Question 1

Marketing specialists at Napanee Beer Co.developed a new advertising campaign for summer sales.The ads were particularly aimed at sports events where Napanee Beer sold kegs of beer on tap.The marketing group worked for months with a top advertising firm on the campaign.Their effort was successful in terms of significantly higher demand for Napanee Beer's keg beer at sports stadiums.However,the production department had not been notified of the marketing campaign and was not prepared for the increased demand.The company was forced to buy empty kegs at a premium price.It also had to brew some of the lower-priced keg beer in vats that would have been used for higher-priced specialty beer.The result was that Napanee Beer sold more of the lower-priced keg beer and less of the higher-priced products that summer.Moreover,the company could not initially fill consumer demand for the keg beer,resulting in customer dissatisfaction.Use system theory to explain what has occurred at Napanee Beer Co.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Marketing specialists at Napanee Beer Co.developed a...

Question 2

A courier service laid off a large percentage of its production staff during last year's recession.These low-skilled employees performed routine tasks filling orders.The company now wants to rehire them.However,most of the unskilled employees have since found employment in other companies and industries.Do you think the courier company lost much organizational memory in this situation? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A courier service laid off a large...

Question 3

Comment on the accuracy of the following statement: 'Without employees,an organization has no organizational memory.'

Accepted Answer

The answer of Comment on the accuracy of the following...

Question 4

An organization's absorptive capacity refers to:
A) its ability to hire more people without moving to new offices.
B) its level of current knowledge so it can bring in new knowledge from the environment.
C) its ethical standards in the local community.
D) its diversity along the primary dimension.
E) its ability to conduct business through virtual work.

Accepted Answer

Absorptive capacity refers to an organization's ability to acquire new knowledge and skills from the external environment and incorporate them into its current knowledge base. It involves the ability to recognize the value of new information, assimilate it, and apply it to commercial ends.

Question 5

Organization leaders typically create or encourage communities of practice to:
A) share knowledge.
B) design a product or service.
C) waste time.
D) test new information technology.
E) influence potential competitors to stay out of the company's market.

Accepted Answer

Communities of practice are created or encouraged to share knowledge and information within an organization. By fostering these communities, leaders can promote continuous learning and improvement, as well as facilitate the transfer of expertise among employees.

B, C, D, and E are not appropriate choices as they do not align with the purpose of communities of practice.

Question 6

As part of the knowledge management process,experimentation mainly affects:
A) measuring intellectual capital
B) knowledge acquisition
C) organizational memory
D) knowledge sharing
E) unlearning

Accepted Answer

Experimentation plays a role in knowledge acquisition by allowing individuals or teams to try new ideas, test hypotheses, and learn from failures or successes. This can lead to new knowledge creation and contribute to the organization's overall knowledge base.

Question 7

WindTunnel Ltd,a manufacturer of commercial vacuum cleaner systems,has heard about new computer-based technologies that help vacuum cleaner systems to work more efficiently and provide additional features to users.So far,only one British vacuum cleaner company has apparently moved to integrate this technology into its products,but more firms will soon follow.Senior executives at WindTunnel are also aware of a small engineering firm that has applied similar computer technology to military suction-like products.No one at WindTunnel has much experience or knowledge with this computer technology,yet the company needs such expertise quickly.Explain which knowledge acquisition strategy would best help WindTunnel to gain the necessary intellectual capital.

Accepted Answer

The answer of WindTunnel Ltd,a manufacturer of commercial vacuum cleaner...

Question 8

Twice each year,a major car parts manufacturer brings together production and engineering specialists from its eight divisions to discuss ideas,solutions and concerns.This helps to minimize the 'silos of knowledge' problem that exists in many organizations.This practice is primarily an example of:
A) relationship capital
B) experimentation
C) knowledge sharing
D) documentation
E) organizational unlearning

Accepted Answer

The practice of bringing together production and engineering specialists from different divisions to discuss ideas, solutions, and concerns is primarily an example of knowledge sharing. This helps to minimize the 'silos of knowledge' problem that exists in many organizations, where each division or department is working in isolation and not sharing information. By sharing knowledge across divisions, the organization can improve its overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Question 9

Two organizational behavior students are debating the idea that many OB theories are contingency-oriented.One student believes that every OB theory should be contingency-oriented.The other student disagrees,saying that most theories should try to be universal.Evaluate both positions and provide your opinion on this issue.

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

Virtual work has been identified as an important trend in organizational behavior.Discuss three organizational behavior topics that are influenced by virtual work.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Virtual work has been identified as an...

