Question 1

The increasing diversity of the American workforce,and the fact that people aged 18-34 are more likely to be living with their parents than with a spouse or partner,are both examples of a(n)______ force for change.
A)market
B)demographic
C)social and political
D)political
E)economic

Accepted Answer

The facts presented in the question refer to demographic changes - specifically, an increasingly diverse workforce and a greater number of young adults living with parents rather than partners. These demographic changes are a force for change, as they impact societal norms and expectations, organizational structures, and consumer behavior.

Question 2

Firms such as General Motors and McDonald's actively collect information about customer preferences and try to address them in their new products.General Motors and McDonald's are actively trying to adapt to
A)shareholder,customer,and market changes.
B)social and political pressures.
C)human resource concerns.
D)managers' behavior.
E)technological advancements.

Accepted Answer

General Motors and McDonald's are collecting information about customer preferences in order to adapt to market changes and stay competitive. This shows that they are trying to address the needs of their customers in their new products, which is a response to changes in the market.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a factor that affects the level of resistance to change?
A)the gender of the change agent
B)employee characteristics and perceptions of change
C)the change agent's leadership style
D)change agent-employee relationship
E)the change agent's ability to empathize with the employee's perspective

Accepted Answer

The gender of the change agent is not a significant factor that affects the level of resistance to change. Other factors, such as employee characteristics and perceptions of change, the change agent's leadership style, change agent-employee relationship, and the change agent's ability to empathize with the employee's perspective, have a greater impact on resistance to change.

Question 4

The invention of a machine to make plastic corks for wine bottles has severely affected companies that produce traditional cork.The invention of the machine for making plastic corks is an example of a(n)______ advancement.
A)market
B)social and political
C)technological
D)demographical
E)economic

Accepted Answer

The invention of a machine for making plastic corks is a technological advancement, as it involves the use of new technology to create a new product that affects the market.

Question 5

Which of the following is not an inside force that indicates organizational change might be needed?
A)high turnover
B)excessive conflict between managers and employees
C)increased competition
D)high levels of stress among employees
E)job dissatisfaction

Accepted Answer

Increased competition is an external force, not an inside force within the organization. The other options listed are all indicators of internal problems that may require organizational change.

Question 6

Appliance America's customer complaints have increased because its drivers often get lost when attempting deliveries,which means that the deliveries arrived late.The drivers have resisted using GPS systems,claiming they know their territories.But managers are now encouraging them to look for the best solution to the increased level of customer complaints.Appliance America is in the ________ stage of Lewin's change model.
A)changing
B)unfreezing
C)evaluation
D)learning
E)refreezing

Accepted Answer

Appliance America is in the unfreezing stage of Lewin's change model because they have recognized a problem with their current process and are encouraging their drivers to look for the best solution. The drivers' resistance to using GPS systems also suggests that they have a locked-in mindset that needs to be unfrozen in order to make changes.

Question 7

Which of the following is an inside force for change?
A)domestic competition
B)recession
C)advancements in automation
D)immigration
E)low productivity and turnover

Accepted Answer

Low productivity and turnover are internal issues that can be addressed and changed within the organization through various strategies such as improving training programs or offering better compensation packages. Domestic competition, recession, advancements in automation, and immigration are all external factors that are beyond the organization's control and cannot be directly changed by the organization itself.

Question 8

Sparkling Clean,Inc.is considering implementing a system that will pay its cleaning workers based on the number of completed residential jobs,coupled with satisfactory ratings on random inspections to ensure quality.This system is new to the organization,and it is an example of __________ change.
A)adaptive
B)innovative
C)familiar
D)radically innovative
E)highly complex

Accepted Answer

The proposed system is new and different from the current method of paying workers, therefore it is innovative. The other options do not accurately describe the nature of the proposed change.

