Deck 13: Changing Organizations

Question 1

Clarifying and defining jobs within an organization is an example of a(n)________ change.

A)technological
B)people
C)structural
D)essential
E)administrative

Answer 1

C

Question 2

An unstable organization with high capability to adapt is characterized by moderate probability of success.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Value Innovations Inc.engages in selling computers and other electronic components through telephone and Web orders.The company has decided to change some of its policies.When recruiting employees,it will now focus primarily on the attitudes of individuals.Here,the company is concentrating on a(n)________ factor.

A)structural
B)technological
C)communication
D)people
E)informative

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Briefly explain the dynamics of organizational change and stability.

Question 5

Which one of the following is the most complete description of organizational effectiveness?

A)The extent to which an organization accomplishes its objectives
B)Overall profitability of an organization or an organizational unit
C)Ability of an organization to produce maximum output with a given input
D)The extent to which an organization's actions benefit society
E)The extent to which an organization's resources are used cost-effectively

Question 6

The CEO of a company decides to introduce decentralization to help the organization exercise greater control over its subunits and increase employee motivation.This is an example of a(n)________ change.

A)people
B)administrative
C)technological
D)managerial
E)structural

Question 7

Attitudes,leadership skills,and communication skills are ________.

A)structural factors
B)technological factors
C)communication factors
D)people factors
E)informative factors

Question 8

A manager whose change efforts focus on the understanding of people is participating in ________.

A)organization behavior
B)organization development
C)organization insight
D)organization hierarchy
E)organization challenge

Question 9

Hellriegel and Slocum's model shows the relative importance of ________ to organizational survival.

A)external and internal environments
B)change and stability
C)innovation and conservativeness
D)trust and vigilance
E)change and risk taking ability

Question 10

Which one of the following is an example of a structural factor that determines organizational effectiveness?

A)technologies
B)leadership skills
C)employee attitudes
D)procedures
E)equipment

Question 11

The probability of organizational survival and growth declines when ________.

A)visibility is low
B)credibility is high
C)accountability is high
D)mobility is low
E)stability is low

Question 12

Organizational survival and growth are most probable when both stability and adaptation are high within the organization.

Question 13

Organizational effectiveness depends primarily on activities centering around three classes of factors.The factors are ________.

A)data orientation,people,and technology
B)people,structure,and visibility
C)people,technology,and structure
D)structure,procedures,and people
E)structure,technology,and money

Question 14

Alterx Technologies International Inc. ,a technology solutions company,provides managed technology solutions to small and medium sized businesses.The company is planning to bring about substantial changes in its operations.However,the company understands some degree of stability is also a prerequisite for long-term organizational success.Which one of the following will provide Alterx the highest probability of growth and survival?

A)high acceptability and accountability
B)high stability and adaptability
C)high credibility and capability
D)high mobility and plausibility
E)high visibility and profitability

Question 15

Changing an organization is the process of modifying an existing organization to increase organizational effectiveness.Which one of the following statements is true about such modifications?

A)Such changes must use established lines of organizational communication.
B)The changes occur intermittently and are of a large magnitude.
C)Such modifications can involve any organizational segment.
D)The changes are made independent of the environment.
E)The modifications do not involve changes in organizational authority.

Question 16

Organizational changes typically affect the established lines of organizational communication.

Question 17

Value Innovations Inc.engages in selling computers and other electronic components through telephone and Web orders.The company decides to change the existing policies and procedures to fit the communication needs of the organization.This is an example of a(n)________ change.

A)administrative
B)people
C)managerial
D)structural
E)technological

Question 18

________ changes emphasize increasing organizational effectiveness by changing controls that influence organization members during the performance of their jobs.

A)Technological
B)People
C)Structural
D)Managerial
E)Administrative

Question 19

Which one of the following is depicted in a model developed by Hellriegel and Slocum?

A)importance of stress and efficiency to organizational survival
B)importance of change and stability to organizational survival
C)importance of finances and production to organizational survival
D)importance of attitudes and behaviors to organizational survival
E)importance of training and motivation to organizational survival

Question 20

Which one of the following terms best represents the individual brought in from the outside who tries to modify the existing organizational situation?

