Deck 14: Organizational Change and Culture

Question 1

Using Exhibit 14.3 (Resistance Matrix), describe what might be the sources and focus of resistance to these changes.

Answer 1

The case talks about the changes and the resistance sources a company goes through. The changes which the company goes through are found to be structural changes and people changes. Structural changes represent the changes in company's work structure. The company sold its stake to two other companies and their representatives are included in the board of directors, afterwards the company got acquired by one other big company. These changes represent the 'structural' and the 'people' changes.
Resistance matrix shows the sources and focus of resistance which appear while adopting the required changes. The following sources and focus of resistance are observed in the given case:
• Facts about self : The Company's 70% sales were restricted to one country. The fact that the company has not expanded is business to other regions act as a source of resistance. The company itself remains at focus.
• Beliefs about others: In the given case, belief that other companies are better in dealing with people acts as source while the focus remains on other competitors'.
• Values pertaining to the work environment : The Company got trapped in the work environment and in the intention of serving people of diverse backgrounds started operating mainly in semiconductors that too under other big companies.
The above mentioned resistance forces compels the company to sell its stakes to other companies. Although the company was doing well in its segment, gradually it loses its power to others.

Question 2

Describe a situation in which you were resistant to change. Identify the intensity, source, and focus. Using Exhibit 14.3, which box (by number and statement) describes your resistance?

Answer 2

Resistance to change refers to the non-acceptance and rigidity that people show towards the acceptance of change taking place in their work as well as social environment.
The situation in which an individual was resistant to change is that the individual's supervisor asked his employees in the production department to change their way of assembling products and also showed them the new way they should be doing this job. Everyone nodded when the supervisor asked them whether they have understood. Still, on Monday, the employees were following the old way of assembling the products. When the supervisor asked them, the individual mentioned that they are not paid extra for this boring job, then why to increase productivity in this task.
The intensity of resistance was strong because when the individual argued that they are not paid extra for this boring job, it shows that the individual is not satisfied with the firm asking the employees to perform at the unpaid job of assembling the products.
The source of individual's resistance was facts. This is because the individual showed resistance to change the way of assembling of products by arguing that they are not paid anything extra for doing this task. This statement is a fact because the indeed does not pay the employees extra for this task.
The focuses of this resistance are self and others because when the individual showed resistance towards change, he considered his interest alongwith other employees. He mentioned that there is no gain for them if they change their ways of assembling the products.
The resistance shown by the individual belongs to box number 3 and the statement "I am not getting paid extra". This is because when J resisted to change her ways of assembling the products, she mentioned that they are not paid extra for doing this extra task which is boring in nature. This was the major reason for her resistance to change and not to improve productivity.

Question 3

Describe the organizational climate at a firm for which you work or have worked, based on the seven dimensions of climate. Does or did the organization measure its climate? If so, how?

Answer 3

Organizational climate refers to the perception that employees make about the firm's internal environment which includes its policies, procedures, practices, types of interactions that takes place in the firm, and everything that is a part of the behavior.
The organizational climate of a firm where individual works can be described on the basis of seven dimensions of climate in the following way :
1. Structure: The organization's structure is formal wherein employees are given proper designations and positions and are required to follow the rules and responsibilities of the position they occupy.
2. Responsibility: The employees are given complete authority to manage their tasks and the way they want until the procedure they follow is admissible under the organizational rules and the employees get successful in achieving the targeted results.
3. Rewards: The employees are awarded and appreciated by the seniors every month for their achievements. Similarly, when employees fail to achieve their targets, the firm offers them motivation to achieve the targets, and only punishes them when they repeat their attitude.
4. Warmth: The employees share a very amiable and conducive relationship wit each other and the seniors in the firm.
5. Support: The senior employees in the firm offer high-level of support to the junior employees which allows them to achieve the tasks and performance levels efficiently.
6. Organizational identity and loyalty: The employees in individual's firm are highly loyal towards the organization and are dedicated towards their duties and responsibilities. The firm encourages them to work hard and also works for their welfare.
7. Risk: In individual's firm, employer encourages employees to take calculated risks and supports them if any risky decision undertaken by them fails to provide results even when it was taken with proper calculations.
The organization does measure its climate in a way that the firm creates a questionnaire and spreads it among the employees to obtain their feedback about the firm's climate. The questions in the questionnaire are related to the seven dimensions discussed above which facilitates the employees as well as employer to acknowledge the climate and the necessary development in it.

