Organizational Change 3rd Edition By Patrick E. Connor – Test Bank

Complete Test Bank With Answers

Sample Questions Posted Below

Chapter 5: Navigating Change Through Formal Structures and Systems

Test Bank

1. What are formal structures designed for?

@ Answer Location: Intro; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

*a. To support the strategic direction of the firm by enhancing efficiency and effectiveness

b. To clarify roles and responsibilities

c. To ensure accountability and oversight

d. To create a coherent organization chart

2. Which of the following is not an example of formal systems?

@ Answer Location: Intro; Cognitive Domain: Comprehension; Question Type: MC

a. Strategic planning, accounting and control systems

b. Pay and reward practices

c. Performance management

*d. Organizational culture

3. Some organizations do not require any formalization because they are so small.

@ Answer Location: Intro; Cognitive Domain: Analysis; Question Type: TF

a. True

*b. False

4. How does the degree of differentiation change over the life an organization?

@ Answer Location: Making Sense of Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

a. Differentiation generally remains stable throughout the life of the organization

*b. As the number of employees increases, there is greater differentiation

c. As an organization becomes more successful and profitable, there is a greater need to differentiate tasks

d. As a workforce becomes more embedded and cross-trained, the degree of differentiation diminishes

5. What is integration?

@ Answer Location: Making Sense of Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

a. How much one task overlaps with another

b. The degree in which each individual tasks fits in with the organization’s overall mission

c. The degree to which responsibility is meaningfully assigned instead of having unnecessary levels of management and bureaucracy

*d. The extent to which all disparate tasks and jobs are combined into a cohesive whole

6. What are common ways that larger, more complex companies are organized?

@ Answer Location: Making Sense of Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

a. Larger companies tend to be organized purely by function

b. Every product and category is integrated into each department to ensure integration

*c. Departments may be organized by product or geographic area, and there may be people who specialize, bringing together all parts of the organization

d. They consolidate all locations to manage all aspects of the company more closely from one entity

7. What part of structure does the chain of command reflect?

 @ Answer Location: Making Sense of Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Analysis; Question Type: MC

*a. The formal power structure

b. The informal power structure

c. The organization’s culture

d. The change process

8. Organizations that have a more decentralized decision-making process tend to be structured in what way?

@ Answer Location: Making Sense of Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Analysis; Question Type: MC

a. Hierarchical

*b. Flat

c. Formal

d. Informal

9. The formality of an organization is defined by the extent to which structures and processes of the organization are written down and expected to be followed.

@ Answer Location: Making Sense of Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Comprehension; Question Type: TF

*a. True

b. False

10. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a mechanistic organization?

@ Answer Location: Impact of Uncertainty and Complexity on Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Comprehension; Question Type: MC

a. Tasks are broken down into separate parts

b. There is a narrow span of control

c. There is a straightforward planning process

*d. Communication is abundant and flows horizontally

11. Which of the following kinds of organizations is most likely to be mechanistic?

@ Answer Location: Impact of Uncertainty and Complexity on Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Comprehension; Question Type: MC

a. A tech start-up

b. A school

*c. A nuclear power plant

d. An architecture firm

12. In what kinds of industries would an organic organization work best?

@ Answer Location: Impact of Uncertainty and Complexity on Formal Structures and Systems; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: SA

*a. Organic forms are best suited to creative fields, or in an environment where flexibility and adaptiveness are critical

13. As uncertainty ____________, the amount of information that needs to be processed between decision makers _______________.

@ Answer Location: Formal Structures and Systems From an Information Perspective; Cognitive Domain: Comprehension; Question Type: MC

a. Decreases, increases

b. Increases, decreases

*c. Increases, increases

d. Increases, stays the same

14. One way that organizations can reduce their information-processing challenges is by:

@ Answer Location: Formal Structures and Systems From an Information Perspective; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

a. Sending more emails

*b. Adding slack resources

c. Making departments more reliant on each other

d. Working harder and longer

15. What is the role of information systems?

@ Answer Location: Formal Structures and Systems From an Information Perspective; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

*a. To develop needed information and get it to the right people

b. To make sure all employees understand what’s going on in the organization

c. To keep employees accountable for mistakes they may be making

d. To develop annual reports for shareholders

16. What kinds of lateral relations will help increase information flow?

@ Answer Location: Formal Structures and Systems From an Information Perspective; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: SA