A)change initiator
B)change enabler
C)change leader
D)change facilitator
E)change agent

Question 21

Which one of the following styles of management involves exertion of minimum effort to get the required work done?

A)9,9
B)9,1
C)5,5
D)1,1
E)1,9

Question 22

When organization members remain oriented more to the past than the future in spite of the changes already initiated ________.

A)the situation calls for more changes in the organization
B)the existing status quo should be maintained
C)the organization is highly likely to achieve its goals without further changes
D)the members are highly committed toward the long-term goals of the organization
E)the organization has a strong culture

Question 23

What does a managerial grid score of 9,1 indicate?

A)Manager is effective in satisfying relationships and is less concerned about production.
B)Manager is highly concerned about production though he ignores the people aspects of work.
C)The manager maintains a balance between the necessity to perform work and employee morale.
D)The manager derives superior performance from employees who are highly dedicated.
E)Manager is neither effective in maintaining relations nor in effectively maintaining production.

Question 24

Albert believes adequate organizational performance is possible by balancing the need to get good quality work done on the one hand and addressing the needs of his employees on the other.What score in the managerial grid is most closely associated with Albert's managerial style?

A)1,1
B)5,5
C)1,9
D)9,1
E)9,9

Question 25

Perhaps the most powerful tool for reducing resistance to change is ________ positive attitude toward the change.

A)management's
B)employees'
C)industry's
D)competitors'
E)customers'

Question 26

Which one of the following is a common reason behind employee resistance to change?

A)Most individuals are open to experience.
B)Individuals fear some type of personal loss.
C)Most changes involve changes in organizational hierarchy.
D)Faith in the status-quo is limited.
E)Most organizations maintain high power distance.

Question 27

What value does Organizational Development (OD)bring to companies and management?

Question 28

Which one of the following is a type of organizational change that emphasizes modifying certain aspects of organization members to increase organizational effectiveness?

A)people change
B)structural change
C)administrative change
D)managerial change
E)behavioral change

Question 29

Changes made in the organization with an aim to improve individual satisfaction are not justified.

Question 30

The managerial grid is based on the premise that various managerial styles can be described by means of managers' concern for cost and concern for technology.

Question 31

Making changes on a tentative basis increases resistance to organizational change.

Question 32

"The only thing constant is change" is a very common saying.If this saying is indeed true,why then is it individuals have such difficult times accepting change?

Question 33

Structural change emphasizes increasing organizational effectiveness by changing controls that influence organization members during the performance of their jobs.

Question 34

What score in the managerial grid is associated with ideal managerial style?

A)9,9
B)1,1
C)9,1
D)1,9
E)5,5

Question 35

The managerial grid proposes that various managerial styles can be described by a manager's concern for ________.

A)quantity and quality
B)production and people
C)power and acceptance
D)profit maximization and revenue maximization
E)customers and company

Question 36

A structural change ________.

A)works by changing controls that influence organization members
B)ensures appropriate functioning of technology
C)develops the skills of the people
D)increases the division of labor
E)makes the change appealing to employees

Question 37

Grid organization development technique is commonly used for ________.

A)changing people in organizations
B)designing structural changes
C)evaluating structural changes
D)evaluating technical changes
E)changing business processes

Question 38

An organization decides to implement a supply chain management system to increase the efficiency of its operations.A group of employees resist the implementation.Which one of the following could be the most probable reason for their resistance?

A)The change would increase the productivity as well as responsibility of most members of the group.
B)The group fears that the implementation would result in personal failure because of their inability to carry out new job responsibilities.
C)Implementation of a supply chain management system would lead to a change in organizational hierarchy.
D)Implementation of supply chain management system often leads to blockage of crucial information.
E)Supply chain management system cannot be used to manage the internal operations of a company.

Question 39

Robert,the operations manager of a manufacturing company,gives adequate attention to the needs of his employees and maintains a friendly organizational atmosphere.However,he is often criticized for not meeting the performance goals and poor quality of products.Robert's managerial style is likely to be associated with what score in the managerial grid?

A)9,9
B)1,1
C)9,1
D)1,9
E)5,5

Question 40

Which one of the following terms refers to the process of people change?