Question 4

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
Of the 11 methods for overcoming resistance to change, which one do you think is the best?

Question 5

What influence do personality, the learning organization, perception (Chapter 2), attitudes, and values (Chapter 3) have in this change?

Question 6

What type(s) of power and influence (Chapter 10) did Goldman Sachs and Daiwa Securities employ to have representatives placed on Sanyo's Board of Directors?

Question 7

File Sharing Systems
It started back in 1999 when Shawn Fanning created Napster and developed the first peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing system to allow users to swap files of digitized copyrighted material. The recording industry not only denounced the free trading of these files, without any compensation to them or their recording artists, but was able to convince the courts to issue injunctions that prevented Napster (and later, Grokster) from trading copyrighted music on its network. Both Napster and Grokster were forced to shut down. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against free downloading of copyrighted files.
Yet the P2P trend has resumed, with new programs and networks picking up the torch. The new generation of file sharing systems are designed as decentralized networks, which are proving to be much more challenging for copyright owners to pursue in the courts. As you most likely know, file sharing still exists, but the operations are outside of the jurisdiction of the U.S. court system. More recently, file sharing of movies has become a concern for the film industry and actors.
Is it ethical to own and operate a file sharing company?

Question 8

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
One of the purposes of college is to train and develop students for future careers. How would you rate your overall college education?

Question 9

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
Can a multinational company have one organizational culture, or does it need to have different cultures based on its business unit in each country?

Question 10

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
Using Exhibit 14.3, identify Debbie's major resistance (box) to change.

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
F) 6
G) 7
H) 8
I) 9

Question 11

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
The best OD technique for Carl to have used for this change was:

A) force field analysis
B) survey feedback
C) training
D) team building
E) performance appraisal

Question 12

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
The conflict management style (Chapter 7) Carl should use in this situation (employees are not following the procedures) is:

A) forcing
B) avoiding
C) compromising
D) accommodating
E) collaborating

Question 13

Looking at Exhibit 14.12 (Force Field Analysis), diagram the hindering and driving forces for change at Sanyo Electric Company, Ltd.
Exhibit 14.12

Question 14

Objective: To experience the quality circle approach to increasing the quality of student life at your college.
AACSB: The AACSB learning standard skills developed through this exercise are analytic skills, communication ability, teamwork, and leadership.
Experience: You will experience being part of a quality circle.
Break into groups of five or six members. Select a spokesperson. Your group is to come up with a list of the three to five most needed improvements at your college. Rank them in order of priority, from 1-most important to 5-least important. When you are finished, or the time is up, the spokesperson will write the ranking on the board. You may refer to the preparation for Skill-Building Exercise 14-2 for ideas on areas needing improvement.
Option A: The instructor determines the class's top three to five priorities for improvement.
Option B: The class achieves consensus on the top three to five priorities for improvement.
Each group selects a new spokesperson. The group develops solutions that will improve the quality of student life for the class's three to five priority areas.
For the first-priority item, each spokesperson states the group's recommendation for improving the quality of student life. The class votes or comes to a consensus on the best way to solve the problem. Proceed to items 2 to 5 until you finish or time is up.
Discussion:
1. Are survey feedback and quality circles (as used in this exercise) effective ways to improve the quality of student life on campus?
2. Did the class consider that quality of student life is a balance between the college, the students, and society? Are your solutions going to benefit the college and society as well as the students?
Conclusion: The instructor may lead a class discussion and/or make concluding remarks.
Application (2-4 minutes): What did I learn from this experience? How will I use this knowledge in the future?
Sharing: Volunteers give their answers to the application section.