Question 9

The two cofounders of Network Appliance,a data-storage firm in Sunnyvale,California,were feuding with each other because one founder couldn't stick to his decisions,which drove the other founder crazy.A(n)____________ began working with the warring executives in separate sessions to solve the problem.
A)organizational behavior specialist
B)family doctor
C)informational technologist
D)acquisition consultant
E)labor relations specialist

Accepted Answer

An organizational behavior specialist would be best equipped to handle issues of communication and decision-making conflicts between co-founders in a company. The specialist can provide insight into the dynamics of the organization and help create strategies for improving communication and collaboration to resolve conflicts.

Question 10

Studies exploring nurses' perceptions about using PDAs in their daily patient practice found initial resistance,with some nurses concerned about the cost and short technological life cycle of these devices.As part of the __________ stage of change,the nurses' managers try to instill in them the motivation to change,encouraging them to let go of attitudes and behaviors that are resistant to innovation.
A)unfreezing
B)freezing
C)change
D)refreezing
E)thawing

Accepted Answer

The stage of change where managers try to instill motivation and encourage letting go of resistant attitudes and behaviors is the unfreezing stage. This is the initial stage of the change process where individuals become aware that change is needed and begin to overcome resistance to it.

Question 11

___________ change introduces a new practice to an organization but one that is not new to the industry.
A)Proactive
B)Adaptive
C)Innovative
D)Reactive
E)Radically innovative

Accepted Answer

Innovative change is the introduction of a practice that is new to the organization.

Question 12

At Toys 4 Tiny Tots,employees know that during the December shopping season they are often required to work different schedules,weekends,and overtime.The December work schedules at Toys 4 Tiny Tots is an example of a(n)______ change because workers have experienced it in the past.(They experience it every December. )
A)reactive
B)adaptive
C)innovative
D)incremental
E)radically innovative

Accepted Answer

An adaptive change is a change that is familiar to the organization and is often a response to a specific issue or problem that has occurred in the past. The December work schedules at Toys 4 Tiny Tots is an example of an adaptive change because it is a familiar pattern that occurs every year during the holiday season. It is not a reactive change, as there is no specific problem or issue that is being addressed. It is also not an innovative or incremental change, as it does not involve introducing new products or services or making minor improvements to existing processes. It is not a radically innovative change, as it is not a major shift in the way the business operates.

Question 13

As owner and senior accountant at a tax preparation firm,Mark is changing the work schedule of all employees,including managers and accountants,for the months of March and April,the company's busiest time.He is requiring everyone to work on weekends,just as he has during the tax-preparation season for the last ten years.Mark should expect that his employees will be
A)terribly upset and will quit.
B)moderately upset but not willing to quit.
C)moderately upset and complain.
D)hardly upset or not upset at all.
E)terribly upset but not quit.

Accepted Answer

Since the employees have been working weekends during the tax-preparation season for the last ten years, they are likely accustomed to this schedule change and therefore will be hardly upset or not upset at all.

Question 14

The human resource manager at Helping Hands Inc.has just calculated that the employee absenteeism rate for 2016 is 15 percent higher than it was in 2015,and the turnover rate increased 18 percent over the same time period.Which of the following is NOT an option she should consider for improving the situation?
A)Wait until 2017 and see what the turnover rate is at the end of that year.
B)Deal with employees' possible work overloads.
C)Identify causes of job dissatisfaction.
D)Address and adjust job design.
E)Identify possible employee role conflicts.

Accepted Answer

Waiting until 2017 to see if the turnover rate improves is not a proactive approach to addressing the issue. The HR manager should be taking actions to improve the situation as soon as possible. Options B, C, D, and E are all valid approaches to addressing the issues of absenteeism and turnover.

Question 15

Northstar Insurance is about to begin using a program that will change the way its adjusters settle insurance claims.Adjusters will be able to complete an adjustment and issue a check right at the scene of the accident.Although employees are uncertain that the new system will work,other insurance agencies have been successful with this approach.At Northstar Insurance,the new program represents ________ change.
A)motivated
B)innovative
C)adaptive
D)radically innovative
E)refusal to

Accepted Answer

The new program represents an innovative change because it is a new and different way of doing things.

