Deck 11: Managing Change and Innovation

Question 1

Consultants are less likely to be change agents than internal managers.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Consultants are more likely to be change agents because they are less burdened by the consequences and repercussions of their actions than internal managers. Internal managers are more cautious and reluctant to call for change because they have to live with the changes they suggest.

Question 2

In Lewin's view, the only way to effect change is to increase the driving forces that direct change away from the status quo.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: Decreasing the restraining forces that prevent movement away from the equilibrium can also cause change, according to Lewin. A third way to effect change is to combine a driving force increase and a restraining force decrease.

Question 3

The main idea of the "white-water rapids" metaphor is that change is always destructive.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: The main idea of the "white-water rapids" metaphor is that change is constant, unpredictable, often drastic, but not necessarily destructive, so the statement is false.

Question 4

Continuous improvement changes are not considered changes in technology because they are changes that are planned and expected.

Question 5

Change is something that managers strive to eliminate completely.

Question 6

Kurt Lewin sees the first step in change as the freezing of the status quo.

Question 7

Organization development (OD) consists of efforts to help organization members deal with unplanned changes.

Question 8

An example of a change in structure is an organization becoming more decentralized.

Question 9

New online advertising technology is an external force that creates a need for organizational change when it causes a company to change its advertising strategy.

Question 10

In the "white-water rapids" metaphor of change, managers should expect change at any time, and it may last for unspecified lengths of time.

Question 11

One important reason why organization development efforts are needed is that even planned change can be very upsetting to members of an organization.

Question 12

An example of changes in people would involve a manager widening her span of control.

Question 13

Organizational change can be any alteration in an organization's people, structure, or technology.

Question 14

An aggressive new competitor in the marketplace is an external force that creates a need for organizational change that companies frequently face today.

Question 15

The number of managers who face "white-water rapids" metaphor conditions is getting smaller.

Question 16

The decision of an organization to bring in new equipment from the outside is an example of an external force that creates a need for organizational change.

Question 17

In an organization, only a manager can be a change agent.

Question 18

Labor markets are an internal force that creates a need for organizational change.

Question 19

The "calm waters" metaphor imagines the organization as a large ship crossing a calm sea.

Question 20

A company changing its computer operating system would not be an example of a technology change because no new technological equipment was used.

Question 21

Type A personality people find it easy to relax.

Question 22

An employee who feels unsettled because he is not sure what his responsibilities are is experiencing role overload stress.

Question 23

Autonomy on the job tends to increase stress.

Question 24

One reason people resist change is that it goes against our habits.

Question 25

Inspiration marks the first step in the creative process.

Question 26

A manager who mentions that supervisors might lose their jobs if they don't go along with a change is using the technique of coercion.

Question 27

Creativity is the ability to make unusual and meaningful associations between ideas.

Question 28

Stress isn't always bad for an individual.

Question 29

An effective way to reduce workplace stress is to make sure that employees are appropriately matched to their jobs.

Question 30

Role conflict is created when an employee does not feel confident that he or she can achieve his or her goals.

Question 31

Allowing employees to participate in the change process is NOT a common way to deal with resistance to organizational change.

Question 32

Stress is not a physiological phenomenon.

Question 33

Negotiation twists and distorts facts to reduce resistance to change.

Question 34

Organic organizations tend to inhibit innovation.

Question 35

A manager who twists facts to make change seem less disruptive is using the technique of coercion.

Question 36

An employee who feels pressure to keep pace with work quotas is experiencing task demand stress.

Question 37

Managers should aspire to eliminate all stress from the work environment.

Question 38

Education is a good way to overcome resistance to change due to misinformation.

Question 39

Change threatens the investment you've already made in the status quo.

Question 40

Stress can arise from an opportunity.

Question 41

The "white-water rapids" metaphor envisions an organization as ________.

A) a large ship on a roiling sea
B) a large ship on a calm sea
C) a small raft on a calm river
D) a small raft on a raging river

Question 42

A company's workers asking to be able to celebrate Mexican holidays is an example of ________ force for change.

A) an external workforce composition
B) an internal workforce composition
C) an external tactic
D) an internal strategy

Question 43

Labor strikes are an example of what change factor that may encourage a change in management thinking and practices?

A) workforce composition
B) equipment
C) employee attitude
D) strategy

Question 44

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is an example of which of the following forms of environmental change?

A) internal
B) technology
C) government laws and regulations
D) labor markets

Question 45

Which of the following is an external force that would cause a company to make an organizational change?

A) an organization-wide restructuring
B) the naming of a new CEO
C) a widening span of control for managers
D) a booming economy

Question 46

Which of the following is an example of a technology change within an organization?

A) forming teams to complete tasks
B) workers using new software
C) workers wanting to telecommute
D) workers wanting flexible hours

Question 47

Which of the following is an organizational structure change?

A) the building of a new workshop
B) resentment of bosses by employees
C) a new way to package chocolate cake
D) changing who reports to whom

Question 48

Which of the following is an organizational technology change?

A) purchase of a new backhoe
B) employees expecting a raise
C) employees accepting a new schedule
D) widening of span of control

Question 49

Which of the following is an example of a structural organizational change?

A) changing employee attitudes
B) changing work practices
C) purchasing new work equipment
D) changing managerial span of control

Question 50

Which of the following is an internal force that can cause a company to make an organizational change?

