Week 1

Question 1

What is an organization?

Answer 1

two or more people (social dimension) who (are supposed to) ‘cooperate’ with each other within a formally established structure mobilizing/using resources in order to achieve a certain goal.

Question 2

Open vs closed systems

Answer 2

Open also look at the environment, strategy and goals outside the firm

Question 3

What is culture?

Answer 3

represents an interdependent set of values and ways of behaving that are common in a community and that tend to perpetuate themselves, sometimes over long periods of time.

Question 4

Organizational change, changes

Answer 4

culture

Question 5

Organizational developments of the past

Answer 5

• Adam Smith: specialization
• Fayol and Taylor: standardization (scientific management: how long does it take to do a certain task, which corporate management is the best fit)
• Max Weber: bureaucracy (accountability and responsibility)

Question 6

General organizational assumptions of the past

Answer 6

• Organizations are seen as rational entities
• People are economic beings
• The design of an organization is “science”
• There is ‘One best way’
  Change was based on rationality and legitimate managerial authority.

Question 7

Criticism of old assumptions

Answer 7

o Humans have emotional needs.
o Organizations are cooperative social systems.
o Organizations have informal structures and rules
–> Resulted in the so-called human relations school (change by consent)

Question 8

CSR time view change

Answer 8

CSR and CFP were not interconnected, it was not even legal to sell a company to do good. Now CSR and CFP has become interconnected. Most impacts tackled are the easy ones

Question 9

Organizational change definitions

Answer 9

• response on what happens in the environment, not looking at the goals of the firm
• effectiveness is the change from the present state to a future state which achieves the goals of the firm

Question 10

Types of change

Answer 10

Evolutionary
Revolutionary

Question 11

Evolutionary change

Answer 11

Gradual
Incremental
Narrowly focused: smaller part of the firm or a small adjustment, it can still impact all employees

Question 12

Revolutionary change

Answer 12

Rapid
Dramatic
Broadly focused

Question 13

Models of change

Answer 13

Planned change
Emergent approach

Question 14

Planned change

Answer 14

Field theory/force field analysis
Group dynamics
Action research
Three-step model of change

Question 15

Field theory and group dynamics

Answer 15

Focused on analysing and understanding how social groupings were formed, motivated an maintained.
Field theory: When the forces for and against are the same no change is happening

Question 16

Action research (5 steps)

Answer 16

1. Diagnosing
2. Determining
3. Implementing: internal vs external change agents
4. Evaluating
5. Institutionalizing

Not necessarily long lasting

Question 17

Internal vs external change agents

Answer 17

Internal: knows more about the firm but could be biased. If the agent is respected it is easier to implement change. Change can also be more informal.
External: is not biased but needs more time to acquire knowledge of the firm. Better for cultural change and having an expert. Easier for lower level employees to say what kind of change they need.

Question 18

Lewin’s three step model of change

Answer 18

• Unfreeze
• Change
• Refreeze

Question 19

Criticism three step model

Answer 19

• Assumes environmental stability
• Not applicable to situations that need rapid and radical change
• Assumes suitability for all organizations
  n.b.: Lewin never saw Planned change as being applicable to all situations

Question 20

Emergent approach

Answer 20

• Open-ended process
• Adjusting to changing external environment
• Bottom-up
• Unpredictable
• Cannot be pre-planned
• Learning process
• No universal rules

Question 21

2 streams in emergent approach

Answer 21

Processual approach
Prescriptive approach

Question 22

Processual approach

Answer 22

Study of organizational change over time and in context to develop a recipe to change the organization

Question 23

Prescriptive approach

Answer 23

Instead of a detailed analysis of what organizations do, it tells organization what they should do
Two important scholars:
- Kanter
- Kotter

Question 24

Kanter’s ten commandments for executing change

Answer 24

1. Analyze the organization and its need for change
2. Create a shared vision and a common direction
3. Seperate from the past
4. Create a sense of urgency
5. Support a strong leader role
6. Line up political sponsorship
7. Craft an implementation plan
8. Develop enebaling structures
9. Communicate, involve people and be honest
10. Reinforce and institutionalize change

Question 25

Kotter’s eights steps to succesful change

Answer 25

Set the stage:
1. Create a sense of urgency
2. Pull together the guiding team
Decide what to do:
3. Develop the change vision and strategy
Make it happen:
4. Communicate for understanding and buy in
5. Empower others to act
6. Produce short-term wins
7. Don’t let up
Make it stick:
8. Create a new culture: to survive constant change must be part of the culture

Question 26

Range of benefits from following SDGs (5)

Answer 26

• Identifying future business opportunities
• Enhancing the value of corporate sustainability
• Strengthening stakeholder relations and keeping pace with policy developments
• Stabilizing societies and markets
• Using a common language and shared purpose