Deck 1: Organization Development and Reinventing the Organization

Question 1

Environmental analysis was an early OD approach to change.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

OD specialists may be either internal or external OD practitioners.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

In attempting to manage today's organizations,many executives find that their past failures to give enough attention to the changing environment are now creating problems for them.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Peripheral norms are those norms that are essential to an organization's objectives.

Question 5

Norms are the rules and regulations of an organization regarding the conduct of employees.

Question 6

Characteristics of OD include a collaborative approach to change and an emphasis on performance.

Question 7

Organizations are considered static systems.

Question 8

Organization culture refers to the general characteristics of an organization such as the size of the organization,where it is physically located,and the layout of the buildings.

Question 9

A country such as China likely will not have OD programs,as OD is primarily limited to developed countries with democratic governments.

Question 10

Successful firms in the 21st century will share common traits,including being faster,more customer oriented,and larger.

Question 11

Once a successful organization such as Google has defined a business model,the reason and importance of developing plans for change diminish.

Question 12

OD practitioner Warren Bennis suggests that the three underlying factors in the emergence of OD are the need for new forms,an increase in social awareness,and a focus on cultural change.

Question 13

The objective of OD techniques is to focus on a small segment of an organization so that it will not impact the rest of the system.

Question 14

Both planned changes and the systems approach are used in organization development.

Question 15

The OD practitioner is always a member of the organization so that the issue of trust is satisfied.

Question 16

OD specialists who are internal practitioners typically come from areas of the organization such as finance and manufacturing.

Question 17

Since planned change can not take into consideration unfolding and unknown events,OD is change based upon current conditions so that an organization can react to the latest market conditions.

Question 18

A humanistic concern for personal growth is a characteristic of organization development.

Question 19

Some OD practitioners consist of organization members,such as managers,who apply OD to their work.

Question 20

The increasing rate of change in a company's external environment is one reason for the utilization of organization development.

Question 21

A psychological contract is a written agreement,typically part of the employment contract,documenting the expectations of both the individual and the organization.

Question 22

Which of the following is (are)one of the major sets of forces in organization environment over the years?

A)customers
B)competitors
C)government
D)unions
E)all of the above

Question 23

Socialization is the process that adapts employees to the organization's culture.

Question 24

Which of the following statements relative to OD and the management of change are true?

A)Theory has little application in the real world of business.
B)Theory is,by definition,very abstract and quite difficult to understand.
C)The value of OD is that it provides a systematic approach for the management of change.
D)It is better to apply no theory at all than to apply a theory that has not been proven successful.
E)Management and theories tend to be mutually exclusive.

Question 25

A primary difference between OD and other behavioral science techniques is an emphasis on viewing the organization as a total system.

Question 26

Integrating organizational goals and individuals' motivation for goal attainment is called _____.

A)organization development
B)organization integration
C)organization planning
D)organization control
E)none of the above

Question 27

The field of OD is the discipline that _____.

A)is rich in abstract theory
B)is almost entirely intuitive
C)is almost a pure science
D)applies behavioral science to management problems
E)all of the above

Question 28

Research into the effectiveness of psychological contracts has shown that the obligations of the employee are the most critical determinants of organizational commitment.

Question 29

In organization development,a practitioner must consider not only the external environment of the organization,but also _____.

A)customers
B)suppliers of production inputs
C)the needs of society
D)the needs of employees
E)answers c and d

Question 30

A good psychological contract will focus on cultural values and avoid addressing job expectations.

Question 31

Which of the following is included as one of the important ideas in the definition of OD?

A)planning
B)providing direction and leadership from top levels of the organization
C)attaining organizational effectiveness
D)organization wide
E)all of the above

Question 32

OD is considered a political and power type of intervention within an organization.

Question 33

The reason OD has emerged is because the external environment for most organizations is becoming more _____.

A)simple and predictable
B)complex and dynamic
C)bureaucratic and rigid
D)subject to manipulation by the firm
E)static and predictable

Question 34

An employee who utilizes creative individualism accepts peripheral norms and questions the peripheral norms.

Question 35

The discipline that studies planned changes or the relationship between organizations and their environment is called _____.

A)management science
B)management development
C)psychology
D)organizational development
E)none of the above

Question 36

It is important for new employees to read carefully the organization's employee handbook and policy manual so that they may learn the peripheral norms of the organization.

Question 37

The action research model does not call for feeding back information to the organization in order to prevent confusing the members.

Question 38

OD is oriented to improving organizational _____.

A)growth
B)effectiveness
C)profitability
D)goals
E)none of the above

Question 39

A pivotal norm in the sales department could be a peripheral norm in the finance department,even within the same organization.

Question 40

Pivotal norms are not critical to the success of an organization and they allow the members the freedom to express their individualism.

Question 41

The OD program strives for _____.

A)a planned strategy of product enhancement
B)controlling behavior in the organization
C)the organization's systems
D)changing organization behavior toward more effective performance
E)none of the above

Question 42

Organizational development characteristics include all of the following concepts EXCEPT _____.

A)predicting individual behavior
B)use of the scientific method
C)a concern for personal growth
D)performance improvement
E)discovering relationships among elements of the organization and excellence

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the use of OD?

