Deck 17: Managing Organizational Change

Question 1

As a general rule, an external change agent will distance him- or herself from top management.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

If change is threatening the balance of power in an organization, it will be resisted.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Using "reengineering" as a code word for "downsizing" will help to ensure that the morale of the organization remains unaffected.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The knowledge explosion is unrelated to technology.

Question 5

Some organizations and industries are not suited to being learning organizations.

Question 6

When a change occurs, people will freely admit that they lack the skills to be a good performer.

Question 7

Well-run organizations are free of employee discontent.

Question 8

The choice of a particular development method depends on the nature of the problem that management has diagnosed and the depth of the intended change.

Question 9

Structural approaches to organizational change attempt to improve effectiveness by introducing change through formal policies and procedures.

Question 10

Typically, the exact procedures employed in implementing a management by objectives approach should not vary from organization to organization and from unit to unit.

Question 11

In work situations where change is obviously the best choice, the change agent seldom encounters fear, anxiety, or resistance.

Question 12

Kurt Lewin developed a change cycle commonly known as the PDCA cycle.

Question 13

According to Jack Welch, former CEO of General electric, while all change agents must be leaders, not all leaders are change agents.

Question 14

In the general model of organizational change, unfreezing refers specifically to empowering employees to open their "frozen" minds and make decisions for themselves.

Question 15

Changes that are imposed with little warning are not likely to be resisted by employees.

Question 16

Identifying organizational problems is far more difficult than identifying individuals' problems.

Question 17

The external change agent has a comparative advantage over the internal change agent when significant strategic changes must be evaluated.

Question 18

People who receive a positive reward are more likely to do the same thing in a similar situation.

Question 19

As a force for change, external forces are the most important things for a manager to control.

Question 20

Downsizing can mean replacing employees with computerized systems.

Question 21

External change agents are temporary employees of the organization; they are engaged for _______________.

A) the duration of the change process
B) a maximum of one year
C) six months or less
D) planning meetings only

Question 22

A shift in work processes or movement of people is likely to threaten:

A) Friendships
B) Patterns of social on-the-job interactions
C) Routines
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 23

Today's managers and faced with ________ change. We must also recognize that the rate of change has been ______.

A) continual, accelerating
B) sporadic, inconsistent
C) continual, decelerating
D) sporadic, accelerating

Question 24

The success of any change program rests heavily on the quality and workability of the relationship between the change agent and the _______within the organization.

A) key decision makers
B) union employees
C) financial specialist
D) board of trustees

Question 25

An external change agent is usually a _______________ who has training and experience in the behavioral sciences.

A) university professor or private consultant
B) private consultant or junior manager
C) senior manager or university professor
D) junior /senior manager or senior union official

Question 26

In Lewin's third step, reinforcement and locking in new behaviors and attitudes is accomplished through _______.

A) rewards
B) recognition
C) training / orientation programs
D) All of the above.

Question 27

Which of the following is not one of the steps in Kirk Lewin's approach to learning?

A) Unfreeze
B) Introduce change
C) Movement to new learning
D) Refreeze

Question 28

Which of the following would be considered the most vigorous resistance to change?

A) Sabotage
B) Teaching others how to resist
C) Not paying attention
D) Complaining

Question 29

Human capital approaches are a category of change methods designed to help individuals learn and grow professionally and perhaps personally.

Question 30

Implementing a change that doesn't consider the constraints imposed by the prevailing conditions within the organization may amplify the problem that triggered the process.

Question 31

Using the terms of the general model for organizational change, it is during the _______ stage that employees are encouraged to acquire new behaviors and attitudes that support the new direction of the organization.

A) learning
B) practice
C) moving
D) selling

Question 32

In a recent article, Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, estimated that no more than ___ percent of employees fit the category of internal change agent.

A) 2
B) 5
C) 10
D) 20

Question 33

A trainer is a knowledgeable individual who is committed to providing support to other, usually junior, organizational members.

Question 34

A _________ is a person who acts as the initiator of change activities.

A) change leader
B) change agent
C) cheerleader
D) mediator

Question 35

Refreezing a learned behavior takes reinforcement and _______________.

A) feedback
B) punishment
C) repetition
D) reward

Question 36

The task of the change agent is to challenge the goals of _______________.

A) upper management
B) shareholders
C) workers
D) the status quo

Question 37

According to the text, the driving force behind organizational change at Bell Atlantic was:

A) The rapid growth of competing companies
B) The introduction of new technology
C) Deregulation of the communications industry
D) Stockholder pressure

Question 38

The major components of most TQM programs vary according to the situation.

Question 39

Members of new teams often pay more attention to the tasks of the team than to the relationships among the team members.

Question 40

The ultimate goal of _______________ is to have the learned behavior become a habit.

A) unfreezing
B) learning
C) moving
D) refreezing

Question 41

Organizations seldom undertake significant change without a strong shock from their _______________.

A) workers
B) stakeholders
C) environment
D) customers

Question 42

_______________ breaks a core process into segments to eliminate waste, delays, and slow response time.

A) Streamlining
B) Automating
C) Integrating
D) Transforming

Question 43

Organizations are structured to resist changes or forces that generate:

A) Competition
B) Employee turnover
C) Growth
D) Instability

Question 44

James Champy and Michael Hammer advocate an approach to structure and process that begins with _________________.