Question 11

Comment on the accuracy of the following statement: 'An important objective in knowledge management is to ensure that intellectual capital is stored and preserved.'

Accepted Answer

The answer of Comment on the accuracy of the following...

Question 12

How do communities of practice relate to knowledge management?
A) Communities of practice tend to weaken the knowledge management process.
B) 'Communities of practice' is the phrase that describes the entire knowledge management process.
C) Communities of practice mainly improve knowledge use.
D) Communities of practice represent one of the three elements of intellectual capital.
E) Communities of practice mainly improve knowledge sharing.

Accepted Answer

Communities of practice mainly improve knowledge sharing. Communities of practice provide a platform for individuals with similar interests, expertise, and problems to share their knowledge and ideas, leading to better knowledge sharing within an organization. This enhances the knowledge management process by ensuring that knowledge is shared, distributed, and used effectively throughout the organization.

Question 13

A technology company wants to move into the field of wireless communications.Unfortunately,few of its employees know enough about the basic technology to acquire emerging knowledge about that field or to launch a separate business unit to enter that market.With respect to learning about wireless technology knowledge,this organization has:
A) too much virtual work.
B) high intellectual capital.
C) high human capital but low relationship capital.
D) too much of an open system.
E) low absorptive capacity.

Accepted Answer

The organization has low absorptive capacity as it lacks the necessary knowledge to acquire emerging knowledge about the field of wireless communications. Absorptive capacity is the ability of an organization to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit external knowledge. Therefore, the organization needs to increase its absorptive capacity to learn more about wireless technology knowledge.

Question 14

Organizations should 'unlearn':
A) in many situations involving organizational change.
B) whenever new knowledge is brought into the organization.
C) whenever the organization shifts from communities of practice to experimentation in the knowledge acquisition process.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Organizations should 'unlearn':
A) in many situations involving...

Question 15

Senior officers in a national military organization decided that operations in supplies requisition were inefficient and costly.They brought in consultants who recommended that the entire requisition process be 'reengineered'.This involved throwing out the old practices and developing an entirely new set of work activities around workflow.However,contrary to expectations,this intervention resulted in lower productivity,higher employee turnover and other adverse outcomes.Discuss likely problems with the intervention in terms of systems theory.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Senior officers in a national military organization...

Question 16

Organizational memory is best described as:
A) the total terabytes of hard disk space available on computers throughout an organization.
B) the ability of senior executives to recall important information about the company's products, services and employees.
C) the storage and preservation of intellectual capital within an organization.
D) the ability of employees throughout the organization to recall important information about the company's products and services.
E) the extent to which potential customers are able to recall specific products and services provided by an organization.

Accepted Answer

Organizational memory refers to the storage and preservation of intellectual capital within an organization. It includes information about products, services, processes, and employees, as well as the organization's history and culture. It is important for knowledge management and helps organizations make better decisions and improve their performance over time.

Question 17

Many organizations are placing increasing importance on values in the workplace.Discuss two reasons why workplace values have become more important in recent years.Your answer should briefly define values.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Many organizations are placing increasing importance on...

Question 18

Eastern University performs a daily computer search through newspaper articles to identify any articles about the university or its faculty members.University administrators use this information to receive feedback about how the public reacts to university activities.In knowledge management,searching for newspaper articles and other external writing about the organization is mainly a form of:
A) knowledge acquisition
B) communities of practice
C) organizational unlearning
D) knowledge sharing
E) documentation

Accepted Answer

Searching for external writing about the organization is a form of knowledge acquisition, as the organization is acquiring new knowledge about how it is perceived by the public. This information can then be used to make informed decisions and improve the organization.

Quiz 1: Introduction to the Field of Organizational Behavior

Comment on the accuracy of the following statement: 'Without employees,an organization has no organizational memory.'

An organization's absorptive capacity refers to:

Organization leaders typically create or encourage communities of practice to:

As part of the knowledge management process,experimentation mainly affects:

Twice each year,a major car parts manufacturer brings together production and engineering specialists from its eight divisions to discuss ideas,solutions and concerns.This helps to minimize the 'silos of knowledge' problem that exists in many organizations.This practice is primarily an example of:

Virtual work has been identified as an important trend in organizational behavior.Discuss three organizational behavior topics that are influenced by virtual work.

Comment on the accuracy of the following statement: 'An important objective in knowledge management is to ensure that intellectual capital is stored and preserved.'

How do communities of practice relate to knowledge management?

Organizations should 'unlearn':

Organizational memory is best described as:

Many organizations are placing increasing importance on values in the workplace.Discuss two reasons why workplace values have become more important in recent years.Your answer should briefly define values.