VA1 Ch 6 - Adaption-Innovation (A-I) Theory

Question 1

The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force has been levied with the task of creating a new performance system for enlisted personnel. He forms a team of the leading experts in enlisted force development. The experts begin to propose different designs to use to build the new performance system. There are strains developing within the team. They seem to bicker a lot and lose track of the objective. It appears they will never develop the new performance system. What problems do you see? You could label them Problem A: creating a new performance system for enlisted personnel; and Problem B: getting the team to work toward the common objective of creating a new enlisted performance system.

What is the difference between Problem A and Problem B?

Answer 1

Problem A is the ‘actual problem’ that two of more individuals come together to solve.

Problem B encompasses all of the problems (team dynamics, interpersonal skills, communication, collaboration, etc.) that stem from ‘human interactions’.

Question 2

The Adaption-Innovation Theory is only concerned with ___________.

Answer 2

Style

Question 3

What is the difference between style and level?

Answer 3

Level refers to potential capacity (intelligence or talent) and learned levels (such as management, supervisory and leadership competency). Style: refers to “how we think,” our preferred cognitive approach to problem solving, and decision making.

Question 4

What is a more precise term for adaptors?

Answer 4

More Adaptive

Question 5

What is a more precise term for innovators?

Answer 5

More Innovative

Question 6

Why is it important to know where you fall on the Adaption-Innovation continuum?

Answer 6

How others perceive you and how you perceive them depends on where you are on the continuum in relation to their position.

Question 7

Why does a large gap in style offer greater potential/ability to solve problems?

Answer 7

Because of the cognitive diversity

Question 8

What are some of the tendencies adaptors exhibit concerning “structure”?

Answer 8

Prefer more structure and more of it consensually agreed

Question 9

What are some of the tendencies innovators exhibit concerning “structure”?

Answer 9

Prefer less structure and can tolerate less of it consensually agreed

Question 10

What are some of the tendencies adaptors exhibit concerning “the paradigm”?

Answer 10

Improve or extend the paradigm in order to solve problems

Question 11

What are some of the tendencies innovators exhibit concerning “the paradigm”?

Answer 11

Challenge or break the paradigm in order to solve problems

Question 12

What are the two forms of cognitive gap?

Answer 12

The first form is the distance between one’s preferred style and the behavior actually needed in a particular situation (i.e. the distance between ones preferred style and his/her task).

The second form is, the distance in a social interaction, between the preferred styles of 1) two people, 2) a person and a group, or 3) two groups (refer back to figure 2).

Question 13

According to A-I Theory, the larger the cognitive gap, the greater the potential for conflict and for __________.

Answer 13

Productive Problem Solving

Question 14

Leaders who manage ______________ effectively end up with the best possible solutions.

Answer 14

Cognitive Diversity

Question 15

Organizations with only adaptors or innovators quickly _______________.

Answer 15

Perish

Question 16

An effective method for managing cognitive gap is through the use of ___________.

Answer 16

Bridgers

Question 17

What is bridging?

Answer 17

Bridging is reaching out to people in the team and helping them to be part of it so that they may contribute even if their contribution is outside mainstream.

Question 18

Why do we need coping behavior?

Answer 18

Because we cannot always solve problems using our preferred style.

Question 19

Effective leaders create environments where they only ask for __________ coping behavior most of the time and only have to ask for __________ coping behavior in times of crisis.

Answer 19

Minimum; Maximum

Question 20

potential capacity: intelligence or talent

Answer 20

Level

Question 21

preferred approach to problem solving, and decision making.

Answer 21

Style

Question 22

precise terms use to describe the A-I Continuum

Answer 22

More Adaptive or Innovative

Question 23

problem that two of more individuals come together to solve.

Answer 23

Problem A

Question 24

problems that stem from human interactions

Answer 24

Problem B

Question 25

distance between one’s preferred style and the behavior actually needed in a situation

Answer 25

Cognitive Gap #1

Question 26

social role requiring human relation skills, and an intermediate score (ideally)

Answer 26

Bridger

Question 27

effort required to do something that is not one’s preference

Answer 27

Coping Behavior

Question 28

emotion, desire, physiological need that causes one to take action

Answer 28

Motive

Question 29

All of us are intelligent and creative, at different levels and with different styles

Answer 29

Basic Principle of A-I Theory

Question 30

An appropriate or favorable time, occasion, or situation favorable for attainment of a goal

Answer 30

Opportunity

Question 31

distance in a social interaction between preferred styles

Answer 31

Cognitive Gap #2