Question 15

Give a specific example of when a change model would be helpful to a specific manager.

Question 16

Describe the morale at the organization.

Question 17

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
Which single technology change has had the largest effect on your behavior?

Question 18

Describe an automation change in an organization, preferably one with which you have been associated.

Question 19

Is the focus of this case interpersonal communications (Chapter 5) or organizational structure (Chapter 6)?

Question 20

What role of networking (Chapter 11) and team dynamics (Chapter 12) in this case?

Question 21

File Sharing Systems
It started back in 1999 when Shawn Fanning created Napster and developed the first peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing system to allow users to swap files of digitized copyrighted material. The recording industry not only denounced the free trading of these files, without any compensation to them or their recording artists, but was able to convince the courts to issue injunctions that prevented Napster (and later, Grokster) from trading copyrighted music on its network. Both Napster and Grokster were forced to shut down. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against free downloading of copyrighted files.
Yet the P2P trend has resumed, with new programs and networks picking up the torch. The new generation of file sharing systems are designed as decentralized networks, which are proving to be much more challenging for copyright owners to pursue in the courts. As you most likely know, file sharing still exists, but the operations are outside of the jurisdiction of the U.S. court system. More recently, file sharing of movies has become a concern for the film industry and actors.
Making illegal copies of music has been an issue since the development of the first tape recorder. Explain in this situation how technology is a driver for change.

Question 22

Sanyo's culture and climate are bound by Japanese tradition and the values of its founder. What changes support or challenge the firm's existing culture and climate?

Question 23

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
A professor's job is to facilitate student learning, evaluate student performance, and assign grades. Do you believe your learning performance is evaluated effectively? How could it be improved?

Question 24

Supervisor Carl's Change
Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
Assume you had Carl's job. How would you have made the change?

Question 25

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
The type of change Carl introduced was:

A) task change
B) structural change
C) technological change
D) people change

Question 26

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
Describe your college's culture. Is it strong or weak? Are there any good slogans and/or symbols that help to convey your college's culture? Give at least one new way (slogans/symbols, etc.) to promote your college's culture.

Question 27

Supervisor Carl's Change
Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
Carl followed the Lussier change model steps.
a. true
b. false

Question 28

State how you were trained to perform a specific job. Explain how the training affected your job performance. How could training at this organization be used to increase performance?

