Question 1

Managers who initiate change are likely to face a lot of problems if they assume that anyone with the same information would make the same decision.

Accepted Answer

Assuming that others would make the same decision with the same information overlooks individual differences in values, experiences, and perspectives, which can lead to resistance and problems in implementing change.

Question 2

Empowering workers by giving them some control over the change process is an effective way to reduce the stress they experience.

Accepted Answer

Empowering workers by involving them in the change process helps in reducing resistance, increasing their sense of control, and thereby reducing the stress associated with change.

Question 3

One way to reduce cynicism is to make successful change a normal part of daily life in the organization.

Accepted Answer

Introducing successful change as a routine aspect of organizational life can help reduce cynicism by demonstrating adaptability, progress, and the positive outcomes of change, thereby building trust and acceptance among members.

Question 4

The results of a change process are typically monitored at random intervals.

Accepted Answer

The results of a change process are typically monitored at specific, planned intervals to ensure accurate tracking of progress and effectiveness.

Question 5

There are four methods of organizational change: technological, organization redesign, job redesign, and organizational development. Seldom is significant change be based on one of these methods alone.

Accepted Answer

Organizational change often requires a combination of these methods rather than relying on a single approach, as each addresses different aspects of the organization and its operations.

Question 6

Technological change involves incremental changes that affect workflows, production methods, and materials.

Accepted Answer

Technological change often includes incremental changes, which are small, gradual improvements or updates to existing technologies, processes, or materials that can lead to enhancements in workflows, production methods, and the efficiency or quality of outputs.

Question 7

Sometimes the need for organizational redesign follows directly from implementing new technologies.

Accepted Answer

New technologies can change how work is done, necessitate new skills, and lead to changes in processes, which may require an organizational redesign to effectively integrate these technologies into the business.

Question 8

Active hiring is a familiar approach to structural redesign.

Accepted Answer

Active hiring refers to the process of actively seeking out candidates for open positions, rather than structural redesign, which involves changing the organizational structure or roles within a company.

Question 9

Reengineering typically means reconfiguring the organization by changing the levels of authority, responsibility, and control.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Reengineering typically means reconfiguring the organization by...

Question 10

Downsizing is usually a reactive response to poor organizational performance.

Accepted Answer

Downsizing is often implemented as a reactive strategy in response to declining financial performance, economic downturns, or the need to improve organizational efficiency, rather than as a proactive or strategic measure for growth.

Question 11

Several researchers have found that downsizing is not guaranteed to work; many downsized firms end up in worse financial shape after the downsizing than they were before.

Accepted Answer

Downsizing often aims to reduce costs and improve efficiency, but it can also lead to loss of valuable employees, decreased morale, and reduced innovation capacity, which can harm a firm's financial performance in the long run.

Question 12

Reengineering involves redesign of an organization's processes (e.g., logistics, distribution, and manufacturing) with the goal of designing the most effective process for making and delivering a product.

Accepted Answer

Reengineering focuses on the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical measures of performance such as cost, quality, service, and speed. This includes redesigning processes like logistics, distribution, and manufacturing to optimize the overall workflow and efficiency.

Question 13

Changing job specifications to broaden and add challenge to the tasks required and toincrease productivity is called job enrichment.

Accepted Answer

Job enrichment involves modifying a job to make it more engaging and fulfilling for the employee, often by adding more varied tasks, increasing autonomy, and providing opportunities for personal growth, which can lead to increased productivity.

Question 14

The downside to job simplification is that it leads to low employee commitment and high turnover.

Accepted Answer

Job simplification often results in repetitive, monotonous tasks that can decrease job satisfaction, leading to lower employee commitment and higher turnover rates as employees seek more engaging and rewarding work.

Question 15

Organization development is a planned, long-range behavioral science strategy for understanding, changing, and developing an organization's workforce in order to improve its effectiveness.

Accepted Answer

Organization development (OD) is indeed a planned and systematic approach that applies behavioral science knowledge and practices towards the goal of increasing an organization's health and effectiveness through its workforce's development and change management strategies.

Question 16

Focus groups need to operate in an open, non-threatening environment where there is no designated leader.

Accepted Answer

Focus groups typically have a designated leader or moderator to guide the discussion, ensure that the conversation stays on topic, and that all participants have the opportunity to speak.

Question 17

When employee surveys are designed to address issues of strategic importance, they can be used to enhance the organization's competitive advantage.

Accepted Answer

When employee surveys are designed to focus on strategic issues, they can provide insights into areas such as employee engagement, innovation, and operational efficiency, which are critical for enhancing an organization's competitive advantage.

Question 18

As organizations become flatter and rely more on teams to get work done, the importance of team building has also grown.

Accepted Answer

Flatter organizational structures emphasize collaboration and teamwork, making team building crucial for fostering communication, trust, and efficiency among team members.

Question 19

ERP software is usually designed to be used by a single department that needs a quick solution to help cut costs.

Accepted Answer

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software is designed to be used by multiple departments within an organization, integrating various functions like finance, HR, manufacturing, and supply chain into a single system to streamline processes and information across the organization.

Question 20

Installing ERP software can be considered a radical change.

Accepted Answer

Installing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software often involves significant changes to a company's processes and can affect many areas of its operations, thus it is considered a radical change.

Quiz 12: Guiding Organizational Change and Innovation