A) a new ad campaign
B) new safety requirements
C) a new rival company
D) new pollution laws

Question 51

After a thorough company-wide self-examination, company Y decides to set up work teams. This is an example of ________.

A) an internal change causing an external change
B) an internal change causing another internal change
C) an external change causing another external change
D) an external change causing an internal change

Question 52

Outside consultants generally try to initiate ________ changes than internal managers.

A) more drastic
B) less drastic
C) more cautious
D) fewer

Question 53

Falling interest rates are an example of what kind of external force that causes a company to need to make an organizational change?

A) marketplace competition forces
B) government laws and regulations
C) labor market forces
D) economic forces

Question 54

The "calm waters" metaphor envisions an organization as ________.

A) a large ship on a roiling sea
B) a large ship on a calm sea
C) a small raft on a calm sea
D) a small raft on a roiling sea

Question 55

In organizations, people who act as catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing the change process are called ________.

A) managers
B) change agents
C) change managers
D) nonmanagerial employees

Question 56

To compete with rival company X, company Y changes its management structure. This is an example of ________.

A) an internal change causing an external change
B) an internal change causing another internal change
C) an external change causing another external change
D) an external change causing an internal change

Question 57

Change can't be eliminated, so managers must learn to ________ successfully.

A) avoid it
B) ignore it
C) work around it
D) manage it

Question 58

Idea champions tend to be risk takers.

Question 59

Which of the following is an organizational "people change"?

A) work methods that people use
B) authority relationships between people
C) attitudes that people have
D) job redesign

Question 60

Time deadlines tend to increase innovation.

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT a common method of organization development (OD)?

A) teambuilding
B) process consultation
C) positive feedback
D) survey feedback

Question 62

Organization development (OD) helps employees ________.

A) deal with planned change
B) deal with unplanned change
C) avoid unpleasant change
D) avoid all types of change

Question 63

The "white-water rapids" metaphor sees change as ________.

A) an occasional occurrence
B) the natural state of things
C) an unpleasant interruption of the normal calm
D) something that must be eliminated

Question 64

According to Lewin, which of the following is a force that might overcome inertia and unfreeze the status quo?

A) increase restraining forces
B) maintain restraining forces
C) decrease driving forces
D) increase driving forces

Question 65

Organization development can be viewed as an attempt to change an organization's ________.

A) structure
B) financial goals
C) culture
D) status

Question 66

The final step in Lewin's three-step description of the change process is ________.

A) freezing the new state
B) unfreezing the status quo
C) changing to a new state
D) unfreezing the new state

Question 67

According to Lewin, which of the following is the best way to unfreeze the status quo?

A) increase restraining forces
B) decrease restraining forces and increase driving forces
C) decrease driving forces
D) increase restraining forces and increase driving forces

Question 68

The goal in Lewin's "calm waters" metaphor is ________.

A) to change the current equilibrium state
B) to reach a state of constant change
C) to eliminate the equilibrium state
D) to establish a new equilibrium state

Question 69

Lewin's force field analysis might view a company ________ as a blocking force for change.

A) becoming more mechanistic
B) rewarding innovation and creativity
C) becoming more organic
D) decreasing centralization

Question 70

Lewin's force field analysis identified ________ forces that compete when people try to achieve a goal.

A) physical push-and-pull
B) driving and blocking
C) enormous
D) magnetic

Question 71

Which phenomenon in today's business climate has made the "white-water rapids" metaphor popular?

A) reduced competition
B) corporations that are too powerful
C) organizations that resist change
D) constant and chaotic change

Question 72

In terms of change, Lewin's force field analysis might see ________ as a driving force.

A) fear of change
B) inertia
C) reward from change
D) difficulty of change

Question 73

The first step in Lewin's three-step description of the change process involves ________.

A) freezing the new state
B) changing to a new state
C) unfreezing the status quo
D) changing to a new status quo

Question 74

Writing laws to reward industries to reduce carbon emissions in an effort to combat global climate change can be best described as an example of which of the following?

A) unfreezing the status quo
B) freezing a change into place
C) implementing change
D) refreezing the status quo

Question 75

Today, Lewin's "calm waters" metaphor is increasingly thought to be ________.

A) illogical
B) an apt description of the current situation
C) a blueprint for the future
D) obsolete

Question 76

According to Lewin, which of the following is the objective of refreezing?

A) to stabilize the new situation
B) to promote movement away from existing equilibrium
C) to eliminate the need for future change
D) to direct behavior away from the status quo

Question 77

The most popular OD efforts involve cooperation and these kinds of activities.

A) individual interactions
B) group interactions
C) group assessment
D) individual assessment

Question 78

Kurt Lewin's "calm waters" metaphor sees change as ________.

A) an unusual event
B) the natural state of things
C) unfortunate
D) avoidable

Question 79

Today's economic climate can be compared to a college class that ________.

A) focuses on only one topic all semester
B) focuses on several topics during the semester
C) may last 20 minutes or 3 hours
D) lasts exactly 1 hour

Question 80

Kurt Lewin originated some of his most important group dynamics ideas by studying which of the following?

A) family vacations during World War I
B) force fields in physics
C) how football has blocking and driving forces
D) family food habits during World War II