A)organizational planning
B)organizational communication
C)institutional design
D)resource mobilization
E)organization development

Question 41

Employees often experience considerable stress when they do not know what the next step in their professional lives might be or when they might take it.Which one of the following could be the best solution to this problem?

A)creating standardized jobs and define procedures
B)designing and operating career counseling programs
C)promoting creativity and innovation at the workplace
D)modifying the basic norms of organizational culture
E)making the organizational climate more formal

Question 42

Managers attempting to settle a workplace conflict who feel a solution completely acceptable to everyone would be difficult to reach and therefore focusing on a solution that gives employees involved in the conflict a part of what they wanted is using a/an ________ technique for handling the conflict.

A)compromising
B)avoiding
C)forcing
D)resolving
E)partiality

Question 43

________ is defined as the struggle that results from opposing needs or feelings between two or more people.

A)Change
B)Apathy
C)Conflict
D)Stress
E)Avoidance

Question 44

Discuss factors managers need to consider when determining what should be changed.

Question 45

What type of demand is a stressor that causes people to feel stress?

A)environmental demand
B)psychological condition
C)internal feeling
D)emotional response
E)disturbing reflection

Question 46

Which one of the following is an observable symptom of undesirably high stress levels?

A)low to moderate levels of anxiety
B)higher energy levels
C)reduced work hours
D)working without many breaks
E)increased aggression

Question 47

From a worker-performance standpoint,stress is most favorable when ________.

A)stress levels are extremely high
B)stress levels are extremely low
C)related stressors are temporary
D)stress levels are associated with increased aggression
E)stress levels are neither too high nor too low

Question 48

A manager wants to implement some changes in the working hours of employees.Two groups of workers oppose this decision and have contrasting opinions.The manager feels arriving at a solution that will be acceptable to both parties is impossible.Which one of the following strategies is best suited to handle this conflict?

A)forcing
B)deflecting
C)avoiding
D)resolving
E)compromising

Question 49

The highest level of worker performance and productivity is associated with the lowest level of worker stress.

Question 50

How do most people react to change and why? What can managers do about this reaction?

Question 51

Which one of the following is a key characteristic of the compromising strategy used to resolve conflicts?

A)a solution acceptable to all parties
B)low involvement of managers and supervisors
C)implementing orientation programs
D)use of legitimate power and authority
E)complex procedures for decision making

Question 52

Contrary to popular belief,standardized jobs and procedures actually reduce stress as compared to jobs that are classified as "interesting" by allowing more room for employee creativity.

Question 53

Which one of the following strategies is likely to be most useful in reducing organizational stress?

A)increasing power distance in the organization
B)promoting employees based on objective criteria such as years of experience
C)modifying the basic values of organizational culture
D)making the organizational environment less formal
E)establishing vertical decision-making procedures

Question 54

What relationship exists between stress and employee productivity and performance?

Question 55

Which one of the following is a conflict resolution strategy where parties to the conflict settle on a solution that gives both of them part of what they wanted?

A)compromising
B)negotiating
C)avoiding
D)resolving
E)adjudication

Question 56

Stress is the bodily strain that an individual experiences as a result of coping with some environmental factor.

Question 57

Workplace bullying refers to ________.

A)individuals being isolated or excluded socially and having work efforts devalued
B)keeping employee salaries and benefits much below industry standards
C)promoting organizational conflicts and in-fights to increase performance
D)hiring more employees than what is required to run the business
E)recruiting employees who are incapable or under-qualified to perform certain jobs

Question 58

Explain the concept of grid organizational development (grid OD).

Question 59

The bodily strain that an individual experiences as a result of coping with some environmental factor is called ________.

A)stress
B)conflict
C)anger
D)aggression
E)denial

Question 60

Managers attempting to settle a workplace conflict focusing on a solution by listening to others' viewpoints,identifying the areas of agreement,and identifying ways all involved can benefit is using a/an ________ technique for handling the conflict.

A)compromising
B)avoiding
C)forcing
D)resolving
E)partiality

Question 61

Which one of the following conflict management techniques is best suited to make an emergency change in an organization?

A)resolving
B)compromising
C)negotiating
D)avoiding
E)forcing

Question 62

The avoiding technique is generally appropriate when ________.

