Deck 18: Organizational Change and Stress Management

Question 1

If individuals resisting change are included in making change decisions in an attempt to gain their support, this approach is called ________.

A) cooptation
B) exploitation
C) manipulation
D) coercion
E) education

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The application of direct threats or force upon resisters is called ________.

A) exploitation
B) cooptation
C) manipulation
D) coercion
E) destruction

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is not a primary force for change in organizations?

A) technology
B) economic shocks
C) decreasing skill sets
D) social trends
E) the nature of the workforce

Answer 3

C

Question 4

________ is one way to achieve unfreezing of an organization's status quo.

A) Increasing the driving forces directing behavior away from the status quo
B) Decreasing the restraining forces which hinder movement from inequality
C) Increasing employee investment in the status quo
D) Decreasing management's investment in change
E) Increasing the rigidity of the organizational hierarchy

Question 5

Managing resistance to change that is ________ is extremely challenging.

A) passive
B) resolute
C) deferred
D) explicit
E) overt

Question 6

________ are persons who act as catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing change activities.

A) Planned changes
B) Accidental changes
C) Economic shocks
D) Change agents
E) Social trends

Question 7

An example of change in competition is ________.

A) U.S. manufactured Toyota vehicles
B) collapse of Enron Corporation
C) Iraq-U.S. war
D) increased interest in urban living
E) a decrease in interest rates

Question 8

A paper sales company designs and offers a new method of purchasing and shipping commercial quantities of paper through their Web site, versus contacting their sales representative. This is an example of ________.

A) accidental change
B) the nature of the workforce
C) planned change
D) a change agent
E) competition demands

Question 9

An example of change in the nature of the work force is an increase in ________.

A) college attendance
B) mergers and consolidations
C) capital equipment
D) divorce rates
E) more cultural diversity

Question 10

All of the following are sources of organizational resistance to change except ________.

A) structural inertia
B) security
C) limited focus of change
D) threat to established power relationships
E) group inertia

Question 11

Which of the following is not a source of individual resistance to change?

A) habit
B) security
C) fear of the unknown
D) inertia
E) economic factors

Question 12

An example of a source of individual resistance to change is ________.

A) inertia
B) structural inertia
C) a habit
D) threat to expertise
E) a policy conflict

Question 13

Managers who have spent their entire careers with an organization and are high in the hierarchy are ________.

A) good change agents
B) generally the impetus for change
C) often impediments to change
D) usually focused on radical change
E) none of the above

Question 14

Who developed a three-step model for change that included unfreezing, movement, and refreezing?

A) John Kotter
B) David McClelland
C) Douglas Surber
D) Lawrence Summers
E) Kurt Lewin

Question 15

Using covert influence to overcome resistance to change is called ________.

A) negotiation
B) cooptation
C) education
D) coercion
E) manipulation

Question 16

Which one of the following is not listed as a tactic for dealing with resistance to change?

A) acceleration
B) manipulation
C) participation
D) cooptation
E) education

Question 17

Which tactic to overcome resistance to change is a relatively easy way to gain the support of adversaries, but may backfire if the targets become aware of the tactic?

A) negotiation
B) conciliation
C) manipulation
D) coercion
E) cooperation

Question 18

Change activities that are ________ and goal oriented are termed planned change.

A) intentional
B) discretionary
C) random
D) reflexive
E) restorative

Question 19

It is easiest for management to deal with resistance when it is ________.

A) covert
B) deferred
C) passive
D) implicit
E) overt

Question 20

Which tactic for overcoming resistance to change basically assumes that the source of resistance lies in misinformation?

A) training and development
B) facilitation and support
C) education and communication
D) teaching and advancement
E) cooptation and manipulation

Question 21

Alex has a new idea for a way to cut costs in his department, but he is not willing to share his idea with his boss because the last department head that tried new cost cutting methods was recently fired. Based on the example, how can Alex's company improve the culture to create innovation?

A) flatten the management structure in the organization
B) reward both successes and failures organizationally
C) increase the resources in Alex's department
D) encourage communication between various departments
E) promote tenured management in Alex's department

Question 22

All of the following are steps in the process of action research except ________.

A) diagnosis
B) forming
C) feedback
D) action
E) evaluation

Question 23

________ involves correcting errors using past routines and present policies.

A) Process reengineering
B) Single-loop learning
C) Double-loop learning
D) Continuous improvement process
E) Organizational reaction

Question 24

Which of the following is considered a benefit of action research for an organization?

A) Employees can carry out the specific actions to correct the problems identified.
B) It is problem focused.
C) It is solution centered.
D) It is simple to implement.
E) It has no financial costs associated with it.

Question 25

Darg's team just had a research breakthrough. They'll need several more thousands of dollars to complete the project, but today Darg has called a series of meetings in which he's promoting the significance of the new discovery, explaining the economic benefits that will result from the final project, and answering questions. Darg is a(n) ________ within his company.

A) change agent
B) restraining force
C) manipulator
D) idea champion
E) stress creator

Question 26

________ encompasses a collection of planned-change interventions built on humanistic-democratic values that seek to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well-being.

