Question 1

Which of the following is a term borrowed from the physical sciences that accurately describes people's resistance to change?

Accepted Answer

Inertia is a term borrowed from the physical sciences that refers to the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion or rest. In a similar way, people often resist change and can be as difficult to move as an object with inertia.

Question 2

Which kind of resistance to change is most likely to be beneficial to a company?

Accepted Answer

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Question 3

Workers in a company are complaining about a new employee evaluation system.Which kind of resistance to change are they demonstrating?

Accepted Answer

The workers' resistance is due to uncertainty about the new employee evaluation system. They may not know how the system works or how it will affect their performance evaluations. This is a common form of resistance to change, as employees may be afraid that the new system will negatively impact their job security or status within the company.

Question 4

A technique that helps employees deal with change that appeals to their sense of logic is ________.

Accepted Answer

Education and communication help employees understand the reasons behind the change and how it will benefit them and the organization. This approach appeals to their sense of logic and helps them feel more comfortable with the change. Manipulation, coercion, and co-optation are not effective ways to help employees deal with change.

Question 5

Uncertainty causes people to resist change because it ________.

Accepted Answer

Uncertainty involves unknown factors, which can be unsettling and uncomfortable for people. When faced with uncertainty, people may resist change because the unknown may disrupt their routines, habits, and comfort zones. They may prefer the known, familiar, and predictable aspects of their current situation. Therefore, uncertainty replaces the known with the unknown, creating resistance to change.

Question 6

In a short essay, explain the three types of organizational change.

Accepted Answer

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Question 7

Older workers tend to resist change more than younger workers because they ________.

Accepted Answer

Older workers have usually spent more time working within the current system and therefore have more invested in it. They may have developed routines and workflows that have become comfortable, making them resistant to change. Additionally, older workers may feel that their experience and expertise are not being respected or utilized in the implementation of new changes, further contributing to their resistance.

Question 8

In a short essay, explain organization development (OD).

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

In a short essay, describe the "calm waters" view of organizational change.

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

When an entire workforce threatens to go on strike to protest a work change, managers might try this method of reducing resistance to change.

Accepted Answer

Negotiation is often used to address resistance to change by offering incentives or compromises to the workforce to prevent a strike.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a common reason that people resist change?

Accepted Answer

Overconfidence is not typically listed as a common reason why people resist change. The common reasons include habit, uncertainty, and concern over personal loss.

Question 12

Employees at a company protest a change that allows an automatic answering system to answer phone inquiries, claiming that the company is becoming "depersonalized." They are most likely resisting change due to ________.

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

Managers typically implement programs to reduce resistance to change when employees ________ in some way.

Accepted Answer

Managers implement programs to reduce resistance to change when employees become dysfunctional, as this can hinder productivity and the successful implementation of change.

Question 14

Workers seem to reject a simple new manufacturing method that has been shown to increase company sales because they say, "That is not the way we do things around here." These workers are most likely to be resisting change due to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The workers are resistant to change because they are following the habit or tradition of how things are done in their workplace. They are comfortable with the current way of manufacturing and do not want to deviate from it.

Question 15

When managers threaten to fire workers unless they agree to go along with new company policies, they are using which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The use of threats to force compliance is considered coercion.

Question 16

In a short essay, identify and discuss how internal forces can bring about the need for an organization to change.

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

If several efforts between a manager and an employee for reducing resistance to change fail to allay employee fears, a manager might take him- or herself out of the process and try this.

Accepted Answer

If efforts to reduce resistance to change fail, a manager might consider providing facilitation and support to the employee to help them cope with the change. This could take the form of additional training or resources, counseling, or mentoring to help the employee transition to the new way of doing things. Choosing negotiation, manipulation or participation are not appropriate choices in this scenario.

Question 18

A technique that helps employees deal with change that includes them in the decision-making process is ________.

Accepted Answer

Participation involves involving employees in the decision-making process, which can increase their commitment to the change and help them cope with it better. Education and communication can help employees understand the reasons for the change, but participation allows them to have a voice in the process. Negotiation and coercion are not effective techniques for helping employees deal with change.

Question 19

In a short essay, list and explain four common organization development (OD)techniques.

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

In a short essay, describe the "white-water rapids" view of organizational change.

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 8: Managing Change and Innovation