Question 1

A good manager is also a good leader who understands and anticipates the underlying reasons for resistance to change and acts pro-actively.

Accepted Answer

A good manager, who is also a good leader, is skilled in understanding the dynamics of change within an organization, including recognizing and addressing the reasons for resistance, and takes proactive steps to facilitate smooth transitions.

Question 2

O'Connor & Fiol identified the characteristics of formal and informal authority figures that make desirable sponsors effective change agents.

Accepted Answer

O'Connor and Fiol, in their research, identified characteristics of formal and informal authority figures that make them effective sponsors and agents of change, emphasizing the importance of leadership qualities in facilitating organizational change.

Question 3

Strong conflict is mostly generated amongst very mature adults who work in top management with high knowledge and skill levels.

Accepted Answer

Strong conflict can arise in any group regardless of maturity, position, or skill level, as it often stems from differences in values, goals, needs, or resources rather than the maturity or skill level of the individuals involved.

Question 4

Very low conflict levels may be an indicator to management that with a lack of new ideas no problems have arisen.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Very low conflict levels may be an...

Question 5

Emotionally based relationship conflict and task focused conflict generally detract from organisational performance.

Accepted Answer

While emotionally based relationship conflict typically detracts from organizational performance by disrupting teamwork and communication, task-focused conflict can actually enhance performance by encouraging diversity of thought, innovation, and problem-solving.

Question 6

According to the conflict and performance dual curve perspective, an employee affected by a high level of task and process conflict and high level of relationship conflict is at their lowest performance level.

Accepted Answer

The conflict and performance dual curve perspective suggests that while a moderate level of task and process conflict can stimulate creativity and improve performance, high levels of these conflicts combined with high levels of relationship conflict typically result in decreased performance due to stress, decreased motivation, and disrupted teamwork.

Question 7

Internal factors causing the need for change in organisations include:

Accepted Answer

Internal factors that can necessitate change in organizations include employees, culture, and aspects related to industrial relations, all of which are integral to the internal environment of an organization.

Question 8

Factors causing the need for change are internally and externally driven. Which factors are not included in the internal and external environment?

Accepted Answer

All the factors listed in options A, B, and C are indeed part of the internal or external environments that can drive the need for change within an organization.

Question 9

Which factor below does not represent an external change factor?

Accepted Answer

Technology can be both an internal and external change factor, but in many contexts, it is considered an internal factor as organizations can control and implement technological changes internally.

Question 10

To have a system for progress measurement in place is important when an organisation wants to monitor whether it achieved its strategic goals and objectives. Which communication tool is not a part of tracking changes?

Accepted Answer

History is not a communication tool used for tracking changes; it is a record of past events and does not actively contribute to the monitoring or communication of ongoing progress towards strategic goals. Tools like feedback, intranets, and notice boards are direct methods of communication that can be used to track and share updates on changes.

Question 11

The effective organisational change process is cyclical in nature. The first step in the cycle is:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The effective organisational change process is cyclical...

Question 12

The last step in the change cycle should be:

Accepted Answer

The last step in the change cycle should be the evaluation of the changes against desired outcomes. This allows for the assessment of the effectiveness of the changes and ensures that they meet the initial goals set before implementation.

Question 13

Bartol lists several reasons why individuals might resist change in the organisation. Which reason below is not correct?

Accepted Answer

The reasons listed by Bartol for resistance to change in an organization typically include misunderstanding and lack of trust, tolerance for change, and how self-interests are affected. The ability to accept changes that are political or philosophical in nature is not specifically mentioned by Bartol as a reason for resistance to change. This option does not align with the common reasons identified for resistance to organizational change, which are more focused on personal impact, understanding, and adaptability.

Question 14

Kurt Lewin suggests a relatively simplified three-step model for overcoming resistance to change in organisations. The first of his steps is:

Accepted Answer

Kurt Lewin's three-step model for overcoming resistance to change in organizations starts with "unfreezing." This step involves preparing the organization to accept that change is necessary, which includes breaking down the existing status quo before you can build up a new way of operating.

Question 15

Unfreezing, changing and refreezing are the:

Accepted Answer

These are the steps in Kurt Lewin's change management model, which describes how to facilitate change in organizations by first unfreezing attitudes, implementing the change, and then refreezing to stabilize the new state.

Question 16

Education and communication, as well as participation and involvement, fit into the Lewin model for overcoming resistance to change at the:

Accepted Answer

Education and communication, as well as participation and involvement, are strategies used in the unfreezing step of Lewin's change model. This step is about preparing an organization to accept that change is necessary, which involves breaking down the existing status quo before you can build up a new way of operating.

Question 17

Kotter and Schlesinger identified a number of strategies for trying to overcome resistance to change. Which strategy do they recommend when the initiators do not have all the information they need to design the change?

Accepted Answer

Participation and involvement is recommended when the initiators do not have all the information they need, as it allows those who have the necessary information to contribute to the change process.

Question 18

Kotter and Schlesinger identified a number of strategies for trying to overcome resistance to change. Which strategy do they say is very quick to implement?

Accepted Answer

Explicit and implicit coercion is considered a quick strategy for implementing change because it involves the use of authority or power to enforce change, bypassing the need for extensive persuasion or consensus-building.

Question 19

Which method of overcoming resistance to change is likely to be too time-consuming if too many people are involved?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which method of overcoming resistance to change...

Question 20

A successful, but often under-utilised, strategy for overcoming resistance is:

Accepted Answer

Participation and involvement allow stakeholders to feel ownership of the change and reduce resistance.

Quiz 7: Managing Change and Conflict