Exam 9: Change Management

What type of learning occurs when managers and employees examine the assumptions they used to arrive at a point of view?

Both single-loop and double-loop learning are methods of learning that involve questioning current assumptions,examining problems from different perspectives,and questioning the validity of the problems.

Two aspects are critical to organizational change efforts and foundational to the HR function.Describe these two areas,providing examples of how HRM is involved in strategic change process.

Define double-loop learning and how this occurs in organizational settings.

What type of feedback would a technology company use to determine the number of laptops to produce?

Organizational change has occurred in a company in response to new leadership directives and different strategic plans.What level of development is creating this change?

As people turn increasingly to online shopping,the big-box stores are becoming less relevant to shoppers.Big-box retailers are now developing smaller versions of their stores in an attempt to adapt to these changes.What level of change are the big-box retailers responding to?

When managers and employees examine the assumptions they have used to arrive at a point of view,they are using mental model learning that enables them to bypass the assumptions that may be locking them into a particular frame of mind.

Force-field analysis can be used to decide whether a change is appropriate and,if so,what actions should be taken to move toward the new direction.List the seven steps in the force-field analysis process.

An organization's change initiative is characterized by change in the organization's culture and in the attitudes and values of its employees.The goal is to reduce costs and enhance quality.Which type of change initiative is this?

In managing change,stakeholders must be convinced that the current modes of behaviour and way of doing things are no longer successful paths to achieving goals.What stage in the unfreezing process is this?

In managing change,individuals and groups must develop a sense of pressure to change in order to overcome resistance and to move away from current behaviours and toward new learning and new behaviours.What stage of the unfreezing process is this?

"Freezing" is a stage in the change process that involves a trial-and-error process of taking action to move the firm through the intended change.

Once the need for change has been identified,what would be the next step in the change process?

Organizational change occurs in response to three levels of developments.What are these three levels?

The two areas of HRM that are critical to implementing strategic change are leadership and vision.

Many change models recognize that the change process comprises several critical periods of change.What is the first period?

Discuss the two uses of force-field analysis and their benefits to the change management process.

Describe Kurt Lewin's three-step model of planned organization change

"Freezing" is a stage in the change process that involves the development of a shared understanding among stakeholders that a particular change is necessary.