A)OD is a practical way for robots to weld auto body parts.
B)OD can improve productivity.
C)OD in some cases will improve employee involvement.
D)OD can assist in improving organizational effectiveness.
E)OD can change the direction of the organization.

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of OD theory?

A)classical organizational theory
B)change that is planned
C)involvement and collaboration
D)scientific approaches combined with practical experience
E)systems approach

Question 45

Warren Bennis suggests three factors underlie the emergence of OD,including the _____.

A)need for organizational decision making,policy making,and training
B)need for new forms,focus on cultural change,and increase in social awareness
C)need for management development
D)need for new goals,new values,and new ideas
E)answers a and d

Question 46

Which of the following is a characteristic of OD?

A)depends upon power and political strategies
B)imposed by management
C)uses a micro approach to change
D)seeks improved happiness of employees
E)relies on humanistic values about people

Question 47

Organization culture refers to a system of shared meanings,which include _____.

A)value system
B)language
C)interactions
D)all of the above
E)answers a and c

Question 48

OD is essential because it is a _____.

A)source of careers
B)means to preserve knowledge
C)means to accomplish change
D)vital part of small groups
E)way employees get to know one another

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT one of the early approaches to OD?

A)laboratory training
B)economic and environmental analysis
C)survey feedback
D)applied behavioral science interventions
E)survey research

Question 50

What factors did Warren Bennis,a leading pioneer of OD,believe led to the emergence of OD?

A)increased social awareness
B)focus on cultural change within the organization
C)the need for new organizational forms
D)a desire to implement an interdisciplinary approach to management
E)all of the above

Question 51

When Rensis Likert and Floyd Mann used survey research and feedback at Detroit Edison in the 1950s,they were applying the _____ model developed earlier by Kurt Lewin.

A)action research
B)systems theory
C)organization culture
D)socialization
E)culture-normative index

Question 52

Which of the following statements with respect to the early practice of OD is correct?

A)The practice of management dates back about 100 years.
B)The scientific study of OD as a field of inquiry dates back about 50 to 60 years.
C)By 1950,most organizations were using OD.
D)Survival was not an issue in most organizations before 1950.
E)Early managers were not concerned with managerial efficiency and effectiveness.

Question 53

Which of the following terms does not describe an OD practitioner?

A)change agent
B)union organizer or advocate
C)consultant
D)OD specialist
E)manager

Question 54

Change is often difficult to implement within an organization because _____.

A)change may be perceived as conflicting with the organization's mission
B)change may threaten the organization's culture and norms
C)all organizations operate in an environment
D)answers a and b
E)none of the above

Question 55

OD specialists _____.

A)are members of the organization
B)come from outside the organization
C)may be part of the human resource department
D)are team leaders and managers who apply OD to their work
E)all of the above

Question 56

The set of values that helps members of an organization know what the organization stands for and how it does business defines the organization _____.

A)design
B)culture
C)structure
D)responsibility
E)normalization

Question 57

Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics of OD?

A)collaborative approach
B)decision making
C)systems approach
D)planned change
E)none of the above

Question 58

Which one of the following is NOT a vital function of OD?

A)accomplish things collaboratively
B)improve performance
C)provide a systems approach
D)provide people with career opportunities
E)provide improved effectiveness for the organization

Question 59

Organization development has emerged from _____.

A)applied behavioral science
B)laboratory training
C)survey feedback
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 60

Which of the following is included in the definition of OD?

A)OD applies to the organization system.
B)OD is based on behavioral science knowledge.
C)OD is concerned with planned change.
D)OD encompasses strategy,culture,and process changes.
E)all of the above

Question 61

An important aspect of socialization when joining an organization is _____.

A)the technical aspects of the job
B)making sure to greet people you don't know
C)filing out forms correctly
D)adjusting to the culture
E)all of the above

Question 62

In the socialization process,new employees usually enter the organization with some anxiety over expectations.Which stage of socialization follows an employee's expectations upon first entering an organization?

A)adjustment to cultural norms
B)encounters organization's culture
C)rebellion
D)results
E)none of the above

Question 63

OD practitioners come from primarily what two areas.Explain.

Question 64

Which of the following is an example of a psychological contract?

A)application form
B)legal contract
C)job description
D)purchase order
E)unwritten agreement

Question 65

The action research model contains the following element(s):

A)collecting information about the organization
B)withholding feedback to prevent confusion
C)developing action programs
D)all of the above
E)answers a and c

Question 66

For a new employee,the socialization process evolves through four stages.Which one of the following is not one of those stages?

A)entering an organization with initial expectations
B)encountering the organization's culture
C)being promoted to a higher position
D)adjusting to the culture and norms
E)receiving feedback.

Question 67

The ideal behavior for a healthy and effective organization would be to encourage employees to _____,which can be termed creative individualism.

A)reject both peripheral and pivotal norms of the organization
B)accept pivotal norms and question peripheral norms
C)accept peripheral norms and reject pivotal norms
D)accept both peripheral and pivotal norms
E)question pivotal norms and reject peripheral norms

Question 68

What is NOT a characteristic of the psychological contract?

A)It is open-ended.
B)It describes expectations.
C)Salary is written in the contract.
D)Periodic renegotiation is necessary.
E)It is unwritten.

Question 69

List and describe the three basic socialization responses and tell under what conditions each may be appropriate.

Question 70

Define OD and differentiate OD from other change programs.