Question 29

Objective: To develop your skill at improving performance through coaching.
AACSB: The AACSB learning standard skills developed through this exercise are analytic skills, communication ability, and leadership.
Preparation: You should have read and understood the chapter.
Experience: You will coach, be coached, and observe coaching using the coaching model.
Break into groups of three. Make one or two groups of two, if necessary. Each member selects one of the three situations below in which to be the supervisor, and a different one in which to be the employee. You will role-play coaching and being coached.
1. Employee 1 is a clerical worker. He or she uses files, as do the other 10 employees. The employees all know that they are supposed to return the files when they are finished so that others can find them when they need them. Employees should have only one file out at a time. As the supervisor walks by, he or she notices that employee 1 has five files on his or her desk, and another employee is looking for one of the files. The supervisor thinks employee 1 will complain about the heavy workload as an excuse for having more than one file out at a time.
2. Employee 2 is a server in an ice cream shop. He or she knows that the tables should be cleaned up quickly after customers leave so that the new customers do not have to sit at a dirty table. It's a busy night. The supervisor looks at employee 2's tables and finds customers at two of them with dirty dishes. Employee 2 is socializing with some friends at one of the tables. Employees are supposed to be friendly. Employee 2 will probably use this as an excuse for the dirty tables.
3. Employee 3 is an auto technician. All employees know that they are supposed to place a paper mat on the floor of each car to prevent the carpets from getting dirty. When the service supervisor got into a car employee 3 repaired, it did not have a mat, and there was grease on the carpet. Employee 3 does excellent work and will probably make reference to this fact when coached.
Prepare for coaching to improve performance. Below, each group member writes a basic outline of what she or he will say when coaching employee 1, 2, or 3, following the steps in coaching below:
Step 1: Refer to past feedback.
Step 2: Describe current performance.
Step 3: Describe desired performance. (Don't forget to have the employee state why it is important.)
Step 4: Get a commitment to the change.
Step 5: Follow up.
A. Role play. The supervisor of employee 1, the clerical worker, coaches him or her (use the actual name of the group member role-playing employee 1) as planned. Talk; do not read your written plan. Employee 1, put yourself in the worker's position. You work hard; there is a lot of pressure to work fast. It's easier when you have more than one file. Refer to the workload while being coached. Both the supervisor and the employee will have to ad-lib.
The person not role-playing is the observer. He or she writes notes on the preparation steps in procedure 2 about what the supervisor did well and how he or she could improve.
B. Feedback. The observer leads a discussion on how well the supervisor coached the employee. It should be a discussion, not a lecture. Focus on what the supervisor did well and how he or she could improve. The employee should also give feedback on how he or she felt and what might have been more effective in getting him or her to change.
Do not go on to the next interview until told to do so. If you finish early, wait for the others to finish.
Same as Procedure 3, but change roles so that employee 2, the server, is coached. Employee 2 should make a comment about the importance of talking to customers to make them feel welcome. The job is not much fun if you can't talk to your friends.
Same as Procedure 3. But change roles so that employee 3, the auto technician, is coached. Employee 3 should comment on the excellent work he or she does.
Conclusion: The instructor leads a class discussion and/or makes concluding remarks.
Application (2-4 minutes): What did I learn from this experience? How will I use this knowledge in the future?
Sharing: Volunteers give their answers to the application section.

Question 30

File Sharing Systems
It started back in 1999 when Shawn Fanning created Napster and developed the first peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing system to allow users to swap files of digitized copyrighted material. The recording industry not only denounced the free trading of these files, without any compensation to them or their recording artists, but was able to convince the courts to issue injunctions that prevented Napster (and later, Grokster) from trading copyrighted music on its network. Both Napster and Grokster were forced to shut down. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against free downloading of copyrighted files.
Yet the P2P trend has resumed, with new programs and networks picking up the torch. The new generation of file sharing systems are designed as decentralized networks, which are proving to be much more challenging for copyright owners to pursue in the courts. As you most likely know, file sharing still exists, but the operations are outside of the jurisdiction of the U.S. court system. More recently, file sharing of movies has become a concern for the film industry and actors.
Is it ethical to download copyrighted material?

Question 31

Identify the cultural heroes, stories, slogans, symbols, and ceremonies for an organization you are or have been a member of.

Question 32

Describe the performance standards for a job you hold or have held. How would you improve them?

Question 33

Give reasons why managing-change skills are important to managers in an organization for which you work or have worked.

Question 34

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
When implementing his change, Carl should have used which major step to overcome resistance to change?

A) develop a positive climate
B) encourage interest in improvement
C) plan g. involve employees
D) give facts
E) stay calm
F) avoid direct confrontation
H) provide support

Question 35

Describe the impact of the founder's leadership (Chapter 8) on Sanyo's continuing operations.

Question 36

Identify the performance measurement method(s) used to evaluate your job performance. Describe how you would improve the method(s).