*a. Possible answers include: direct contact between affected individuals, use of liaisons to bridge groups, multidepartmental task forces, formal teams, integrating roles with cross-departmental decision authority, structures with dual-authority relationships

17. Organizations need to align their formal structures and systems with the environment.

@ Answer Location: Aligning Systems and Structures With the Environment; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: TF

*a. True

b. False

18. How does an organization’s design impact the behavior of its members?

@ Answer Location: Making Formal Structures and Systems Choices; Cognitive Domain: Analysis; Question Type: MC

*a. Design either inhibits or facilitates collaboration

b. Design suits some personalities better than others

c. Design determines the size an organization can reach

d. Design inhibits creativity

19. In the implementation stage, which reporting structure is most effective?

@ Answer Location: Making Formal Structures and Systems Choices; Cognitive Domain: Analysis; Question Type: MC

a. Brainstorming sessions

*b. Task force

c. Town hall meeting

d. Having the people who generate ideas also make the decisions

20. There is one best way to structure an organization.

@ Answer Location: Making Formal Structures and Systems Choices; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: TF

a. True

*b. False

21. Which decision should be made first?

@ Answer Location: Making Formal Structures and Systems Choices; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

a. Structure

b. Culture

c. Tasks

*d. Strategy

22. While having a good strategy is important, it is ineffective if which characteristic isn’t present?

@ Answer Location: Making Formal Structures and Systems Choices; Cognitive Domain: Analysis; Question Type: MC

a. Delegation

b. Oversight

*c. Alignment

d. Dedication

23. Leveraging structural and systematic change will create major animosity with one’s employees.

@ Answer Location: Using Formal Structures and Systems to Advance Change; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: TF

a. True

*b. False

24. Incremental changes require ______________, while larger more influential changes require _____________.

@ Answer Location: Using Structures and Systems to Obtain Formal Approval of a Change Project; Cognitive Domain: Analysis; Question Type: MC

a. Less dedication, sustained passion

b. More employee buy-in, leadership commitment

*c. Fewer resources, formal approval

d. Numerous task forces, town hall meetings

25. If leadership has a low tolerance for ambiguity, the approval process is likely to be:

@ Answer Location: Using Structures and Systems to Obtain Formal Approval of a Change Project; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

*a. More rigorous

b. More straightforward

c. Quicker

d. Lengthy

26. When approaching a formal approval process, change agents should utilize all of the following strategies EXCEPT:

@ Answer Location: Using Systems to Enhance the Prospects for Approval; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

a. Identify the decision-maker’s attitude and work with that person

*b. Be as vague about the project as possible in order to set accurate expectations

c. Connect the project to the vision and strategy of the organization

d. Use the appropriate process to legitimize the proposal

27. Change proposals should only be introduced once formal approval is obtained.

@ Answer Location: Using Systems to Enhance the Prospects for Approval; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: TF

a. True

*b. False

28. Acceptance is enhanced in which of the following situations?

@ Answer Location: Using Systems to Enhance the Prospects for Approval; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: MC

*a. By involving others in the discussion and thoroughly discussing alignment

b. By presenting the change proposal after others have already put forward their ideas

c. By keeping the project quiet until the project is formally approved

d. By not including people who may resist the initial idea

29. Acceptance can be increased despite initial resistance if the project has been through a rigorous review.

@ Answer Location: Using Systems to Enhance the Prospects for Approval; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: TF

*a. True

b. False

30. How might change leaders increase the likelihood of gaining approval?

@ Answer Location: Mastering the Formal Approval Process; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: SA

*a. They should have a well-placed sponsor, know their audience, understand the power dynamics, have the project presented by the right person, and bring it forward when the time is right

31. Formal approval tends to follow the same general decision-making process in most organizations.

@ Answer Location: Mastering the Formal Approval Process; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: TF

a. True

*b. False

32. Moving forward without formal approval establishes creeping commitment to the change project.

@ Answer Location: Encouraging “Creeping Commitment” and Coalition Building; Cognitive Domain: Application; Question Type: TF

*a. True

b. False