Question 16

Joan,a new manager,must enforce sales report deadlines,but her team is struggling.She creates a new system to streamline the process and helps everyone understand why the deadlines are important.On which of the following internal forces is Joan trying to have an impact?
A)demographic characteristics
B)shareholder,customer,and market changes
C)manager's behavior
D)human resource concerns
E)social and political pressures

Accepted Answer

Joan is trying to have an impact on the manager's behavior by creating a new system and helping her team understand the importance of meeting sales report deadlines.

Question 17

In the Internet Age,retailers like Amazon and Apple are not constrained by physical shelf space and can offer consumers a much wider variety of products;yet small sales,one or two rather than millions of items at a time,can produce big profits.This development is an example of
A)the marketplace becoming more segmented and moving toward more niche products.
B)declining population in developed countries.
C)China becoming the second-largest economic power.
D)the rise of business-to-business technology.
E)instant-gratification shopping.

Accepted Answer

The wider variety of products offered by online retailers like Amazon and Apple allows consumers to find more niche products, leading to a more segmented marketplace. Small sales of these niche products can still produce big profits for the retailers.

Question 18

Employees are likely to see an adaptive change as
A)highly threatening.
B)moderately threatening.
C)least threatening.
D)significantly complex,costly,and uncertain.
E)totally unacceptable.

Accepted Answer

Because adaptive change is familiar, it is the least threatening to employees and thus will create the least resistance.

Question 19

Social media (LinkedIn,Facebook)can make the search for new employees more efficient.The rise of social media is an example of a(n)__________ advancement or force.
A)technological
B)social or political
C)market
D)inside
E)demographic

Accepted Answer

Social media is a technological advancement that has allowed for the creation and use of platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook for recruitment purposes. Therefore, the correct choice is A, technological.

Question 20

________ is an emotional/behavioral response to real or imagined threats to an established work routine.
A)Change agency
B)Benchmarking
C)OD intervention
D)Radical innovation
E)Resistance to change

Accepted Answer

Resistance to change refers to the emotional and behavioral response of individuals or groups when faced with a change in an established work routine. This response can be due to either real or imagined threats, and can manifest in a variety of ways such as avoidance, denial, or active resistance.

Quiz 10: Organizational Change and Innovation: Lifelong Challenges for the Exceptional Manager

The increasing diversity of the American workforce,and the fact that people aged 18-34 are more likely to be living with their parents than with a spouse or partner,are both examples of a(n) ______ force for change.

Firms such as General Motors and McDonald's actively collect information about customer preferences and try to address them in their new products.General Motors and McDonald's are actively trying to adapt to

Which of the following is not a factor that affects the level of resistance to change?

The invention of a machine to make plastic corks for wine bottles has severely affected companies that produce traditional cork.The invention of the machine for making plastic corks is an example of a(n) ______ advancement.

Which of the following is not an inside force that indicates organizational change might be needed?

Which of the following is an inside force for change?

Sparkling Clean,Inc.is considering implementing a system that will pay its cleaning workers based on the number of completed residential jobs,coupled with satisfactory ratings on random inspections to ensure quality.This system is new to the organization,and it is an example of __________ change.

___________ change introduces a new practice to an organization but one that is not new to the industry.

Joan,a new manager,must enforce sales report deadlines,but her team is struggling.She creates a new system to streamline the process and helps everyone understand why the deadlines are important.On which of the following internal forces is Joan trying to have an impact?

In the Internet Age,retailers like Amazon and Apple are not constrained by physical shelf space and can offer consumers a much wider variety of products;yet small sales,one or two rather than millions of items at a time,can produce big profits.This development is an example of

Employees are likely to see an adaptive change as

Social media (LinkedIn,Facebook) can make the search for new employees more efficient.The rise of social media is an example of a(n) __________ advancement or force.

________ is an emotional/behavioral response to real or imagined threats to an established work routine.