Question 37

What types of changes (see Exhibit 14.1) have been implemented based upon these hindering and driving forces?
Exhibit 14.1

Question 38

Note: This exercise is designed for permanent class groups. Below is a survey feedback questionnaire. There are no right or wrong answers. Check off the answer to each question as it applies to your class group. All questions have five choices.
15. Our group follows the five steps of the decision-making model (Chapter 13).
16. Our group uses the following ideas:
17. We make a list of other relevant questions.
18. Our group uses the conflict management style.
a. forcing
b. accommodating
c. avoiding
d. compromising
e. collaborating
19. Our group resolve its conflicts in a manner that is satisfactory to all.
a. does
b. does not
This exercise is designed for groups that have worked together for some time.
Objectives: To experience a team-building session and to improve your group's effectiveness.
AACSB: The AACSB learning standard skills developed through this exercise are reflective thinking and self-management, analytic skills, communication ability, teamwork, and leadership.
Experience: This exercise is discussion-oriented.
Material: Preparation for Skill-Building Exercise 14-4.
Climate Building
To develop a climate of trust, support, and openness, group members will learn more about each other through a discussion based on asking questions.
Rules:
1. Rotate; take turns asking questions.
2. You may refuse to answer a question as long as you did not ask it (or plan to).
3. You do not have to ask the questions in the order listed below.
4. You may ask your own questions. (Add them to the list.)
As an individual and before meeting with your group, review the questions below and place the name of one or more group members to whom you want to ask the question next to it. If you prefer to ask the entire group, put group next to the question. When everyone
is ready, begin asking the questions.
1. How do you feel about this course? ___________________
2. How do you feel about this group? ___________________
3. How do you feel about me? ___________________
4. How do you think I feel about you? ___________________
5. What were your first impressions of me? ___________________
6. What do you like to do? ___________________
7. How committed to the group are you? ___________________
8. What do you like most about this course? ___________________
9. What do you plan to do after you graduate? ___________________
10. What do you want out of this course? ___________________
11. How do you react to deadlines? ___________________
12. Which member in the group are you the closest to? ___________________
13. Which member in the group do you know the least? ___________________
Other ___________________________________________
When the instructor tells you to do so, get together with your group members and ask each other your questions.
Participants determine what they would like to accomplish during the team-building session. Below are six major goals of team building; you may add to them. Rank them according to your preference.
To clarify the team's objectives.
To identify areas for improving group performance.
To develop team skills.
To determine and utilize a preferred team style.
To fully utilize the resources of each group member.
To develop working relationships based on trust, honesty, and understanding.
Your own goals (list them).
Participants share their answers to Procedure 1-b. The group can come to a consensus on its goal(s) if it wants to.
Process and Structure: As a team, discuss strengths and weaknesses in group process (how the group works and communicates). Below, list norms (do's and don'ts) for the group to abide by.
Problem Identification: As a team, answer the survey feedback questionnaire. Place a G in the box to signify the team's answer. Don't rush; fully discuss the issues and how and why they affect the group.
Based on the above information, list 8 to 10 ways the team could improve its performance.
Prioritize the above list (1 = most important).
Problem Solving: Take the top-priority item. Then do the following:
1. Define the problem.
2. Set objectives and criteria.
3. Generate alternatives.
4. Analyze alternatives and select one.
5. Develop an action plan for its implementation.
Follow the same five steps for each area of improvement until time is up. Try to cover at least three areas.
Training: Team building often includes training to address the problems facing the group.
Because training takes place during most exercises, we will not do any now. Remember that the agendas for team building vary and usually last for one or more full days, rather than one hour.
Closure Application:
1. I intend to implement the team's solutions. Why?
2. What did I learn from this experience?
3. How can I apply this knowledge in my daily life?
4. How can I apply this knowledge as a manager?
Group members summarize what has been accomplished and state what they will do (commit to) to improve the group.
Sharing (4-7 minutes): A spokesperson from each team tells the class the group's top three areas for improvement. The instructor records them on the board.

Question 39

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
Do your professors use consistent standards in terms of the work they require in their courses and the performance appraisal grades they give? Or do some professors require more work than others? Do some give lots of As while others give lots of lower grades? Is this diversity in work requirements and performance appraisal positive or negative? Why does it exist?

Question 40

Describe a specific situation in which it would be appropriate to use the coaching model.

Question 41

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
Of the four reasons people resist change, which one do you think is the most common?

Question 42

Give one or more examples of a type of change you experienced in an organization. (Identify it as task change, structural change, technological change, or people change.)

