Question 1

The general environment consists of the specific individuals and organisations that interact directly with the organisation and can affect goal achievement.

Accepted Answer

The general environment refers to the broad, complex external conditions and forces that affect all organizations (e.g., economic, technological, sociocultural, legal-political, and international forces) but do not interact directly with the organization. The specific individuals and organizations that interact directly with the organization and can affect goal achievement are considered part of the task or immediate environment.

Question 2

Mergers and acquisitions typically require OD practitioners to initiate a collaborative intervention.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 3

The key dimension of the environment is:
A)information uncertainty
B)information overload
C)resource independence
D)rules, routines, and procedures
E)technological change including social media

Accepted Answer

Information uncertainty is the key dimension of the environment because it affects the ability of organizations to make decisions. When information is uncertain, organizations have difficulty predicting the future and making informed decisions. This can lead to a number of problems, such as missed opportunities, poor decision-making, and wasted resources.

Question 4

The lessons learned from alliance building are distinct from the knowledge that can be applied to the development of network arrangements.

Accepted Answer

The lessons learned from alliance building often overlap with those applicable to the development of network arrangements, as both involve managing relationships, coordinating activities, and sharing resources among multiple parties.

Question 5

Integrated strategic change attempts to balance organisation change and human resource issues with strategic and marketplace issues.

Accepted Answer

Integrated strategic change recognizes that organizational change and human resource issues cannot be separated from strategic and marketplace issues, and seeks to balance all of these factors in pursuit of successful change.

Question 6

Organisations achieve competitive advantage when they arrange their resources and work processes in such a way that products or services either warrant a higher-than-average price or an exceptionally low cost.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Competitive advantage can be achieved through differentiation (offering unique products or services that justify a higher price) or cost leadership (offering products or services at a lower cost than competitors).

Question 7

Integrated strategic change was developed to address the issue of too much control over the strategic direction by middle management.

Accepted Answer

Integrated strategic change is a concept that focuses on how planned change can make a company's strategy more competitive. It is not specifically about addressing issues of too much control by middle management, but rather about aligning organizational structure, culture, and processes with strategic goals.

Question 8

The organisation's general environment consists of:
A)employee satisfaction
B)external forces that can indirectly affect the organisation
C)external forces that can directly affect the organisation
D)internal systems, policies and procedures
E)internal values, assumptions, and artefacts

Accepted Answer

The general environment of an organization refers to external forces that can indirectly affect it, such as economic, technological, sociocultural, and political/legal factors.

Question 9

When transactions involve people, equipment or other assets that are unique to the task, competitive strategies are preferred over collaborative strategies.

Accepted Answer

Collaborative strategies are often preferred in situations involving unique assets or individuals because they allow for leveraging each party's unique strengths and resources, fostering innovation and creating value that wouldn't be possible through competition alone.

Question 10

Collaborative interventions use a variety of collective responses to coordinate the actions within the organisation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Collaborative interventions use a variety of collective...

Question 11

Competitive strategies focus on organising the firm's resources to gain a better fit with its human resources.

Accepted Answer

Competitive strategies focus on organising the firm's resources to gain a competitive advantage in the market, not specifically to fit with its human resources. While a firm's human resources may play a role in implementing and executing these strategies, they are not the primary focus.

Question 12

An organisation's strategy is shaped by particular aspects and features of the environment.

Accepted Answer

An organisation's strategy is influenced by external factors such as economic conditions, industry trends, market competition, regulatory policies, and technological advancements. These environmental factors shape the organisation's approach towards achieving its goals and objectives.

Question 13

The two key dimensions of the environment affecting information processing are information uncertainty and resource dependence.

Accepted Answer

Information uncertainty and resource dependence are indeed two key dimensions of the environment affecting information processing. Information uncertainty refers to the lack of knowledge or predictability about the environment, while resource dependence refers to the degree to which an organization depends on external resources (such as suppliers or customers) for its survival and success. Both of these dimensions can impact how organizations gather, process, and utilize information.

Question 14

Operational combination activities should proceed slowly and carefully following the announcement of the merger or acquisition.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Operational combination activities should proceed slowly and...

Question 15

Network development interventions are concerned with helping sets of organisations engage in relationships to perform tasks where economies of scale can be gained.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Network development interventions are concerned with helping...

Question 16

The success of a competitive strategy depends on organisation responses that result in unique, valuable and difficult-to-imitate advantages.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. A competitive strategy is a plan to gain a competitive advantage over competitors in an industry or market. To be successful, the organization's responses need to create advantages that are unique, valuable, and difficult for competitors to replicate. These advantages can include things like superior technology, strong brand reputation, or exclusive partnerships. When an organization has these types of advantages, they are better positioned to attract customers and outperform their competitors.

Question 17

Transformation interventions help organisations to implement strategies for both competing and collaborating with other organisations.

Accepted Answer

Transformation interventions are designed to help organisations adapt and change, and this includes implementing strategies to both compete and collaborate with other organisations in the industry.

Question 18

An organisation's strategic competitive advantage is aided when its strategies are difficult to imitate.

Accepted Answer

If an organisation's strategies are difficult to imitate, it creates a barrier to entry for competitors and allows the organisation to maintain its competitive advantage. This can be achieved through a combination of factors such as unique resources, proprietary technology, and specialized knowledge.

Question 19

In the initial establishment of a network, potential members are identified in the convention stage.

Accepted Answer

In the initial establishment of a network, potential members are identified in the formation stage, not the convention stage. The convention stage involves setting up the rules and norms for the network.

Question 20

Self-organising features can be useful for organisation transformation (OT) practitioners to unfreeze change.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Self-organising features can be useful for organisation...

Quiz 11: Competitive and Collaborative Strategies