A) Organizational development
B) Reflected change
C) Process consultation
D) Action research
E) Economic validity

Question 27

________ is a change process based on systematic collection of data and selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicate.

A) Organizational development
B) Action research
C) Planned change
D) Process consultation
E) Organizational restructuring

Question 28

Which of the following has been the most studied potential source of innovation?

A) cultural variables
B) structural variables
C) human resource factors
D) champions
E) brainstorming

Question 29

________ is a new idea applied to initiating or improving a product, process, or service.

A) A continuous improvement process
B) Double-loop learning
C) Innovation
D) Process reengineering
E) Organizational streaming

Question 30

The step in the action research process where information is gathered about problems, concerns, and needed changes is known as the ________ stage.

A) feedback
B) evaluation
C) diagnosis
D) action
E) prognosis

Question 31

The purpose of ________ is for an outside consultant to assist a client, usually a manager, to perceive, understand, and act upon process events with which the manager must deal.

A) a change agent
B) survey feedback
C) process consultation
D) action research
E) social reinforcement

Question 32

The activities included in team building include all of the following except ________.

A) goal setting
B) personal development
C) team process analysis
D) team interpersonal relations
E) defining priorities

Question 33

Errors that are corrected by modifying the organization's objectives, policies, and standard routines are part of ________.

A) single-loop learning
B) double-loop learning
C) process reengineering
D) the continuous improvement process
E) tertiary continuance

Question 34

The de-emphasis of hierarchical authority and control in organizational development is referred to as ________.

A) participation
B) power equalization
C) trust and support
D) respect for people
E) vertical blending

Question 35

Which of the following is not a step in the appreciative inquiry process?

A) discovery
B) dreaming
C) devising
D) destiny
E) design

Question 36

________ is a method of changing behavior through unstructured group interaction.

A) Action research
B) Planned change
C) Process consultation
D) Sensitivity training
E) Psychoanalysis

Question 37

Rather than looking for problems, ________ seeks to identify the unique qualities and special strengths of an organization, which can then be built upon to improve performance.

A) appreciative inquiry
B) action research
C) team building
D) process consultation
E) social reinforcement

Question 38

Who built upon the three-step model to create a more detailed approach for implementing change?

A) John Kotter
B) David McClelland
C) Douglas Surber
D) Lawrence Summers
E) Kurt Lewin

Question 39

Which of the following is not a reason why organic structures promote innovation?

A) high formalization
B) low vertical differentiation
C) high flexibility
D) low centralization
E) cross-fertilization

Question 40

Which of the following is not an organizational aspect that leads to innovation?

A) organic structure
B) long tenured management
C) slack amount of resources
D) high interunit communication
E) rewards absence of failures

Question 41

Which of the following is not an example of a hindrance stressor?

A) red tape
B) office politics
C) role conflict
D) time urgency
E) job confusion

Question 42

Which of the following is not an effective individual approach to handling stress?

A) using time-management techniques
B) increasing training and skills
C) increasing levels of physical exercise
D) paticipating in relaxation training
E) spending time with friends

Question 43

Which of the following is not an individual variable that influences a person's ability to handle stress?

A) perception
B) job experience
C) social support
D) personality
E) marital status

Question 44

________ is when a person is faced with a challenge that is related to what that person wants to have or do, and he or she isn't sure exactly what the end result will be, but regardless of the outcome, it is perceived as important.

A) Change
B) Stress
C) Innovation
D) Stimulation
E) Creativity

Question 45

Elaine is very good at what she does, but she is constantly stressed by internal deadlines to co-workers, obligatory meetings, and time lost in unrelated idle cubicle chatter. Today, after a meeting with her supervisor, she has been given more responsibility for her work, is able to set her own deadlines, decline attendance to various department meetings, and telecommute two days a week. Elaine's boss is using which of the following organizational strategies to reduce her stress?

A) job redesign
B) organizational communication
C) employee involvement
D) organizational development
E) wellness

Question 46

Raymond is dealing with impending layoffs at work. Yesterday at the pharmacy he measured his blood pressure and it was high. He also notices that when he thinks about the future his heart rate accelerates. Raymond is demonstrating ________ symptoms of his stress.

A) psychological
B) physiological
C) behavioral
D) personal
E) reactive

Question 47

Which of the following is not an organizational factor related to stress?

A) economic conditions
B) task demands
C) role demands
D) interpersonal demands
E) none of the above

Question 48

Family issues, economic problems, and personality characteristics are examples of the ________ factor of potential stress.

A) social
B) environmental
C) personnel
D) psychological
E) personal

Question 49

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a learning organization?

A) There is a shared vision upon which everyone agrees.
B) People sublimate their personal self-interest to work together to achieve the organization's shared vision.
C) Members integrate old ways of thinking with new ideas.
D) People openly communicate with each other.
E) There is consensus on the direction of the organization.

Question 50

Which of the following is a characteristic of a learning organization? Its employees ________.

A) have standard ways of doing their jobs
B) pursue projects of interest
C) focus on breaking down barriers created by hierarchical levels
D) think in terms of independent relationships
E) have high levels of technical knowledge

Question 51

Jill is overwhelmed with the new tasks that she has been assigned since the department merger. Every day she arrives at work and makes a list of the new tasks, writes a number next to each one according to the urgency of completion, and schedules a time to complete each one. Although she's still stressed, Jill is able to get most of the work done and feels better at the end of the day. Jill is using ________ to reduce her stress.

A) selection and placement
B) goal setting techniques
C) relaxation techniques
D) time-management techniques
E) job redesigning techniques

Question 52

The ________ theory indicates that some stress stimulates the body into action, and people are able to perform well. However, too much stress causes a person to perform poorly.

A) self-efficacy
B) reverse-inverted
C) inverted-U
D) double-loop
E) single-loop

Question 53

Organizationally supported programs that focus on the employee's total physical and mental condition are called ________ programs.

A) job redesign
B) relaxation
C) employee involvement
D) organizational development
E) wellness

Question 54

Hubert is unclear about his duties on the new project and feels stressed with the role ambiguity. He has decided to simply put off the project and dedicate himself to other tasks. Which of the following best describes the effect of Hubert's stress?

A) Anxiety is a physiological symptom of stress.
B) Low self-esteem is a psychological symptom of stress.
C) Fidgeting is a behavioral symptom of stress.
D) Procrastination is a psychological symptom of stress.
E) Increased heart rate is a physiological symptom of stress.

Question 55

Paul is miserable and stressed with the new corporate reorganization. He now reports to a foreign office that has usurped many of his responsibilities, including the contract labor for his projects, therefore he's working with less qualified and new contractors with whom he doesn't have a relationship. However, the managers of the other departments find themselves in the same boat and everyday they are able to laugh over lunch about their new managerial impotence. ________ is helping Paul handle his stress.

A) Perception
B) Job experience
C) Social support
D) Personality
E) Marital status

Question 56

Political uncertainties, economic uncertainties, and technological change are examples of which category of potential sources of stress?

A) economic
B) environmental
C) organizational
D) group
E) social

Question 57

Excessive smoking, substance abuse, accident proneness, and appetite disorders are all examples of ________ symptoms of stress.

A) personal
B) psychological
C) behavioral
D) physiological
E) pathological

Question 58

One of Verl's department employee's was severely injured on the job. Verl has called in psychological counselors to talk to the other employees, and scheduled a series of safety trainings for the department to be completed by the end of the week. He has also asked the HR personnel to talk to the department about the disability insurance that the company offers and make sure that his employees know what is available. Verl is using ________ to help cope with the stress caused by his employee's injury.

A) demands
B) technology
C) resources
D) innovation
E) appreciative inquiry

Question 59

Jerry is feeling very stressed because his boss expects a project to be delivered to the client with a very unreasonable deadline. Jerry has to work nights and weekends to make the deadline. Jerry is feeling ________ stress.

A) environmental
B) organizational
C) economic
D) marital
E) opportunity

Question 60

Which of the following is not a method managers use to foster a learning organization?

A) Establish a strategy.
B) Redesign the organization's structure.
C) Increase departmental boundaries.
D) Reshape the organization's culture.
E) Encourage functional conflict.

Question 61

Appreciative inquiry is a collection of change techniques or interventions built on humanistic-democratic values.

Question 62

Double-loop learning is an error correction process that relies on past routines and present policies.

Question 63

Intergroup development seeks to change attitudes, stereotypes, and perceptions that groups have of each other.

Question 64

Idea champions display characteristics associated with transformational leadership.

Question 65

If an individual believes his/her income will be affected negatively by a particular change, resistance will increase.

Question 66

Cooptation is a form of both manipulation and participation.

Question 67

Experience on the job tends to be positively related to work stress.

Question 68

You should expect that long-time career executives will be proponents of change.

Question 69

Appreciative inquiry refers to a change process based on systematic collection of data and then selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicates.

Question 70

The objectives of survey feedback are to provide subjects with increased awareness of their own behavior and how others see them.

Question 71

Retention forces are those that hinder movement from the existing equilibrium.

Question 72

Risa has to work long hours and sometimes weekends, losing out on family time. Risa doesn't find her long hours overly stressful, but rather she sees it as her contribution to maintaining her family's equilibrium and well being, and bettering her children's future. In which country is Risa most likely employed?

A) Venezuela
B) United States
C) Canada
D) United Kingdom
E) Netherlands

Question 73

Sensitivity training emphasizes changing behavior through structured group interaction.

Question 74

Innovation is nurtured where there are slack resources.

Question 75

Organizational behavior (OB) is not a readily definable concept, but a convenient term used to encompass a variety of activities for managing change.

Question 76

Process consultants work with the clients in jointly diagnosing what processes need improvement.

Question 77

A person's basic disposition is a major private factor that influences stress.

Question 78

The organizational factors that cause stress include: task demands, role demands, and interpersonal demands.

Question 79

An idea champion in Germany will be more effective by ignoring budgets and procedures.

Question 80

Research demonstrates that any effort to resist change is dysfunctional in terms of organizational effectiveness.