Chapter 10 - Types and forms of organisational change

Question 1

Organisational change

Answer 1

The process by which organisations move from their current or present state to some desired future state to increase their effectiveness.

Question 2

Goal of planned change

Answer 2

To find new ways of using resources and capabilities to increase value creation.

Question 3

What are the 4 different levels that organisational change aim to improve effectiveness?

Answer 3

Human resources

Functional resources

Technological capabilities

Organisational capabilities

Question 4

Typical kinds of change efforts directed at human resources:

Answer 4

Investment in training and devklopmentent activities

Socialising employees into the culture of the company

Changing the norms and values to motivate the workforce

Ongoing examination of promotion and reward systems

Changing the top management team

Question 5

Forces for change

Answer 5

Competitive forces

Economic forces

Political forces

Global forces

Demographic forces

Social forces

Ethical forces

Question 6

Resistances to change

Answer 6

Organisational level

Functional level

Group level

Individual level

Question 7

Resistances to change for organisational level

Answer 7

Structure

Culture

Strategy

Question 8

Functional level

Answer 8

Differences in subunit orientation

Power and conflict

Question 9

Group level

Answer 9

Norms

Cohesiveness

Groupthink

Question 10

Individual level

Answer 10

Cognitive biases

Uncertainty and insecurity

Selective perception and retention

Habit

Question 11

Force field theory

Answer 11

A theory of organisational change that argues that two sets of opposing forces within an organisation determine how change will take place

To get an organization to change, managers must find a way to increase the forces for
change, reduce resistance to change, or do both simultaneously

Question 12

Evolutionary change:

Answer 12

Change that is gradual incremental, and specifically focused.

Question 13

Revolutionary change

Answer 13

Change that is sudden, drastic, and organization-wide

Question 14

What are the three types of ways of revolutionary change?

Answer 14

Re-engineering

Restructuring

Innovation

Question 15

What are the three types of ways of revolutionary change?

Answer 15

Sociotechnical systems theory

Total quality management

Creation of flexible work groups

Question 16

Three guidelines for performing re-engineering successfully are

Answer 16

1. Organise around outcomes, not tasks.
2. Have those who use the output of the process perform the process.
3. Decentralize decision-making to the point where the decision is made.

Question 17

Restructuring

Answer 17

A process by which managers change task and authority relationships and redesign organisational structure and culture to improve organisational effectiveness.

Question 18

Downsizing:

Answer 18

The process by which managers streamline the organisational hierarchy and lay off managers and workers to reduce bureaucratic costs

Question 19

Innovation

Answer 19

The process by which organizations use their skills and resources to develop new
goods and services or to develop new production and operating systems so they
can better respond to the needs of their customers

Question 20

Lewin’s three-step change process

Answer 20

1. Unfreeze the organisation from its present state.
2. Make the desired type of change.
3. Refreeze the organization in a new desired state.

Question 21

E-engineering

Answer 21

Companies’ attempts to use all kinds of information systems to improve their performance.

Question 22

Action research

Answer 22

A strategy for generating and acquiring knowledge that managers can use to define an organisation’s desired future state and to plan a change program that allows the organisation to reach that state.

Question 23

Organizational development

Answer 23

A series of techniques and methods that managers can use in their action research program to increase the adaptability of their organisation

Question 24

The goal of OD is to

Answer 24

Improve organisational effectiveness and to help people in organisations reach their potential and realise their goals and objectives

Question 25

Sensitivity training

Answer 25

An OD technique that consists of intense counselling in which group members, aided by a facilitator, learn how others perceive them and may learn how to deal more sensitively with others

Question 26

Process consultation

Answer 26

An OD technique in which a facilitator works closely with a manager on the job to help the manager improve his or her interactions with other group members.

Question 27

Team building

Answer 27

An OD technique in which a facilitator first observes the interactions of group members and then helps them become aware of ways to improve their work interactions.

Question 28

Intergroup training

Answer 28

An OD technique that uses team building to improve the work interactions of different functions or divisions

Question 29

Organisational mirroring

Answer 29

An OD technique in which a facilitator helps two interdependent groups explore their perceptions and relations in order to improve their work interactions

Question 30

Organisational confrontation meeting

Answer 30

An OD technique that brings together all of the mangers of an organisation at a meeting to confront the issue of whether the organisation is meeting its goals effectively.

Question 31

Total quality management

Answer 31

Is an ongongin and constant effect by an organisation’s functions to find new ways to improve the quality of the organisational’s goods and services.

Question 32

Tactics that mangers can use to reduce resistance to change

Answer 32

Education and communication

Participation and empowerment

Facilitation

Bargaining and negotiation

Manipulation

Coercion