Question 1

Jim is sent to a training group in which he is encouraged to experiment with his interpersonal behavior and receives nonjudgmental feedback.Which type of organizational development technique is his employer using?

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes a T group, which is a type of organizational development technique that focuses on interpersonal behavior and nonjudgmental feedback in a group setting. Team building involves activities intended to improve cooperation and communication within a team, survey feedback involves collecting and analyzing employee data to assess satisfaction and identify areas for improvement, and modeling involves observing and imitating specific behaviors exhibited by successful individuals or organizations.

Question 2

In the _________ approach team building helps teams improve their performance by helping them work together more efficiently.

Accepted Answer

In the task-oriented approach, team building is focused on improving the team's ability to work together more effectively and efficiently to accomplish their goals and tasks. This can include activities that enhance communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution skills, among others. The emphasis is on building teamwork skills that can be directly applied to the team's work tasks.

Question 3

Weber intended bureaucracy theory to be descriptive.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Weber intended bureaucracy theory to be descriptive....

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true about T-groups?

Accepted Answer

T-groups focus on group dynamics and interpersonal interactions among members, rather than individual psychotherapy.

Question 5

Lisa was hired as a change agent for New Millennium Enterprises.She will use the OD technique of survey feedback.What should be her first step?

Accepted Answer

Survey feedback as an Organizational Development (OD) technique typically begins with the design and administration of questionnaires to all employees to gather information about their perceptions, attitudes, and suggestions for improvement. This step is crucial for understanding the current state of the organization from the employees' perspective before any change initiatives are planned or implemented.

Question 6

Which of the following is not an issue that organizational theories deal with?

Accepted Answer

Organizational theories deal with the design and structure of organizations, the interrelationships among people in organizations, and the interactions among people and technology in organizations. However, the design of human-technology interfaces falls under the domain of human-computer interaction and design engineering, and is not typically considered an issue addressed by organizational theories.

Question 7

When evaluating the effectiveness of organizational development programs,

Accepted Answer

Organizational development programs are complex and have a variety of approaches, making it difficult to assess their effectiveness. While some programs may be effective, others may not be, making a blanket statement about their effectiveness impossible. Research has been conducted on the effectiveness of such programs, but it is not always conclusive.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the survey feedback OD technique is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Survey feedback is designed to give employees a safe and anonymous way to express their opinions, making it a nonthreatening communication platform. This helps create an environment of open communication that can lead to improved job satisfaction, motivation, and overall productivity.

Question 9

When the survey feedback OD technique is used,who is usually surveyed?

Accepted Answer

The survey feedback OD technique involves surveying all employees of an organization to gather data and feedback on issues related to organizational effectiveness, communication, leadership, team dynamics, etc. This helps to identify areas where improvements can be made and informs the development of action plans and interventions. Therefore, the best choice is C - all employees.

Question 10

Which OD technique typically has no effect or negative effects?

Accepted Answer

T-group (also known as sensitivity training) has been criticized for potentially causing emotional stress and stripped of context because of the forced nature of group interaction. It can also lead to groupthink and conformity rather than individual empowerment and creativity.

Question 11

A group of New Millennium Enterprises employees meet with a facilitator to improve their performance by learning to work together more effectively.Which OD technique is being used?

Accepted Answer

Team building is an OD technique designed to improve teamwork and collaboration among employees by addressing communication barriers, interpersonal conflicts, and trust issues. In this scenario, the New Millennium Enterprises employees are meeting with a facilitator to improve their performance by learning to work together more effectively, which aligns with the objectives of team building. Management by objectives and goal setting are more focused on setting goals and objectives for individual and team performance, while survey feedback involves collecting data from employees to assess organizational issues and needs.

Question 12

Team building techniques have one of two orientations.What are they?

Accepted Answer

The two orientations of team building techniques are task and interpersonal. Task orientation involves improving team members' ability to complete work together effectively, while interpersonal orientation focuses on improving communication, trust, and relationships among team members.

Question 13

Which OD technique is designed to enhance the communication and interpersonal skills of individual employees through group exercise technique,usually with groups of strangers?

Accepted Answer

T-group or Training-group is an OD technique that helps to improve the communication and interpersonal skills of individual employees by exposing them to social situations and exercises with groups of strangers. The idea is to provide employees with a safe environment to interact with others and receive feedback on their behavior and communication styles, which can help them gain insight into how they come across to others and work on improving their skills. Team building, survey feedback, and management by objectives are different OD techniques that may also help improve employee performance, but they do not specifically focus on improving communication and interpersonal skills through group exercises with strangers.

Question 14

Which is the oldest of the four organizational theories that the text discusses?

Accepted Answer

Bureaucracy theory is considered to be the oldest of the four organizational theories discussed in the text. It was developed in the late 1800s by Max Weber and focused on creating a formalized hierarchy of authority, clear rules and procedures, and specialized roles and functions within organizations.

Question 15

__________ theories indicate how organizations should operate.

Accepted Answer

Prescriptive theories are designed to provide organizations with guidelines on how to operate based on certain assumptions and principles. Descriptive theories, on the other hand, seek to explain the way organizations actually operate, while operational theories focus on specific processes and procedures. Prophetic theories are not a recognized category of organizational theories.

Question 16

Research into the effectiveness of organizational development programs indicates that

Accepted Answer

Research on organizational development programs is complicated due to the vast range of approaches and the intricacy of the programs. Therefore, it becomes challenging to determine the effectiveness of OD techniques.

Question 17

The OD technique "team building" focuses on

Accepted Answer

The OD technique "team building" specifically focuses on improving the functioning of work teams. It involves activities and interventions aimed at enhancing communication, collaboration, and problem-solving among team members. Option A is more aligned with goal setting techniques, while option C is focused on job satisfaction. Option D is not related to team building.

Question 18

New Millennium Enterprises asks each employee detailed questions about their opinions of the company.The information gathered is then summarized and given back to the employees and is then used as the starting point for organizational change.Which OD technique was used?

Accepted Answer

The OD technique used in this scenario is survey feedback. This technique involves gathering data from employees using surveys or questionnaires, analyzing the results, and then providing feedback to the employees. This feedback is then used as a starting point for organizational change. Management by Objectives is a goal-setting technique, team building involves activities to improve collaboration and communication within a team, and T-groups are a type of sensitivity training. None of these techniques involve the gathering and analyzing of employee opinions as the starting point for organizational change.

Question 19

What allows organizations to compare their data with other organizations in survey feedback?

Accepted Answer

The use of standardized scales allows organizations to compare their data with other organizations because it ensures that everyone is using the same measurement tool. This allows for consistent and valid comparisons across organizations. Open-ended comments and custom-made scales do not provide this level of standardization and comparison.

Question 20

T-groups are

Accepted Answer

T-groups are training groups that focus on the development of interpersonal skills and self-awareness through structured group sessions. They are also known as sensitivity training groups.

Quiz 14: Organizational Development and Theory