13. Persectives on Organisational Change

Question 0

What is the point of the seven-S model of organisational change?

Answer 0

It highlights the areas that can be changed while noting their inter-connectedness

Question 1

What are the components of the seven-S model of organisational change?

Answer 1

Shared value
Strategy
Staff
Style
Skill
Structure
System

Question 2

What is the key point of the Burke-Litwin model of organisational change?

Answer 2

Emphasises the significance of the external environment on change

Question 3

What are the three categories of factors in the Burke-Litwin model?

Answer 3

Transformational factors
Transactional factors
Feedback loop

Question 4

According to the Burke-Litwin model, what are the three transformational factors that are most directly influence by the external environment?

Answer 4

Mission and strategy
Leadership
Culture

Question 5

According to the Burke-Litwin model, what are the seven transactional factors impacted upon by the transformational factors, and are the means by which change is implemented?

Answer 5

Structure
Management Practices
Systems
Work Unit Climate
Skills
Motivation
Needs and values

Question 6

What is the significance of the ‘feedback loop’ in the Burke-Litwin model of organisational cange?

Answer 6

Environment affects individual and organisational performance, but performance also impacts upon the environment.

Question 7

What is the Burke-Litwin model likely to understate?

Answer 7

The importance of internal drivers of change.

Question 8

What are the two kinds of forces identified by Lewin’s Force Field model of change?

Answer 8

Driving forces

Restraining forces

Question 9

What is the main point of the Force Field model of organisational change?

Answer 9

That the organisation remains in equilibrium until the balance of power shifts to restraining or driving forces. For change to occur, the balance must shift to driving forces.

Question 10

What are the four common perspectives on change?

Answer 10

Life cycle perspective
Emergent perspective
Participative perspective
Political perspective

Question 11

According to the life-cycle perspective on organisational change, change can be broken down…

Answer 11

Into a number of key phases

Question 12

What are the ten main stages of the life-cycle perspective on organisational change?

Answer 12

Initial agreement
Mandates
Mission and values
Internal and external environmental analysis
Identification of strategic issues
Formulation of strategy
Review and adoption of strategy
Vision for success
Development and implementation of plan
Review and evaluation

Question 13

What are the four main stages of a shorter project cycle?

Answer 13

Initiation
Planning
Execution
Closure

Question 14

The essential position of the emergent perspective on change is that plans need to be — and respond to ongoing and inherently unpredictable changes.

Answer 14

Flexible

Question 15

The — perspective on change sees the importance of a collaborative approach to change through all stages.

Answer 15

Participative

Question 16

When is a participative approach to change most likely to work well?

Answer 16

When there is enough time to allow for more extensive consultation and involvement
and genuine scope for influencing the process

Question 17

The — perspective on change sees change as an arena of power struggles, compromises, coalitions, etc.

Answer 17

Political

Question 18

According to McGahan’s model, what are the two main drivers for change within a sector?

Answer 18

Threat to core activities of the industry

Threat to core assets of the industry

Question 19

According to McGahan’s model, what are the four ways in which an industry changes in response to threats?

Answer 19

Radical (threat to assets and activities)
Creative (threat to core assets, activities stable)
Intermediate (threat to activities, assets stable)
Progressive (no immediate threats)

Question 20

According to Pettigrew and Whipp’s model, what are the three dimensions to successful change?

Answer 20

Content
Process
Context

Question 21

In Pettigrew and Whipp’s model, — defines what is going to be achieved, the goals and objectives.

Answer 21

Content

Question 22

In Pettigrew and Whipp’s model, — explains HOW change is going to be achieved.

Answer 22

Process

Question 23

In Pettigrew and Whipp’s model, — takes account of the internal and external environment in which change is desired.

Answer 23

Context

Question 24

What are the three possible responses to change?

Answer 24

Full support
Grudging, half-hearted or superficial support
Resistance

Question 25

List nine ways in which resistance to change may be shown.

Answer 25

Refusal to cooperate
Insistence on sticking to existing practices
Non-participation
Excessive negativity
Delight in failure of change
Deliberate sabotage
Delay tactics
Spreading misleading or false information
Industrial action