Question 43

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
Hank's statement, assuming it is representative of the group, indicates a organizational culture.

A) positive
B) negative

Question 44

Identify an OD technique and explain how it is used by a specific organization, preferably one with which you have been associated.

Question 45

File Sharing Systems
It started back in 1999 when Shawn Fanning created Napster and developed the first peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing system to allow users to swap files of digitized copyrighted material. The recording industry not only denounced the free trading of these files, without any compensation to them or their recording artists, but was able to convince the courts to issue injunctions that prevented Napster (and later, Grokster) from trading copyrighted music on its network. Both Napster and Grokster were forced to shut down. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against free downloading of copyrighted files.
Yet the P2P trend has resumed, with new programs and networks picking up the torch. The new generation of file sharing systems are designed as decentralized networks, which are proving to be much more challenging for copyright owners to pursue in the courts. As you most likely know, file sharing still exists, but the operations are outside of the jurisdiction of the U.S. court system. More recently, file sharing of movies has become a concern for the film industry and actors.
Why were the recording industry firms and artists so resistant to change that would allow free downloading of their music? Refer to the four reasons people resist change and Hultman's resistance matrix.

Question 46

How should Sanyo have prepared its employees for the changes it is employing, especially the Panasonic acquisition?

Question 47

Describe the organizational culture at a firm for which you work or have worked. Does or did the organization strive to have a strong positive culture? If so, how?

Question 48

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
Using Exhibit 14.3, identify Sandy's major resistance (box) to change.

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
F) 6
G) 7
H) 8
I) 9

Question 49

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
Using the seven dimensions of climate, describe your college's climate. Rate the morale of students as high or low, explaining your answer in detail.

Question 50

Which motivation theory (Chapter 9) would you say is most relevant to this case?

Question 51

A popular method of determining organizational climate is a survey questionnaire. Below is a survey instrument developed by Dr. Roland E. Holstead, former chairperson of the Department of Social Sciences and Human Services at Springfield College, and adapted with his permission. Answer the questions as they apply to your college. Leave unanswered the questions that do not apply to you or your school.
5. In your experience, what academic departments offer some of the most worthwhile courses?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
6. In your experience, what academic departments offer some of the least worthwhile courses?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
7. A. How difficult are the following types of courses for you personally?
B. How challenging are the following types of courses for you personally?
C. How interesting are the following types of courses for you personally?
D. For Juniors and Seniors Only: Some courses are numbered for freshmen-sophomores, others for juniorsseniors, and others for seniors-graduate students. Would you agree that as the course number increases, the difficulty or demand on your performance also increases? In other words, are junior-senior courses generally harder than freshman-sophomore courses?
8. A. Where do you study most often?
B. How satisfied are you with your ability to study in each of the following places?
9. About how many hours a day, if any, do you spend at each activity? Completing assignments Reading Studying
10. About how many classes do you cut per week, if any?
Student Services
14. Which of the following services have you ever used, and how satisfied were you with them?
Social Life
15. In general, are you satisfied with the social life at your college?_________
16. Are there enough social activities planned on campus during a typical week? __________ If not, what activities should be increased?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
17. In which of the following social activities do you engage on a weekly basis, when available?
18. On what night(s) would you be most likely to attend a social/cultural event on the campus?
19. A. How often do you go home (if you are living away from home to go to college)?
B. For what reason(s) are you most likely to go home during a school term other than a holiday or term break?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
20. What types of events would you like to see available on campus?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
21. In which of the following activities do you participate?
Dorm Life (Skip questions 22-33 if you do not live in a dorm.)
B. Are there problems in your dorm not identified above? If yes, what are they?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
C. To whom did you report any of these problems?
Were you satisfied with the official response to the problem?
32. What are the best things about your dorm?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
33. If you could change anything about your dorm, what would it be, and why?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
In what dorm do you live? ________________________
Do most of your college friends live in your dorm? _________
Objectives: To better understand organizational climate and the climate at your college.
AACSB: The AACSB learning standard skills developed through this exercise are analytic skills, communication ability, and leadership.
Preparation: You should have completed the preparation questionnaire.
Experience: Your class will calculate its climate and discuss it.
Tabulate the Class's Survey Responses
Option A: Break up into teams of five or six and tabulate team members' responses to each of the questions selected by your instructor. Each group reports its responses to the instructor, who tabulates the total responses for the entire class. He or she summarizes the results on the board.
Option B: The instructor asks students to indicate their responses to selected questions by raising their hands. The instructor totals the responses to each question and writes them on the board.
Discuss School Climate
1. Climate surveys are usually given to an entire organization or to a major unit. Can you assume that your class is representative of the entire college or university? Why or why not?
2. The survey questions were designed for Springfield College. What sections or individual questions should be changed or added to make the survey more reflective of the climate at your school?
3. Is your school's climate consistent with your needs (and with the needs of the student body as a whole)?
4. How does your school's climate affect your behavior and attitudes (and those of the student body)?
5. How does your school's climate affect your (and the student body's) performance and productivity?
6. Would conducting a climate survey of the entire student body be of value at your college or university? Why or why not?
Conclusion: The instructor leads a class discussion and/or makes concluding remarks.
Application (2-4 minutes): What did I learn from this experience? How will I use this knowledge in the future?
Sharing: Volunteers give their answers to the application section.

