Question 1

The "tyranny of the or" refers to the belief that only one goal and not another can be attained.

Accepted Answer

The tyranny of the or is the belief that things must be either A or B and cannot be both, such as believing that only one goal and not another can be attained.

Question 2

OD is most often a narrow improvement in technology or operations.

Accepted Answer

Organization development (OD) is defined as being systemwide. That means OD is not a narrow improvement in technology or operations but a broader approach to changing organization, units, or people.

Question 3

According to Collins and Porras, in a successful organization, long-term thinking and investment come at the expense of demand for short-term results.

Accepted Answer

The genius of the and, known more academically as organizational ambidexterity, refers to being able to achieve multiple objectives at the same time. One example given by Collins and Porras is balancing long-term thinking and a demand for short-term results.

Question 4

Change-specific reasons for resistance include self-interest and self-reliance.

Accepted Answer

Causes of resistance arise from the specific nature of a proposed change. Change-specific reasons for resistance include self-interest, misunderstanding, different assessments, and management tactics.

Question 5

Organizational ambidexterity refers to being able to achieve multiple objectives at the same time.

Accepted Answer

The genius of the and, known more academically as organizational ambidexterity, refers to being able to achieve multiple objectives at the same time.

Question 6

Striving for world-class excellence, though a lofty goal, helps companies survive and succeed in today's intensely competitive business world.

Accepted Answer

To some people, striving for world-class excellence seems a lofty, impossible, unnecessary goal. But it is a goal that helps one survive and succeed in today's intensely competitive business world. World-class companies create high-value products and earn superior profits over the long run. The result is an organization capable of competing successfully on a global basis.

Question 7

Most people care more about the organization's best interests than their own, and this helps the implementation of change.

Accepted Answer

Most people care less about the organization's best interest than they do about their own best interests. They will resist a change if they think it will cause them to lose something of value, like their job or a sense of competence.

Question 8

Continually striving to improve is equivalent to becoming world class.

Accepted Answer

Being world class requires applying the best and latest knowledge and ideas and having the ability to operate at the highest standards of any place anywhere. Thus becoming world class does not mean merely improving. It means becoming one of the very best in the world at what you do.

Question 9

The basic types of OD techniques include strategic interventions, technostructural interventions, HR management interventions, and human process interventions.

Accepted Answer

The basic types of OD techniques include strategic interventions, technostructural interventions, HR management interventions, and human process interventions.

Question 10

The key to successful change is people.

Accepted Answer

For an organization to be great, or even just to survive, people have to care about its fate and know how they can contribute.

Question 11

Shared responsibility for change in organizations is often lost with growth and over time.

Accepted Answer

Shared responsibility for change is not unusual in start-ups and very small organization. But too often it is lost with growth and over time. In large, traditional corporations, it is all too rare.

Question 12

Organizational development refers to the training that is available to improve employee acceptance of organizational change.

Accepted Answer

Organization development (OD) is a systemwide application of behavioral science knowledge to develop, improve, and reinforce the strategies, structures, and processes that lead to organization effectiveness.

Question 13

Becoming world class is a goal that is applicable only to the private sector.

Accepted Answer

Becoming world class doesn't apply only to the private sector. A locality can strive to become a world-class center of thinkers, makers, or traders. The keys to creating world-class local communities include visionary leadership, a climate friendly to business, a commitment to training workers, and collaboration among businesses and between business and local government.

Question 14

Pursuing both purpose beyond profit and pragmatic pursuit of profit, as recommended by Collins and Porras, is an example of "the genius of the and."

Accepted Answer

The genius of the and, known more academically as organizational ambidexterity, refers to being able to achieve multiple objectives at the same time. One example given by Collins and Porras is pursuing both purpose beyond profit and pragmatic pursuit of profit.

Question 15

General reasons for resistance to change are inertia, timing, surprise, and peer pressure.

Accepted Answer

Several reasons for resistance arise regardless of the actual content of the change: inertia, timing, surprise, and peer pressure.

Question 16

The essential characteristic of great companies, according to Collins and Porras, is their relentless focus on beating the competition.

Accepted Answer

The critical factor is that the great companies have core values, know what they are and what they mean, and live by them year after year.

Question 17

Individuals must be able to cope with change because their job performance, the rewards they receive, and their career success depends on it.

Accepted Answer

Change happens constantly and unpredictably. And for individuals, the ability to cope with change is related to their job performance, the rewards they receive, and their career success.

Question 18

A critical characteristic of success for the great companies studied in "Built to Last" by Collins and Porras was a surprisingly consistent set of values followed by all of them.

Accepted Answer

No set of common values consistently predicted success. Instead, the critical factor is that the great companies have core values, know what they are and what they mean, and live by them year after year.

Question 19

Most people are ambivalent about change; they neither embrace nor resist it.

Accepted Answer

People at all levels of their organizations, from entry-level workers to top executives, resist change. Some people resist change more than others, but managers tend to underestimate the amount of resistance they will encounter.

Question 20

Organizational development supports human potential.

Accepted Answer

OD has an important underlying value orientation: it supports human potential, development, and participation in addition to performance and competitive advantage.

Quiz 18: Creating and Leading Change

The "tyranny of the or" refers to the belief that only one goal and not another can be attained.

OD is most often a narrow improvement in technology or operations.

According to Collins and Porras, in a successful organization, long-term thinking and investment come at the expense of demand for short-term results.

Change-specific reasons for resistance include self-interest and self-reliance.

Organizational ambidexterity refers to being able to achieve multiple objectives at the same time.

Striving for world-class excellence, though a lofty goal, helps companies survive and succeed in today's intensely competitive business world.

Most people care more about the organization's best interests than their own, and this helps the implementation of change.

Continually striving to improve is equivalent to becoming world class.

The basic types of OD techniques include strategic interventions, technostructural interventions, HR management interventions, and human process interventions.

The key to successful change is people.

Shared responsibility for change in organizations is often lost with growth and over time.

Organizational development refers to the training that is available to improve employee acceptance of organizational change.

Becoming world class is a goal that is applicable only to the private sector.

Pursuing both purpose beyond profit and pragmatic pursuit of profit, as recommended by Collins and Porras, is an example of "the genius of the and."

General reasons for resistance to change are inertia, timing, surprise, and peer pressure.

The essential characteristic of great companies, according to Collins and Porras, is their relentless focus on beating the competition.

Individuals must be able to cope with change because their job performance, the rewards they receive, and their career success depends on it.

A critical characteristic of success for the great companies studied in "Built to Last" by Collins and Porras was a surprisingly consistent set of values followed by all of them.

Most people are ambivalent about change; they neither embrace nor resist it.

Organizational development supports human potential.