A) behavioral considerations
B) a clear, blank sheet of paper
C) an employee involvement perspective
D) All of the above.

Question 45

_________ of intended change refers to the scope and intensity of the change efforts.

A) Depth
B) Reach
C) Scale
D) Multiplicity

Question 46

_______________ is the unification of systems, processes, or work-related activities across functional lines.

A) Reengineering
B) Integrating
C) Streamlining
D) Transforming

Question 47

Internal forces for change can usually be traced to process and _______________ problems.

A) behavioral
B) financial
C) management
D) training

Question 48

Examples of external forces for change include all of the following except:

A) social and political change
B) technology
C) process problems
D) economic

Question 49

_______________ is a symptom of a behavioral problem that must be diagnosed.

A) A high level of absenteeism
B) High turnover
C) Low morale
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 50

There _____________ for accurate diagnosis of the problem within the organizational change and development process.

A) must be unfreezing
B) is one best way
C) is no formula
D) Both A & B are correct.

Question 51

Reengineering approaches typically fall into the all of the following categories except:

A) Streamlining
B) Documenting
C) Integrating
D) Transforming

Question 52

MBO programs are considered ___________ approach to change.

A) a small group
B) a technological
C) a human capital
D) All of the above

Question 53

Communication is a(n) _________ factor in successful change programs

A) onetime
B) on going
C) intermittent
D) recessive

Question 54

The survey approach is a useful diagnostic approach if the potential focus of change is _______________.

A) a small work group
B) a typical workgroup
C) the total organization
D) a large workgroup

Question 55

Management by objectives is a philosophy of management that reflects a _______________ approach to managing.

A) reactive
B) proactive
C) neutral
D) hands-off

Question 56

The more people at all levels in the organization are involved in change _______________, the higher the likelihood of success.

A) monitoring
B) implementation
C) planning
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 57

Learning organizations typically have all of the following characteristics except:

A) Open discussions and accessibility to information and data
B) A steady influx of new employees with new ideas
C) Clear vision expressed at all levels
D) Clear goals and concepts of performance expectations

Question 58

Depth of intended change refers to the scope and _______________ of the change efforts.

A) cost
B) frequency
C) consequences
D) intensity

Question 59

______________approaches to organizational change refer to managerial actions that attempt to improve effectiveness by introducing change through formal policies and procedures.

A) Process
B) Structural
C) Mechanistic
D) Organic

Question 60

__________ is described as creating radical changes in processes, systems, and/or structures that meet customer needs efficiently and are economically sound.

A) Contriving
B) Machinating
C) Reengineering
D) Previsioning

Question 61

Under the six sigma approach, one expects no more than _____ defects per 1 million parts produced.

A) 1
B) 3.4
C) 10.4
D) 24

Question 62

Why may a theoretically sound change approach not achieve any of the anticipated results?

Question 63

A necessary prerequisite to effective, lasting organizational change is _______________ change.

A) technological
B) communications
C) individual
D) structural

Question 64

The correct sequence of phases in appreciative inquiry is:

A) Dreaming, designing, discovering, delivering
B) Discovering, designing, dreaming, delivering
C) Dreaming, discovering, designing, delivering
D) Discovering, dreaming, designing, delivering

Question 65

What is the ultimate goal of introspection?

A) Learning
B) Improving self-confidence
C) Egolessness
D) Achieving a balance in life

Question 66

Job enlargement and job enrichment are primary examples of _____ approaches to organizational change.

A) technological
B) structure
C) systems
D) task

Question 67

Tom Watson, Jr., president of IBM from 1952 to 1971, identified all of the following as cornerstones of his firm's approach to business except:

A) Respect each individual
B) Provide the best service possible to each customer
C) Make excellence a way of life
D) Merge work with fun whenever possible

Question 68

The most widely used method for developing employee productivity is/are _______________.

A) new equipment
B) new procedures
C) training programs
D) mentoring

Question 69

All of the following are typically considered as influencing the outcome of management change programs except:

A) Compensation equity
B) Leadership climate
C) Formal organization
D) Organizational culture

Question 70

With any change program, there must be some provision for evaluating the program in terms of expenditures and _______________.

A) results
B) turnover
C) profits
D) innovation

Question 71

_______________ transformations will ultimately fail if the individuals involved are not receptive to change.

A) Structural
B) Task
C) Technological
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 72

Why are outside change agents often used to facilitate change and what is there general purpose?

Question 73

What happens in Lewin's moving stage?

Question 74

Formalized mentor-mentee relationships should always be _______________, for both parties.

A) mandatory
B) supervised
C) voluntary
D) challenging

Question 75

What are the steps in Kurt Lewin's change process?

Question 76

What is the ultimate goal of "refreezing" in the general model of organizational change and development?

Question 77

The nature of the work environment that results from the leadership style and administrative practices of managers is termed the _______________ climate.

A) leadership
B) restrictive
C) overlord
D) suppression

Question 78

A number of positive benefits to the organization have been identified as outcomes of mentoring programs. These include:

A) Early identification of talent that might otherwise go unnoticed.
B) Sensing by mentors of employee attitudes and morale.
C) Transmission of informal organizational expectations.
D) All of the above.

Question 79

Appreciative inquiry is a method of focusing on positive or _______________ opportunities.

A) negative
B) potential
C) profitable
D) missed

Question 80

The implementation of change has two dimensions: timing and _______________.

A) cost
B) scope
C) duration
D) management