Question 1

Organisations can achieve innovations in business through:
A) research and development
B) on-the-job training
C) valuing mistakes as well as successes
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Organisations can achieve innovations in business through research and development, on-the-job training, as well as valuing mistakes as well as successes. Research and development can lead to the discovery of new products or services, improved processes, and more efficient ways of doing things. On-the-job training can help employees learn new skills and techniques that can lead to improved performance and increased productivity. Valuing mistakes as well as successes can create an environment of experimentation and risk-taking, which can lead to innovative ideas and solutions. Therefore, all of the above options are important for achieving innovation in business.

Question 2

One of the key issues faced by organisations seeking to effectively manage organisational knowledge is:
A) a lack of employee creativity
B) a lack of employee innovation
C) a lack of retaining employees
D) a lack of younger employees and individualists

Accepted Answer

Retaining employees is crucial for effective knowledge management as knowledge resides in the minds of employees. A high turnover rate can lead to a loss of critical knowledge and experience, which can hinder the organisation's ability to compete and innovate.

Question 3

Measuring the impact of knowledge management is difficult for organisations.According to the CHRM Application Tool one way to evaluate knowledge management against success criteria is to:
A) assess the degree to which profits have increased since the implementation of knowledge management
B) assess the degree to which customers complaints have decreased since the implementation of knowledge management
C) assess the degree to which the collective knowledge of employees has increased since the implementation of knowledge management
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

The CHRM Application Tool suggests evaluating knowledge management's impact by looking at various success criteria, including increased profits, decreased customer complaints, and the enhancement of employees' collective knowledge. These metrics collectively provide a comprehensive view of knowledge management's effectiveness.

Question 4

Which of the following characteristics of an organisation's environment would NOT encourage learning to take place?
A) an environment that was supportive
B) an environment that only recognised successes
C) an environment that encouraged participation in decision making
D) an environment that created a community atmosphere to reduce barriers

Accepted Answer

An environment that only recognises successes would discourage learning as it does not acknowledge mistakes or failures, which are key opportunities for learning and growth. The other options - supportive environment, participative decision-making, and creating a community atmosphere - would all encourage learning.

Question 5

What is considered a favourable environment in an organisation where both innovation and a creative climate are supported?
A) Add playfulness as research shows sadness diminishes creativity
B) For creative employees to be managed uniquely as traditional management methods work poorly for them.
C) To have training and rigorous performance appraisals to structure conformity with organisations' procedures.
D) Both a and b

Accepted Answer

Adding playfulness to the work environment can promote creativity, while traditional management methods may not work for creative employees, as they may require unique management techniques. It is also important to have training and performance appraisals, but they should not be too rigid to stifle creativity. Therefore, both option A and B are favorable for promoting innovation and a creative climate in an organization.

Question 6

Tidd, Bessant, and Pavitt (2005), identified four types of innovation.Which of the following is NOT a type of innovation?
A) product innovation
B) process innovation
C) positioning innovation
D) procedure innovation

Accepted Answer

Tidd, Bessant, and Pavitt (2005) identified product innovation, process innovation, and positioning innovation as types of innovation, but procedure innovation is not listed among the types they identified.

Question 7

What are the five steps in creating knowledge?

Accepted Answer

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Question 8

A learning environment must be encouraged for learning to take place.According to Redding and Catalanello (1994) what are the four ways in which organisations can learn?

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

Knowledge cannot be clearly 'touched' or 'categorised', because it is holistic.Reflect on this statement and outline the difference between information and knowledge.

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

An administrative employee introduced a new procedure to deal with customer complaints.This new method meant that customer complaints could be dealt with more reliably and efficiently.This is an example of:
A) an adapter introducing a process innovation in a chaotic environment
B) an innovator introducing a product innovation in a routine environment
C) an adapter introducing a process innovation in a routine environment
D) an innovator introducing a procedure innovation in a chaotic environment

Accepted Answer

The administrative employee introduced a new procedure to deal with customer complaints, which is a process innovation. The fact that the procedure was introduced by an administrator suggests that it was introduced in a routine environment, rather than a chaotic one. Therefore, the best choice is C, an adapter introducing a process innovation in a routine environment.

Question 11

Why do some organisations fail to learn? Provide at least 6 (six) reasons.

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

Using the concept of knowledge work, firstly as a profession, secondly an individual characteristic and finally as an individual activity, describe 'knowledge work' in an organisation.

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

In what ways should HRM ensure that knowledge is managed within the organisation?

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

An organisation has a large research and development department that enables it to constantly produce new goods and services to meet changes in the external environment.What type of organisation is this?
A) a learning organisation
B) an organisation that is skilled at knowledge acquisition
C) an organisation that is skilled at information sharing and collaboration
D) an organisation that values teamwork and a shared purpose

Accepted Answer

A learning organization is characterized by its ability to adapt to changes in the external environment through the continuous acquisition and application of new knowledge and insights. A large research and development department is a key feature of such an organization, as it reflects a commitment to innovation and the pursuit of new ideas and technologies.

Question 15

Organisational culture can be identified as:
A) Having visible and non-visible dimensions
B) Shared values, assumptions and beliefs that guide behaviour
C) Characteristics of the relationships between people
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Organisational culture has visible and non-visible dimensions that include shared values, assumptions, and beliefs that guide behaviour, as well as characteristics of the relationships between people. Therefore, the best choice is D, which includes all of the above options.

Quiz 4: Managing knowledge, Innovation and Creativity in Organisations

Organisations can achieve innovations in business through:

One of the key issues faced by organisations seeking to effectively manage organisational knowledge is:

Measuring the impact of knowledge management is difficult for organisations.According to the CHRM Application Tool one way to evaluate knowledge management against success criteria is to:

Which of the following characteristics of an organisation's environment would NOT encourage learning to take place?

What is considered a favourable environment in an organisation where both innovation and a creative climate are supported?

Tidd, Bessant, and Pavitt (2005) , identified four types of innovation.Which of the following is NOT a type of innovation?

What are the five steps in creating knowledge?

A learning environment must be encouraged for learning to take place.According to Redding and Catalanello (1994) what are the four ways in which organisations can learn?

Knowledge cannot be clearly 'touched' or 'categorised', because it is holistic.Reflect on this statement and outline the difference between information and knowledge.

An administrative employee introduced a new procedure to deal with customer complaints.This new method meant that customer complaints could be dealt with more reliably and efficiently.This is an example of:

Why do some organisations fail to learn? Provide at least 6 (six) reasons.

Using the concept of knowledge work, firstly as a profession, secondly an individual characteristic and finally as an individual activity, describe 'knowledge work' in an organisation.

In what ways should HRM ensure that knowledge is managed within the organisation?

An organisation has a large research and development department that enables it to constantly produce new goods and services to meet changes in the external environment.What type of organisation is this?

Organisational culture can be identified as: