Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following accurately defines systems thinking?a. Understanding the rigid processes that enable things to get done within an organizationb. Focusing on root causes and recognizing interdependencies across the organization’s boundariesc. Isolating and solving problems in individual departmentsd. Making sure all the systems in the organizations are not silos

Q: Which of the following attributes are included in Judge and Douglass eight dimensions related to readiness?a. Accountable culture and trusting followersb. Compliant middle management and ambitious leadershipc. Stable culture and opinionated followersd. Excessive communications and knowledgeable champions

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Q: What factors determine organizational readiness for change?a. The number of organizational change projects done in the pastb. Leadership commitment and member confidence in the leadershipc. The amount of money available to incentivize employees to buy ind. The size of the organization

Q: The vision for change must be created before the organization can focus on the need for change.a. Trueb. False

Q: What pitfalls listed below are not necessarily from a lack of self-awareness?a. Believing that your perspective is held by everyoneb. Misconstruing cues and concerns as feedback rather than resistancec. Lacking nuanced understanding of why others may disagree or have concernsd. Running out of resources to adequately invest in the change project

Q: It is very unlikely that change leaders will ever overcommunicate during a change project.a. Trueb. False

Q: What is the biggest benefit of a change leader being self-aware?a. They are freer to ask questions and seek help when they need itb. They can only focus on what they’re good atc. It allows them to act quickly without excessive analysisd. It gives them confidence to lead others through the change

Q: Internal data that change leaders should consider include all of the following except:a. Customer retention and satisfactionb. Profitabilityc. Whether or not employees pick up litter around the officed. Strategic intentions of competitors

Q: Why should change leaders take time to understand the perspectives of stakeholders throughout the change process?a. To ostracize people who don’t agree with the changeb. To move effectively, enlist their support, and minimize resistancec. To convince them that you care about their opiniond. To track how many people have bought in and how many are resisting

Q: What kinds of data from the external environment should leaders monitor and why?

Q: Leaders should not attempt to track all external data.a. Trueb. False

Q: What situation makes it easiest to instigate change?a. The stakes are low so the organization can change graduallyb. Everything else is stable so people only have to accept one change instead of manyc. When everyone else’s organizations are changing so people don’t feel left outd. When there is an external urgency to complete the change

Q: In order to foster an understanding of the need for change, change leaders should do which of the following?a. Make sense out of internal and external data, understand the perspectives of stakeholders and their own concerns and perspectivesb. Engage the marketing team to communicate the vision and plan clearlyc. Persuade everyone to adopt their point of view so they have complete buy-ind. Work to understand how they compare against competitors so that they can put the need for change in a larger context

Q: When considering a change project, there are only a few choices on how and what to allocate resources to.a. Trueb. False

Q: At the beginning of a change project, when are leaders in a position to engage others in the conversation about the plan going forward?a. Once the leaders have a town hall meeting arranged and a catchy vision that will drive actionb. Once everyone in the organization understands the problem and has given their input on how to reactc. Once leaders determine the need for change, the choices available, develop a change vision, and develop a shared understanding about the situationd. Once the urgency is so enormous that the organization has no other choice but to close its doors

Q: What is responsibility diffusion?a. When there is sufficient responsibility to go aroundb. When responsibility is subdivided so granularly that it is difficult to return completed tasks to one cohesive final productc. When people feel stressed but no one is entirely sure what their responsibilities ared. When multiple people are involved and everyone stands by, assuming someone else will act

Q: What is the main reason that change management programs often fail?a. Despite a shared awareness of the change vision, no one wants to change their routineb. There is confusion about why change is needed and what needs to changec. Employees hear too much information about the change and get boredd. The change program isn’t right for the organization

Q: The need for change is always clear and dramatic.a. Trueb. False

Q: According to the book, past experiences may cause employees to react to change in what ways?a. With blind acceptanceb. With urgencyc. With complianced. With cynicism

Q: Which model in this chapter resonates most strongly with you and why?

Q: Which of the following does not represent a proposition of Staceys Complexity Theory?a. Organizations operate in a linear fashion, communicating information in a predictable wayb. If an organization becomes too stable it will be unable to change as neededc. People within an organization can’t control the long-term futured. Organizations are constantly drawn to stability and instability at the same time

Q: Which of the following may be true about Greiners model in practice?a. It allows for sufficient ambiguity to account for differences in organizationsb. Managers can and should seek a point of complete equilibrium where all aspects of the organization work in harmonyc. Organizations that develop differently than Greiner’s model can still be successfuld. It allows leaders to develop all necessary perspectives and get rid of all biases and preferences during the change process

Q: Greiner believes that rapid, discontinuous changes are disruptive and detrimental to organizations and can be avoided by careful management.a. Trueb. False

Q: Large change projects and incremental changes face drastically different challenges.a. Trueb. False

Q: What are the four quadrants of Quinns model?a. Financial, customer, internal processes, and learning & growthb. Human resources, internal processes, open systems, and rational economicc. Human resources, financial, marketing, and salesd. Internal, external, stakeholders, and mission

Q: What is a major strength of Quinns model?a. It has four quadrants, which makes it easy to rememberb. It views the organization from a single perspective, which makes analysis more straightforwardc. Everything the organization needs can be mastered and orchestrated by one skilled change agentd. It links organizational and individual levels of analysis, giving direction to the organization as a whole but also what is required for each role

Q: What are the two dimensions that underlie Quinns four frames?a. An internal-external dimension and a control-flexibility dimensionb. An employer-employee dimension and a culture-control dimensionc. An informal-formal dimension and a theoretical-realistic dimensiond. An environmental-core competency dimension and a profit-mission dimension

Q: What is double loop learning?a. Asking two sources when a question or challenge arisesb. A version of continuous improvement effortsc. Questioning not only incremental modifications but also assumptions those modifications were based ond. Working in teams to assess step-by-step change projects

Q: A tight congruence within an organization should be its number one priority.a. Trueb. False

Q: How does Stermans model differ from Nadler and Tushmans model?a. Nadler and Tushman’s model considers more perspectives of the organizationb. Nadler and Tushman focus on alignment; Sterman focuses on the consideration of a wide variety of variables at playc. Nadler and Tushman’s model considers dynamic forces; Sterman’s model encourages linear thinkingd. Nadler and Tushman’s model relies on fit to drive decision making; Sterman’s model stresses causal thinking

Q: Describe a situation youre familiar with when an organization did not have a good internal fit and the consequences of that shortfall.

Q: The need for change can always be identified by looking at an organizations external environment.a. Trueb. False

Q: An emphasis on internal fit between organizational components usually focuses on ______________, while a focus on external fit with the environment often focuses on ___________.a. Fit, financialsb. Efficiency, effectivenessc. Culture, customersd. Size, sales

Q: Which of the following is a good example of a change based on fit?a. A company works to empower employees to increase morale and institutes a more rigid supervisory structure to manage costsb. The organization hires brilliant employees to fill gaps in low-level jobs to have the best employees at every levelc. The organization has traditionally valued a relaxed and informal workplace to foster creativity, and the HR department enforces a strict dress code policy to increase professionalism and the organization’s reputationd. A company moves to an open floor plan and also works to revise formal systems to include more collaboration and teamwork in decision making

Q: Thoroughly understanding that the system is dynamic should have which of the following impacts on organizations?a. Leaders should understand that they can only focus on so much and choose one aspect of the external environment to focus on wellb. Since external factors are changing, internal systems need to change alsoc. The patterns of thinking that have developed over time are reliable as new conditions arised. No matter what changes in the environment, the same people in an organization will always have the most influence

Q: Once an organizational diagnosis is made, it is good for approximately two years.a. Trueb. False

Q: Describe the three critical elements of Nadler and Tushmans model for change agents.

Q: What best describes an organizations outputs?a. Outputs include products and services, as well as the satisfaction of employees and customersb. Outputs are an organization’s carbon footprint and environmental impactc. Outputs can be evaluated on a purely financial leveld. Outputs only apply to the organization as a whole

Q: Which is true when considering the people in an organization?a. They exist separately from tasks, informal and formal structures, and should be considered in isolationb. Most people are flexible and can easily fit into any rolec. Since everyone is so different, it’s not worth the effort to try to understand how people will react to changed. Some individuals are more critical of the change process than others

Q: According to Nadler and Tushman, which of the following is an aspect of the formal organization?a. Buildings and real estateb. Reporting relationshipsc. Cultured. Reputation

Q: How should a change agent approach dysfunctional norms?a. Ignore them because the other aspects of change require more attention and focusb. Understand that they can’t be changed without completely turning over the staffc. Make them explicit and identify the resulting organizational dynamicsd. Mandate a change to keep the organization functional

Q: Every organization organizes its work generally the same.a. Trueb. False

Q: Which of the following is not true about strategy?a. It should be decided by focusing exclusively on the environment and its threats and opportunitiesb. Sometimes organizations just drift into a strategyc. What leaders say their strategy is and what they actually do is often differentd. Strategy leads to the allocation of resources

Q: Why is an organizations history important?a. Organizations need to learn from their mistakesb. Organizations should try to repeat what worked for them in the pastc. It provides insight into how the organization evolved and developed its mission, values, and strategyd. It’s useful to explain to customers and stakeholders and is a valuable marketing tool

Q: What are the four fundamental elements of the Nadler and Tushman Congruence Model?a. Shareholders, technology, processes, and missionb. Stakeholders, customers, product/service, and financialsc. Culture, people, history, and futured. Tasks, people, formal organization, informal organization

Q: Organizations should pay attention to what other companies are doing.a. Trueb. False

Q: Which of the following does not reflect an open systems perspective?a. Systems are not isolated but interact with their environment constantlyb. Relationships are largely linear and can be broken down into cause and effectc. Individuals in the system may have different views of itd. A system seeks equilibrium and doesn’t change unless energy is applied

Q: In some cases, changing one thing in an organization, such as the compensation system, may affect other unintended areas. Why is this?a. Organizations are highly dynamic and interactive, and will change often in unexpected waysb. Compensation affects employees, which determines the organization’s entire performancec. Change often fails, and this is a symptom of poorly executed changed. Unintended consequences are often logical, but the change leader just hadn’t thought or planned for them

Q: 2. Working to improve the process is moot if which of the following is true?a. Leaders don’t care enough about the organizationb. Leaders don’t understand how to successfully execute changec. The set of assumptions that drives the content of change is inaccurated. People will likely go back to the old way despite improvement efforts

Q: Differentiating the process from content in organizational change doesnt matter much since both are so intertwined.a. Trueb. False

Q: The GVV model suggests a three-part model: clarification and articulation of ones values, post-decision-making analysis and implementation plan, and the practice of speaking ones values and receiving feedback.a. Trueb. False

Q: In Ducks stages, preparation requires all organizational leaders to be aligned so the change plan will succeed.a. Trueb. False

Q: Beckhard and Harriss model focuses heavily on the process of change.a. Trueb. False

Q: According to Beckhard and Harris, which of the following situations reflects the process of managing the transition?a. Trying to embed the change into normal operations moving forwardb. Transitioning the organization from stagnation to awakeningc. Utilizing various project management tools to manage the larger shifts in the organizationd. Trying to get employees on board with the change

Q: If an organization is crafting a vision for change, what stage in the Change Path Model are they likely in?a. Awakeningb. Accelerationc. Institutionalizationd. Mobilization

Q: Which of the following stages from a variety of the models described in this chapter align?a. Preparation, consolidating gains to create more change, and accelerationb. Mobilization, awakening, determination, and implementationc. Institutionalization, fruition, and refreezed. Change, stagnation, and focus on process

Q: Once a gap analysis is performed, it is fairly straightforward to decide how the organization can reach the desired future state.a. Trueb. False

Q: It is not always easy for leaders to articulate why an organization should change.a. Trueb. False

Q: What is a key tool used heavily in the Institutionalization stage?a. Measurementb. Urgencyc. Compelling visiond. Gap analysis

Q: The Change Path Model provides thorough instructions for enacting change that should be followed closely to ensure success.a. Trueb. False

Q: Please describe some of the significant pieces of the Mobilization stage.

Q: What is the purpose of the Awakening stage of the Change Path Model?a. To ensure organizations are using the newest management and operational theories and practicesb. To make sure employees are staying focused and engaged in their workc. To scan the environment so the organization is agile and adaptabled. To make sure employees are collaborating with other areas and that they understand the larger picture of the organization

Q: What is Beckhard and Harriss gap analysis?a. The disconnect between the change plan and what is actually implementedb. The amount of resistance from the employees about the changec. The gap in understanding about the change situation and its stakeholdersd. The contrast between the organization’s current reality and the desired future state

Q: According to Ducks model, determination describes the emotional state of leaders when they first identify the need for change.a. Trueb. False

Q: Implementation is best described by which of the following choices?a. The phase when the change vision is announced and operational planning beginsb. The phase when people realize that they have to work to sustain changes and energy wanesc. The phase when things change and people are required to change their work habitsd. The phase when the change has been adopted and embedded in the organization

Q: What are Ducks Five Stages of Change?a. Preparation, implementation, vacillation, flagellation, completionb. Stagnation, preparation, implementation, determination, fruitionc. Configuration, centralization, fertilization, perspiration, preservationd. Anticipation, stimulation, application, determination, acclimatization

Q: Provide an example of a situation where someone practices giving voice to values.

Q: Gentiles Giving Voice to Values is meant to strengthen business students skills in what type of situation?a. When negotiating for salaryb. When instigating a change projectc. When in a situation that runs counter to their principlesd. When onboarding new employees

Q: Generating short-term wins is important for what reason?a. To capture the hearts and minds of employeesb. To give people an overarching dream of an inspiring futurec. To continue pressing forward so that change seeps into the deepest parts of the organizationd. To keep employees motivated when large-scale results may be difficult to see immediately

Q: What is the first step in Kotters model of change?a. Establish a sense of urgencyb. Develop a vision and strategyc. Identify the need for changed. Create a guiding coalitio

Q: Kotters model of change asserts that every change is different and that change can be implemented through a variety of different paths or steps in varying order.a. Trueb. False

Q: Lewins stage of refreezing is best described by which of the following options?a. A stage where no further changes happen in the organizationb. A stage after a change project has failed where things go back to the way they werec. Organization should freeze as firmly as possible no matter what happens around them so that the change really sticksd. Once changes have been implemented, this stage is when new patterns and routines are formed around the new change

Q: During Lewins stage of change, the organization is undergoing significant uncertainty and ambiguity.a. Trueb. False

Q: Unfreezing must happen only at the leadership level to begin a change project.a. Trueb. False

Q: Describe Lewins stage of unfreezing.

Q: What are the three stages in Lewins model of change?a. Easy, hard, and harderb. Stop, drop, and rollc. Stop, look, and listend. Unfreeze, change, and refreeze

Q: Organizational change most often requires changing at what three levels?a. Strategy, operations, and human resourcesb. Simple, joint, and complexc. Individual, unit, and organizationd. Beginning, middle, and end

Q: What does Handys sigmoid curve outline?a. The stages of organizational changeb. Where one should begin changing and where it becomes obvious that one needs to changec. How people respond when change is enactedd. The quantity of inputs that go into creating change

Q: What is the failure of success?a. Continuing to use practices that worked successfully in the past that are no longer appropriateb. Expending too many resources to reach a successful changec. Focusing on success in only one part of the organization without considering losses that may have occurred elsewhered. Insisting that success has been achieved even when there are major issues that need to be addressed