A)the planned change is extensive and time is limited
B)an emergency change has to be made in the organization
C)a win-win solution is essential to the organization
D)the parties involved in the conflict are powerful
E)the potential conflict will not limit organizational goal attainment

Question 63

________ is a conflict management technique where managers simply ignore the conflict.

A)Resolving
B)Compromising
C)Cooperating
D)Avoiding
E)Conciliating

Question 64

Which one of the following is a valid observation about the resolving technique used to manage conflicts?

A)Managers are not involved in the conflict resolution process.
B)It tends to assume managers and employees are in a win-lose conflict.
C)It is best suited when an immediate change has to be made.
D)Managers pinpoint differences regarding change that exist between themselves and employees.
E)It is the only method suitable for managing minor conflicts.

Question 65

One specific,commonplace type of organizational change being made in modern organizations throughout the world is the trend toward ________.

A)matrix
B)functional
C)geographic
D)virtuality
E)temporary

Question 66

Which one of the following conflict resolution techniques assumes that some conflicts are win-win conflicts?

A)avoiding
B)compromising
C)forcing
D)negotiating
E)resolving

Question 67

Which one of the following identifies a situation where compromising is highly appropriate?

A)The planned change is relatively minor and time is limited.
B)Management feels that all conflict is bad.
C)Employee opinions are vastly diverse and complex.
D)Management has to implement an emergency change.
E)Management wants to arrive at a win-win solution.

Question 68

Which one of the following alternative work arrangements is characterized by the least amount of mobility?

A)hoteling
B)tethered in the office
C)home based
D)occasional telecommuting
E)working out of a car

Question 69

Briefly describe the four strategies used to manage conflicts.

Question 70

The HR manager of Axon Limited finds that the personnel in the marketing department are a continual source of conflict because they do not accept and adapt to changes.As a result of this,the manager ignores their views when he has to make changes.This strategy could be appropriate when ________.

A)the planned change is relatively critical to the organization
B)the change has strategic impacts on the employees
C)a win-win solution is essential to the organization
D)the HR department is powerful and crucial to the organization
E)the potential conflict will not limit organizational goal attainment

Question 71

________ is a technique for managing conflict in which managers use their authority to resolve conflicts.

A)Resolving
B)Compromising
C)Negotiating
D)Avoiding
E)Forcing

Question 72

William,the CEO of a leading electronic equipment manufacturer,decides to implement a new performance appraisal system in the organization.The new system faces stiff resistance from the employees.William,however,uses his authority to implement the system.Identify the conflict management system used here.

A)forcing
B)negotiating
C)avoiding
D)resolving
E)adjudication

Question 73

Jacob believes most conflicts are win-win conflicts.He always attempts to overcome them by working out differences with employees.Which one of the following conflict management techniques is preferred by Jacob?

A)resolving
B)compromising
C)cooperating
D)avoiding
E)conciliating

Question 74

Which one of the following is characterized by the most extensive degree of virtualization?

A)virtual meeting
B)virtual training
C)virtual team
D)virtual corporation
E)virtual group

Question 75

Which one of the following techniques of managing conflict involves working out the differences between managers and employees?

A)resolving
B)averting
C)compromising
D)avoiding
E)forcing

Question 76

Which one of the following is characterized by groups of employees formed by managers?

A)virtual meeting
B)virtual training
C)virtual team
D)virtual corporation
E)virtual group

Question 77

Identify a major advantage of using forcing technique to resolve conflicts.

A)Forcing is a fast method for managing conflict.
B)It is considered the best strategy to handle complex conflicts.
C)It can have a win-win orientation if the manager is skillful.
D)Forcing is the best strategy when the planned change is relatively minor.
E)The solution obtained will be acceptable to the majority of employees.

Question 78

________ is a training process that goes beyond the boundaries and structure of traditional training.

A)Virtual training
B)Virtual teams
C)Virtuality
D)Virtual corporation
E)Virtual organization

Question 79

A manufacturing company is at significant competitive disadvantage due to the lack of necessary automation.The company has not been able to implement the automated system due to opposition from a group of workers.What strategy can be used here to implement automation?

Question 80

________ workers have fixed,traditional offices and work schedules but sometimes work at home.

A)Fully mobile
B)Home-based
C)Tethered in office
D)Occasional telecommuting
E)Hoteling