Question 52

File Sharing Systems
It started back in 1999 when Shawn Fanning created Napster and developed the first peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing system to allow users to swap files of digitized copyrighted material. The recording industry not only denounced the free trading of these files, without any compensation to them or their recording artists, but was able to convince the courts to issue injunctions that prevented Napster (and later, Grokster) from trading copyrighted music on its network. Both Napster and Grokster were forced to shut down. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against free downloading of copyrighted files.
Yet the P2P trend has resumed, with new programs and networks picking up the torch. The new generation of file sharing systems are designed as decentralized networks, which are proving to be much more challenging for copyright owners to pursue in the courts. As you most likely know, file sharing still exists, but the operations are outside of the jurisdiction of the U.S. court system. More recently, file sharing of movies has become a concern for the film industry and actors.
Do you download copyrighted material?

Question 53

The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
Which OD technique(s) can be used to improve consistency among professors in terms of work assignments and performance appraisals at your college? Which of the four reasons for resistance would be the dominant reason for faculty resistance to such a change? How would you rate the intensity, focus, and source of their resistance (see Exhibit 14.3, Resistance Matrix)?

Question 54

Describe the MIS at an organization, preferably one with which you have been associated. If you are not knowledgeable about the organization's MIS, talk with someone who is.

Question 55

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
Hank's response was a resistance statement.

A) blocker
B) roller
C) staller
D) reverser
E) sidestepper
F) threatener
G) politician
H) traditionalist
I) assaulter

Question 56

Supervisor Carl's Change Carl was an employee at Benson's Corporation. He applied for a supervisor job at Hedges Inc. and got the job. Carl wanted to do a good job. He observed the employees at work to determine ways to improve productivity. Within a week Carl thought of a way.
On Friday afternoon he called the employees together. Carl told them that starting on Monday he wanted them to change the steps they followed when assembling the product. He demonstrated the new steps a few times and asked if everyone understood them. There were no questions. So Carl said, "Great. Start them on Monday, first thing."
On Monday Carl was in his office for about an hour doing the week's scheduling. When he came out to the shop floor, he realized that no one was following the new procedure he had shown them on Friday. Carl called the crew together and asked why no one was following the new steps.
HANK: We've done it this way for years and it works fine.
SANDY: We are all underpaid for this boring job. Why should we improve productivity? ( Several others nod. )
DEBBIE: On Friday at the tavern we were talking about the change, and we agreed that we are not getting paid more, so why should we produce more?
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
Based on Sandy's response, it appears organizational climate and morale are:

A) positive
B) neutral
C) in need of improvement