements.
B) give up something of value.
C) be open and trust each other.
D) dominate the other person.

Question 38

There are several techniques for resolving conflict. Which is not one of these techniques?

A) Smoothing.
B) Expansion of resources.
C) Forcing.
D) Bureaucratic authority.

Question 39

Calling conflicting individuals or groups together for a meeting is the ___________ technique of resolving conflict.

A) limited communication
B) problem-solving
C) expansion of resources
D) smoothing

Question 40

Two risky techniques a manager might use to resolve conflict are:

A) confrontation and negotiation.
B) smoothing and communication.
C) problem solving and accommodation.
D) avoidance and collaboration.

Question 41

The path of Intergroup Training does not include as one of its steps:

A) conflicting groups come together to explore each other's perceptions and relationships.
B) groups separate to discuss and list perceptions of both groups.
C) groups reassemble and a spokesperson from each group reports their group's perceptions.
D) all three groups describe the correct pathway.

Question 42

Functional conflict:

A) should always be present in organisation.
B) can enhance and benefit organisational performance.
C) is essential for a successful organisation.
D) All of the given answers are correct

Question 43

Dysfunctional conflict:

A) should always be minimised.
B) is appropriate in some situations.
C) should be stimulated by management.
D) is welcomed by management.

Question 44

Dysfunctional conflict between groups causes changes within groups which behavioural scientists have identified as being fairly predictable. Among these changes are:

A) group members are likely to argue amongst themselves.
B) the group becomes tightly knit and cohesive.
C) the group will become insecure.
D) group members will seek to find another group not experiencing conflict.

Question 45

Which statement below is not correct? Changes occurring during intergroup conflict are:

A) pride develops and there are signs of we feelings.
B) intergroup communication increases.
C) members tend to see other groups as enemies not neutral objects.
D) members feel superior, overestimating their own strength.

Question 46

The results of Gibbs Springer's study indicate that conflict has a place and purpose in an organisation. Which is not one of the positive outcomes?

A) Enhanced decision quality.
B) Support collegiality.
C) Building critical consensus.
D) Encouraging debate.

Question 47

What internal and external factors leading to a need for change should be tracked by managers?

Question 48

In order, what are the eight steps involved in the change cycle?

Question 49

What can a manager do to overcome employees' resistance to change? Describe why resistance to change is common and give six approaches to overcoming resistance.

Question 50

How can force-field analysis be used to overcome resistance and manage change?

Question 51

How would you compare and contrast issues that lead to organisational, group or individual conflicts?

Question 52

What do you consider to be the five main causes of conflict in an organisation? Justify your selected causes.

Question 53

Using a force-field analysis how would you map the benefits and losses associated with conflict? Use the thickness of arrows to show the relative strength of each factor.

Question 54

What three conflict management ideas can managers use to encourage resolution of conflict? Suggest five strategies that a manager might implement.

Question 55

How can you differentiate between functional and dysfunctional conflict? Describe the responses of people to each type of conflict.

Question 56

Describe how views on conflict have changed in recent decades. Why is the concept of stimulating conflict so important for managers?