Deck 12: Organizational Change and Learning

Question 1

An intervention that is imposed through a top-down hierarchy via directive leadership is called a __________________.

A) "change to"
B) "changing"
C) "dictating to"
D) punctuated equilibrium

Answer 1

A

Question 2

_______________ is an idea, practice, or object that is new and is adopted by an individual or team.

A) Creativity
B) Innovation
C) Mutation
D) Punctuated equilibrium

Answer 2

B

Question 3

This form of organizational learning involves changes in individual behaviors or processes but not organizational processes.

A) deuteron learning
B) double-loop learning
C) single-loop learning
D) triple-loop learning

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In the I-P-O model, this stage is characterized by how information is analyzed and reorganized.

A) input
B) outcome
C) output
D) process

Question 5

The key skills for facilitating successful change management are _______________.

A) administrative skills
B) conceptual skills
C) people skills
D) technical skills

Question 6

Cosette is the CEO of a company who has initiated a change with little input from her employees. She directed her employees to always greet a customer when they first come in contact with them in the store. This is an example of a _______________ intervention.

A) "change to"
B) "change up"
C) "changing"
D) "changing from"

Question 7

Russell created several committees, with employees from all levels, when it was determined that the organizational culture needed to change. He hopes the committees with adopt policies that allow for flexibility during the change process. This is an example of a _______________ intervention.

A) "buy in"
B) "change to"
C) "change up"
D) "changing"

Question 8

In writings separated by nearly five decades, influential industrial-organizational theorists Mary Parker Follett and Chris Argyris both highlighted the importance of allowing _______________ throughout the change process.

A) employee criticism
B) employee defiance
C) employee participation
D) employee resistance

Question 9

Randi has identified how the sales figures in her company have been under the estimates for the past five quarters. This has led her to redesign how her sales team attempts to balance starting new accounts with efforts to increase current accounts. She has recently given bonuses to persons who opened the most new accounts in the past two quarters. Her ideas for change most closely follow _______________.

A) Chris Argyris
B) Kurt Lewin
C) Hugo Munsterberg
D) Mary Parker Follet

Question 10

In general, "changing" interventions have many advantages of "change to" interventions because of the former involve greater levels of employee participation and buy-in to the processes. What is an important disadvantage of "changing" interventions relative to "change to" interventions?

A) decreased employee motivation because of a lack of a voice in the change process
B) the greater levels of employee resistance during the change process as well as after the new processes are being reinforced
C) the lengthy preparation for the change process and the process-intensive work during and following its implementation
D) reduced feelings of efficacy about being able to carry out successfully the new workplace processes

Question 11

Joaquin is reviewing the literature on the processes involved in introducing organizational change within businesses. Which of the following ideas is consistent with a tenet of the punctuated equilibrium model?

A) change should be introduced gradually to allow for evolutionary change
B) change should be introduced quickly to eliminate the change for resistance to occur
C) change should be introduced quickly to ensure that people who resistance can be terminated
D) change should occur in large increments so employees appreciate the return to the original status quo

Question 12

During change processes, it is not uncommon for organizational members to become overloaded with information and to have work processes disrupted. What do researchers like Herold and his colleagues (2008) recommend for dealing with this?

A) avoiding change interventions except when necessary for the survival of the organization
B) delegating employees to be "change targets" to absorb the rapid exchange of information and day-to-day adjustments and thus protect the organization
C) force all employees to work additional hours to learn the new information and processes as quickly as possible to protect the organization
D) generate anonymous and confidential mechanisms for employees to criticize the change and thus improve the overall change process

Question 13

One aspect that is necessary for successful organizational change as well as organizational learning is the presence of innovation. Which of the following is a key component of the innovation process?

A) access to the smartest and most diligent employees
B) attentive management support for innovation
C) high levels of self-efficacy
D) low degree of organizational slack

Question 14

This type of organizational learning involves "learning about learning." It involves studying and learning from the context in which learning occurred to determine what facilitated or inhibited the learning process.

A) deutero learning
B) double-loop learning
C) methodical learning
D) single-loop learning

Question 15

What organizational change information-gathering method obtains feedback quickly from a large number of employees and/or customers quickly with minimal cost from face-face interactions during the information-gathering activities?

A) deliberative dialogue
B) feedback loops
C) surveys
D) SWOT

Question 16

Contrast the "change to" and "changing" approaches to organizational change.

Question 17

Demonstrate how systematic change management has been a recurrent theme in industrial-organizational psychology's history.

Question 18

Discuss the necessity of change for organizations and the importance of managing change properly.

Question 19

What are some key ideas for organizational leaders to remember regarding change management and development?

Question 20

Describe the benefits an organizations gains from "changing" through the strategic planning process.